An Inspired Lunch

When you're an Asian college student in the US trying to finish up the semester along with the 200 non-transferable dining dollars on her meal plan, you don't have time to go to a grocery store, let alone an Asian one. Unfortunately, I cannot eat bread or pasta every day; I need rice and Asian seasonings. If I can't eat a fully Asian meal, I'll make a Eurasian one. So this is what I put together.

This lunch is inspired by my roommate Kieu-thu, who likes to put everything in a bowl and mix it up.

1. Those things that look like worms in the picture? They're Korean-style anchovies (aka ikan bilis, dear Southeast Asian readers). They are also technically expired (see picture below), but I've been eating them for the past year and I'm perfectly fine. My friend Bona gave them to me to keep for her over the summer and then let me have it once she realised they were expired.


Expiry date is on the reverse of the package: it was sometime in August 2009.

2. Peas and spinach from the salad bar in Cox hall food court. A rather expensive grocery store but it'll do for now.

3. Ham from the Costco in Nashville, TN. We bought two hunks of ham over our camping trip during spring break and left them in Ju Heon's freezer when we left for the camp site. So we've been slowly working through them.

4. Rice, my own, flavoured with Justin's spicy Korean red paste. I guess you could say this meal is my take on his spicy kimchee rice.

A delightful lunch, accompanied by either an apple that was left over from spring break or an orange I grabbed from the SAAC. I haven't decided yet.

I've been depressed about dancing lately and so I went for a swim and delighted in the many other ways I can move. Right now is also the first time I'm listening to Pandora (and music in general) this week and it is very refreshing to dive into the art form of sound.

Pandora was playing Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo just now. Very uncharacteristic of my recent state of mine, and it's nice to get out of the reflective, butoh-esque rhythm and movement I've been using lately.

Colbie Callait, by the way, did a cover of MJ's "I Want You Back", and I think it's the best thing I've heard from her ever (I'm not really a fan).

Of course, Jason Mraz just came on with his Live on Earth version of The Remedy and blew everyone else out of the water. How is he so secure in his individuality and so un-self-conscious of others? (check out his blog)