#asian blogging

[millenniumfae]

so my white co-worker was complaining about her (community college) field trip last weekend:

for lunch, her school had catered from a Thai restaurant. usually, if a university/school/workplace was covering pack lunches, they'd do sandwiches from Panera, or pasta from Olive Garden, or maaaybe burritos from Chipotle.

Her: I didn't even know the difference between the offered options. I ended up grabbing this weird, peanut-buttery, spicy noodle dish.

this was the most foreign she'd ever ventured with her food. i pointed out that her lunch didn't sound weird to me in the least, and she responded;

Her: So you'd intentionally serve foreign food to a bunch of people, not knowing if they'd like it or not, and it'd be their fault if they happened to find it weird or gross?

me, who grew up eating my homeland's food at home, and then American 'foreign food' every day at school? me, who mostly made friends with other Asian kids, so their parents fed me Vietnamese/Laotian/Burmese/Chinese/Sakha/Turkish food whenever i played over? me, who grew up in an international graduate student housing complex, so potlucks and gifts and Halloween and birthdays were a toss-up between Indian, Trinidadian, Ivorian, Russian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Norwegian, etc and so forth?

i told her that the majority of Americans are very much used to eating food from multiple cultures, especially us younger generations. we grew up eating from multiple cultures every single day, staring blankly every time someone told us that mac-and-cheese is a 'universally loved dish'.

it's fine to have food preferences. like, i personally hate asparagus and pineapple, and i prefer dry thin rice over the wetter, short-grain ones.

but never have i considered any deviation from my cultural cuisine be a huge undertaking. so what that a catered lunch was pad thai instead of turkey sandwiches? so what you came over to someone's house and they dare serve you pig ears instead of meatloaf? so what it's Japanese buckwheat noodles instead of spaghetti? so what you're handed a bowl of rice instead of a slice of bread?

and it's fine if that'd be a huge culinary leap for you. but don't try to convince me that it's humanity's "normal" to expect only (these) cuisines and not (those) at any given time.

(and don't get me started on how many times i'd recommend the mango-dragonfruit refresher to customers, only to be given an awkward smile and a "no thanks, i've never tried mango or dragonfruit".)

[mellowclouddelusion]

𐙚 ˚🍰 ⋆｡˚ ᡣ𐭩

[millenniumfae]

the vast, vast majority of the world don't celebrate christmas. believing in santa isn't the universal mark of childhood innocence people seem to think it is. for most of Asia (AKA, the largest population of the world), christmas is very clearly christian branding that doesn't herald anything important aside from a romantic kiss, or bucket of fried chicken.

If you're confused as to why some Jewish people find the Christmas season frustrating...

It can already be annoying even if you're Christian or culturally Christian. If you celebrate Christmas, you're participating in a religious Christian activity, I don't care how atheist you are.

And Christmas is relentless during the next two months. You literally cannot escape it. Christmas-themed decorations are literally everywhere, from people's houses to banners and lights affixed to public lampposts in every downtown area across the nation. Stores, schools, libraries, government buildings. It's everywhere. Half of all the radio stations play non-stop Christmas music. Every store plays a Christmas sound track. Salvation Army bell ringers dressed like Santa outside every big store. TV channels playing Christmas movies. Every online streamer and YouTuber does a Christmas episode. Christians use the season to proselytize, to convert.

The rest of the year, Christianity in the USA is background radiation: it's there, but it's easier to ignore. During Christmas? It's in your face and in your ears 24/7. For the better part of two MONTHS.

And now you have to remember Christianity's history of, you know, killing Jews, forcing them to convert, etc. And remember how people are so resistant to putting up any other kind of holiday decoration. They'll call something a "holiday party", but still only decorate in green and red and forget a menorah.

And maybe it's a little easier to understand why this is all so annoying, at best.

Note: this post isn't saying Christians shouldn't go hog wild. It IS saying that you need to understand that not everyone celebrates Christmas, and will therefore not share in the "Christmas spirit".

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

How about Xylocopa violacea (violet carpenter bee)?

Of course!

Photos thanks to the John Russel Honey Company & Steven Falk.

