Mission Explore Texas

You've heard people say this before: Texas is not just a state. And they're right. It's more like its own continent on Planet America. If I had a list of the last places I would live on Earth, Texas would definitely be among the last. Yet, ironically, I find myself living here now in the "heart of Texas" for a whopping record-breaking 3 1/2 years! That's the only place I've lived in the longest besides Detroit (the burbs), Michigan, where I grew up to be an American. The city's slogan is "Keep Austin Weird" and that probably has something to do with why I love it! What other city do you know celebrates Eeyore's birthday (yes, that's Eeyore the donkey from Winnie the Pooh and his birthday party is this Saturday) by getting dressed up in weird costumes, drumming, and doing "stuff" in a public park? So, instead of feeling sorry for myself and dwelling on the fact that I currently reside in Texas and not somewhere much cooler (not in temperature), like Vietnam or India, I've decided to make it my mission to explore Texas like a real tourist. (I'm also a proud owner of a Texas State Park Pass for 2 years.) You know, maybe like someone from Vietnam who has never left her country and has dreamt all her life of bountiful America, just like the way it is in the movies with huge houses, fancy cars, mountains of money, triple-decked hamburgers, shopping malls, movie theatres, amusement parks, etc.

Austin is the capitol of Texas AND the "live music capitol of the world!"  Yes, really, it is.  On any given night, Austin has more live music than any other city in the world apparently.  Pretty incredible, isn't it? Austin is also in the Hill Country region of the Lone Star state, which means lots of rolling hills and my new favorite, fields of amazingly beautiful wildflowers in Spring! I took my first spring time scenic road trip to North Padre Island (NPI) and I must have been driving at 35 MPH just "ooohhing" and "aahhing" at the huge fields of Bluebonnets (the state flower) and Indian Paintbrushes, and the poor little armadillos on the road (the state animal, although I didn't know what they were but since we were in Texas, I figured armadillo was a safe guess).  I mean, just crazy splashes of vibrant blues, reds, yellows and whites along the side road.  It was definitely breathtaking and I wanted to just go run in the fields and lose my breath some more! Actually, on the way back, my friend and I couldn't resist stopping several times to pick ourselves a nice bouquet of wildflowers.

One of my favorite things about Texas besides the hot weather and wildflowers is, the warm friendly people. And they say sweet things in their sweet Texas twang like "Bless your heart!" I just love that, for some reason. Anyway, I believe there is a strong correlation between warmer weather and warmer people.  *Travel Tip* Go to places where the average daily temperature is at least in the high 70s and you'll be guaranteed a more friendly and relaxing trip, seriously. 

Ok, back to the heart of the story. I was sitting on a bench inside the Wal Mart in Seguin next to a properly dressed Texan man, in a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, of course. He looked healthy and no more than 80 years.  He was very friendly and asked me how I'm doing and if I'm from the area.  I said, "no," and he went on to tell me that he's 90 years old, from Stockdale (roundabout 30 miles from Seguin), survived all his 9 siblings and he was the third oldest.  I listened respectfully while he detailed who died in which year, etc. (I'm used to this because my dad does the same thing.) He wasn't being depressing or morbid but rather grateful and happy to be alive. I told him how impressed I was that he was 90 years old and still healthy and alert to be shopping with his daughter at Wal Mart. He even told me how he took the car and drove to the store the day before even though he wasn't supposed to!

(This is the reason why I wanted to tell this story.) 

In response to me, he said, "I'm just lucky to be here."  And I nodded in agreement.

I was secretly hoping he'd share some profound wisdom or advice for me after 90 years of life experience, but what he said to me was so simple. Yet, I contemplated it for the next 4-hour drive and then some.  As I chilled on the beach, breathed in the fresh ocean air, listened to the waves, felt the ocean breeze in my face, and cozied up to the fire, I thought about how lucky we ALL are to be alive.  No matter what trials and tribulations life throws at us, we should all be able to enjoy all the simple and beautiful things that life has to offer - the beach, jellyfish, flowers, rain, sun, moon, stars, clouds, kite-flying, etc....and especially, ambient beach camping with the company of friends and fellow beach lovers.  Awww yeah!!


And another reason why I love Texas - While passing through Stockdale on the way home, I nearly drove right into an old man (I don't think this was the same old man at Wal Mart) on this antique 3-wheel scooter just scooting across a wide 4-lane highway.  He saw me coming but apparently it was HIS town so he decided to cross right in front of me in the middle of the road anyway, at 5 mph!  I was totally laughing and thinking, ONLY in Texas would I witness such a site! And the wind must have blown away his cowboy hat. 

Ambient Camping with DJs spinning retro 80s ambient music! Total ambient awesomeness!

Malaquite Beach, NPI

I love FIRE! Luckily I always keep matches in the car, yay!

Jellyfish, they're huge! Is everything really bigger in Texas, you ask?  YES!! I weigh my heaviest now bc of the large portions of food and the State of Texas government work life. btw, I think this is a Cannon ball jellyfish.

a beautiful field of Indian Paintbrushes!! 

2 make-it-up-as-I-go mustard green recipes

I'm a mustard green virgin. Never eaten it. Never cooked it. I've been desperately trying to save money on food by using only the ingredients I already have in my kitchen.  I had 2 big bunches of mustard greens from the Farm-to-Work program that I needed to use, plenty of spices and a bunch of random canned food items. 

