SMS: October 2011

Saturday, October 29, 2011

PING!!

This is Ping!

Ping is one of my favourite people down here in the ID. She makes dumplings every day in her little shop on King Street.

She also roasts peanuts, makes hard-boiled eggs with a flavor, and some Vietnamese sandwiches. Her shop is also filled with all kinds of snacks and Oriental jibber-jabber-niblets ranging from candy to ice cream to dried seaweed.
I met her because every evening on my way home from "work", I would pass by this one shop, and inside was this cute little woman in an apron with gloves on, working on something.
I always wondered what it was that she was making.
One night I stopped in and asked her what she was doing.
She smiled and said, "Rumplings!"
I'm just kidding!! Hee hee,
But she does have a great accent!
What actually happened was, was that she smiled and held up on of the items that she was working on and told me that she was making dumplings!
I asked her what kind, and she said, "Oooohhhhh....all kinds! What kind do you like?"
I said, "I don't know!"
Well, as it turns out she makes pork dumplings, dumplings with beef, dumplings with beef and onion, dumplings with pork and napa cabbage, dumplings with mushroom and onion, dumplings with eggs, tofu, and mushrooms, dumplings with pork and shrimp, and on and on and on. She explained 2 different ways to prepare them, and said they are very good.
Well, I couldn't resist, so I bought a giant bag for $10.00, and that was it.
I was an addict for a while, eating them as snacks before dinner, snacks in the middle of the night, for dinner, on the way to work, at work, but now I just eat them like a normal person: every once and a while.
They are SO YUMMY!!!
Meet Mr. Wong!

Mr. Wong is an artist and craftsman. Ping recently, like 2 weeks ago, started some remodeling on her shop. She moved everything into one room (the rooms are adjoining), and is turning the other room into a small, casual eatery.
Mr. Wong is cutting and laying the granite tiles, and he designed all of the painting.

I think that Mr. Wong is doing all of the other work, as well.....
Because this guy sure isn't :)

I couldn't understand what his name was, and neither of the gentlemen spoke English, so we just agreed on "Friend".

Ping said that the inside will be very traditional Chinese, and the outside and the front part will be more American and modern...so the two will be together and it will be nice for everyone that comes for a visit.
Ping also explained that she wanted to use the bright color of yellow, or gold, if you will, because in China, many years ago, the wife of the emperor of China wore beautiful yellow dress. It is also the color of wheat and garlic-"very important, happy items".

The red is for CHINA.

Dirt Island

Hmmmmm.....It's funny how when I take a picture, I have so many things to say about it, and if I don't do something with the picture, right away, the humor or the stink seems to fade away.
Like in this instance: a few weeks ago, all the "Occupiers" were getting their "occupy" on at Westlake Center in downtown Seattle.
I loved the "Seattle-ness" that was going on.
(Seattle-ness being my personal euphemism for precious, Seattle "dorkiness" -meant-in-the-kindest-most-endearing-way, as I am one of them)
I enjoyed the fact that the initial police presence was mostly police-on-bikes. Sometimes the police-on-bikes were found scattered standing with their bikes in 2's or 3's. And at other times the police-on-bikes were all lined up, in a big long row, ready for blast-off.
I especially liked it when the fleet of 25 was lined up in front of the See's Candy Shoppe. Is that ironic, just darling, or just super Seattle-ie?

Now here, we have what I called, at the time, Dirt Island - they aren't there anymore....they have moved to Capitol Hill :(
At this particular spot of the Westlake area, the dirtiest, protestiest, hippiest, funkiest folks hung out. They were planted. They slept there. There were food crumbles, books, krinkled paper, loads of cig smoke, and many other things indicating that these particular occupiers were and had not gone anywheres.
There was always some sort of "incense" smoking the air and some sort of "drum", guitar or flute-type instrument playing.

Looking to save on your next vacation? Come to Dirt Island where the rain is free, cigs are $10.00, the coffee is flowin' , and showers are NOT required!!
We hope to see you soon!