[feministfang]

A man raped a woman on a busy street in India recently and the bystanders (all men) recorded and posted the videos on the internet, instead of saving her.

Another recent news from India, A 6 year old girl was saved from a rape attempt by a troop of monkeys who attacked and chased away the rapist.

We live in a world where even animals who have no socialisation about basic morals are safer than men who create those morals and laws.

Men talk about being protectors to protect us from dangerous animals when in reality it’s the animals protecting us from these parasites.

The irony!

No wonder women chose the bears 🐻

[proserpinangel]

[millenniumfae]

on several occasions, i've accidentally dropped my pack of cigarettes whilst in public. i take them out of my pocket and fumble, or my plastic Walgreens bag rips, whatever.

without fail, some random passerby will joke, "better stop smoking, ha ha."

now, what if i dropped one of those mini plastic bottles of fireball, or bacardi, or w/e?

"need a little pick-me-up, huh?"

"girl, same."

"don't let it get away, hehe"

look, i'll never say that i'm a healthier or better person for being a teetotalor, that's shitty. but i DO think our culture glorifies alcohol and simitaneously throws hypocritical user-blaming on cigarette smokers.

people will proudly confess that they think i'm being monstrously idiotic for smoking on my porch, but nobody would bat an eye if i was throwing down a glass of wine.

i'll be frank. alcohol culture is very western-white. in other places, you don't bring a bottle of wine as a host gift, or see alcohol sold in the same places you'd refuel your car, or sell children's candy that's been shaped or scented to resemble alcohol.

i'm asian, we have our own particular alcohol culture. but we also have a genetic disposition to alcohol intolerance (called an 'alcohol allergy', a term not used in the English-speaking world), and tobacco is priced 6x cheaper.

i guess i just wanna say: maybe if you gotta be a jerk, consider directing it towards the more deadly, more glorified substance.

[asian-character-of-the-day]

Day 93

Today’s Asian character is Daph Manalastas from The Interpretation of Shadows!

He is Filipino.

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Emeraldl Cockroach (Pseudoglomeris magnifica)!

[justdavina]

Vicki Le: A marvelous transgender woman from Vietnam. She like so many of our transgender friends from South East Asia is a stunning delight to see.

[janeissx0x]

Pink dump 🎀🎀🎀

[dumplingprincessextraordinaire]

Art by @/7uyus

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

can you do Sinomantis denticulata?

Oh very cool, I've never seen one before!

[honestlysporadicland]

Repost if you love a hot trans girl in heels

Reblog

[hoefortoes1]

I hate it when people say skin whitening treatments and fake tanning are "two sides of the same coin." The South-Asian obsession with fair skin is rooted in British colonialism. The urge to get skin whitening treatments comes from a place of self-loathing and an inferiority complex. Meanwhile, people who get fake tans just want to feel exotic.

[foodshowxyz]

Kimchi Jeon (Savory Kimchi Pancakes)

Yields: 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped

1/4 cup kimchi juice

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup potato or corn starch

1/2 cup cold water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3-4 scallions, thinly sliced

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or neutral-flavored cooking oil

Optional additions:

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) for extra spice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Other vegetables: thin strips of carrot, onion slices

Dipping sauce ingredients:

Soy sauce

Rice vinegar

A pinch of sugar

Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

Make the batter: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, potato/corn starch, kimchi, kimchi juice, egg, water, and scallions. (Include any optional ingredients you'd like). Mix until a slightly thick batter forms.

Heat the pan: Heat a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan.

Cook the pancakes: Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the hot pan, spreading it into a thin, even circle. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.

Repeat: Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.

Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Add sesame seeds if desired.

Serve: Slice the pancakes into wedges and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Tips:

Well-fermented kimchi: Using older, well-fermented kimchi provides the best flavor and acidity.

Consistency check: The batter should be the consistency of a slightly thick pancake batter. If it's too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour.

Don't overcrowd the pan: Cook one or two pancakes at a time to achieve the best crispiness and an even cook.

Experiment: Feel free to add seafood, thinly sliced pork, or other vegetables to your pancakes.