Free Rice

I know, it sounds like the rice grains are imprisoned and you have to set them free, but really it's a site to test your vocab and donate grains of rice via the United Nations. I started to get things incorrect at level 41.

Speaking of helping globally, we've signed up to sponsor a child through World Vision. E is a bit skeptical of this way to raise money, but I like the idea of having a child (Simone) and helping a child (Sidi from Kenya).

It feels like the year's end is coming quickly--Simone will be three months this Friday, we close on our two-bedroom apartment on the 14th and we leave for California on the 23rd.

An amusing Oscar send-up:


Asian-Americans in American culture: Tuesday we had a date night and went to see Yellow Face, the latest play from David Henry Hwang. It's a semi-autobiographical look at race in general, and the potential of yellow peril here in the U.S. E felt like for APIs it was probably singing to the choir but could be informative for those less familiar with the issues. I found the historical parts interesting, particularly newspaper quotes talking about a past inquiry into Asian Americans giving political donations. Some thought China was trying to influence U.S. elections.

From theatermania.com: This autobiographical work features a character named DHH (played by Hoon Lee), who is swept up in the 1992 Miss Saigon casting controversy when he passionately advocates for an Asian-American actor to play the central role of a Eurasian pimp and then accidentally casts a white actor as the Asian lead in his next show.

"The play is a comedy of mistaken racial identity," says Hwang. "It's about how categories that we might think are fairly concrete are actually much more fluid than we imagine. Racial categories are becoming more and more ambiguous, and you can't necessarily tell someone's race just by looking anymore." This philosophy is reflected in the production, which features a cast of seven playing more than 40 different roles. Says Hwang: "We have men playing women, Asians playing non-Asians, white people playing Asians. At least in the ensemble parts, we're able to be completely blind-cast."**not sure if I got all this**

The satirical work utilizes various elements drawn from Hwang's own life, including the fact that his father was suspected of laundering money for China (although no charges were ever filed). "My father read an early draft of the play before he passed away," says Hwang. "It says a lot about how gregarious a character he was that he pretty much liked the way he was portrayed."

The play is about much more than theater or Hwang's family; he is particularly interested in exploring the effects of what he calls "the wave of Chinese paranoia in the late '90s," which included the campaign finance scandals and accusations that scientist Wen Ho Lee gave U.S. nuclear secrets to the People's Republic of China. "When we look at the way that journalists fanned the flames in cases like Wen Ho Lee, we have to question the subjectivity of that reporting," says Hwang. "As in the rest of the play, the whole nature of truth versus fiction is called into question."

Recently I read Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. The main protagonist is a Korean American woman is a recent college grad, is estranged from her family, and is trying to make her way in the world. I enjoyed reading the novel...it actually follows Casey's life for quite a while. I didn't like everything--way too many inappropriate sexual liaisons. I also didn't like the way some people were portrayed--like her devout Christian sister. But all that just made me think that I'd love to see more Asian American stories in mainstream literature. I think that when there are many representations, you don't worry so much about any one "getting it right."

The Amazing Race this season has what I think is its first all-Asian American pairing. The father-daughter team of Ron and Christina...even though my dad isn't exactly like that I can definitely relate! He tries to lecture and give "the truth" while she is hurt by his lack of sensitivity and encouragement. Now we just need to get an Asian American true contender on America's Next Top Model (yes, guilty pleasure).

There's a new New York Times blog on adoption. Having Simone makes me think more often about those children in the world who are less fortunate and how heartbreaking it must be not to be able to give your children everything you'd like to be able to...particularly basic needs. The latest post is written by an adoption medicine specialist who adopted a son herself. Part of the post talks about the consequences for children raised in orphanages:
"They do not experience the normal intimacy of a primary caretaker who would be holding, touching, talking to them, creating a model of reciprocal communication. In nurturing situations, the adult looks endearingly at the baby; the baby looks back transfixed and connected. The adult speaks in high pitched musical tones and the baby mimics almost immediately. This is repeated over and over again, consolidating the millions of stimuli in the baby’s brain. The baby experiences sensations: I feel good. I feel bad. I am hungry. I am tired. And these feelings are then greeted with the best guesses of the parent or caretaker. Those simple pathways are at the heart of attachment and intimacy. And they are missing for orphans, a deficit that can lead them down a path to poor self-regulation, language delays, and attachment issues."
Reading this makes me think more clearly about what my role is as Simone's mother. Hmm, so maybe I shouldn't be typing this while I'm feeding her? :)

I'm trying to get back into the habit of reading my Bible regularly...I've started reading Romans in the paraphrased The Message.

Today (11/29) Simone and I took an afternoon walk in Morningside Park. It felt like the last perfect fall day. I wish I'd brought my camera to capture the light reflecting off the colorful leaves on the trees and ground. Alas, I was going to but changed my mind because I thought it would be heavy. So I tried to just live in the moment and thank God for it all.

Only two weeks until our apartment closing! Yesterday I bought Benjamin Moore paint samples--Ravishing Red for the living room and Sidewalk Grey for the bedroom. We're thinking of the creatively named "Light Yellow" for Simone's room and using the same light purple for the bathroom.