I refuse to cook mustard greens with just bacon fat, so I made up 2 dishes that turned out to be quite tasty. 

Spicy curried chickpeas with mustard greens

1 bunch mustard greens, chopped about 1-2 inches
1 can chickpeas, strained
3 tblspn. tomato sauce (or 1-2 tblspn tomato paste)
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tblspn. olive oil
1-2 fresh Thai chili peppers (or substitute chili powder/flakes)
1 tblspn. Sambar curry powder (the Indian girl left this package so I decided to use it!)
1 tblspn. yellow curry powder (basically, use whatever yummy spices you have)
1 tblspn. cumin powder
1 tspn. coriandor powder
salt and pepper to taste

Dice the onion and garlic and sautee in the olive oil.  Then add in your chickpeas, tomato sauce, and spices. Add a little bit of water if needed (about 1/3 cup), especially if you're using the tomato paste.  Then add in your mustard greens and let all this simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Season to taste and you're done.

I always like to have a soup whenever possible.  So what better than to make a soup out of my second batch of mustard greens? 

Mustard green and tofu soup

1 bunch mustard greens

About 2 qts. vegetable/chicken stock or 1 bouillon cube with 2 quarts water (about a medium size pot)

1 small onion

2-3 cloves garlic

Tofu (or your choice of protein)

1 tblspn. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Dice your onion and garlic and sautee in olive oil.  Add your vegetable/chicken stock or water with a vegetable/chicken bouillon cube.  Bring to a boil and then add your chopped mustard greens and tofu.  Let simmer for about 5 minutes and that's it. Enjoy with a steaming bowl of Jasmine rice. The bitterness of the mustard greens makes a great soup!!

iphone photo courtesy of Christopher Sharpe. He can tell you how yummy it was too!

My First Paintings

All I have to say is that it's been a very interesting journey painting. Although I sometimes get frustrated with it and can't do some of the detailed work I'm used to doing with henna and pen, I certainly enjoy the  mental/spiritual health benefits it offers. It's when I focus and meditate on just painting that I find much peace and relaxation.  I enjoy my teas or wines or the company of my girlfriends painting with me. I don't care if I never sell a painting. That's not the mission. The mission is to try something I've never done before and have fun doing it. Whether it's good or not, is irrelevant. In any case, art is in the eye of the beholder.  I've heard the answer to the question, "what is art?" and it's "if it moves you, it's art." The simplicity of the lines, shapes, and colors of my style may appeal to some and not to others.  That's cool. But I'm sure my style will evolve and change as I keep painting, learning and experimenting. At the moment, I like simplicity and always have. It's easy on the eyes, mind, and heart.

These are posted in the order that I painted them, from my first painting to the last.  I am painting these for the Reggae Festival, April 16-18, 2010, but if you'd like to make an offer on one, please be my guest and make me a happy gal!  I've coordinated these in sets of 2, so I prefer that they go together. If you don't see one you like yet, I've got 3 more just about done and working on a few more in the next couple weeks.

A special tribute to Bob Ross, the best PBS painting guy and show I've ever seen and loved watching when I was growing up as a kid.

To Happy Clouds and Happy Painting! :)

Love, Peace, and Namaste,

LPN

Portrait of me in the black Ao Dai.  Acrylic on canvas and ribbon. 16"x20". Not for sale.

Vietnamese school girl in white Ao Dai. Acrylic on canvas and ribbon. 16"x20".

Vietnamese school girl with bicycle. Acrylic on canvas and ribbon. 16"x20"

Vietnamese girl in bamboo trees. Acrylic on canvas and ribbon. 11"x14" (her sister is born and will be posted soon.)

Vietnamese girl in rice field. Acrylic on canvas and ribbon. 11"x14" 

Portrait of Greta and Grayton @ 4 mos. Acrylic on canvas. 11" x 14". Not for sale.

EZ Chi-Neez Noodles

Personally, I never eat Chinese food unless it's Dim Sum, roast pork/duck, or cai lan (aka Chinese broccoli). Vietnamese food is so much better and healthier. So, next time you're craving Asian food, don't even dare to order nasty Chinese take-out ever again because here's a real simple dish anyone can do in less than 20 minutes. It's Chinese-style egg noodles with tofu and Chinese broccoli (or
your choice of noodles with your choice of protein and your choice of veggies). it'll be so impressive, yummy, and cheap, you'll want to make it every week!!

12 oz package of tasty fried tofu (or your choice of protein: chicken, beef, shrimp, etc.)

15 oz. package of chinese style egg noodles (thin kind or any noodles you like: rice, buckwheat, etc.)
1 bunch of chinese broccoli (or other green veggies you like: bok choy, bamboo, mushrooms, bean sprouts, etc.)
1 medium onion
3-5 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3-4 tbsp soy sauce (I use the low sodium kind but any will do.  You will just have to adjust the saltiness to your taste)
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1-2 tbsp sesame oil (I use the spicy sesame oil bc I like it spicy but you can add fresh chili peppers or even Sriracha instead too.)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
total sauce is about 1 cup
4-6 servings

The noodles:
Boil a pot of water and follow the instructions on the noodle package to cook your noodles el dente.  The fresh Chinese-style egg noodles only need 3 min. to cook so don't over cook them.  Strain and rinse.


The sauce:
While you're waiting for the water to boil, make your sauce- combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, water, and sesame oil.  This is a real rough estimate since I don't measure when I cook.  So just make a small bowl of sauce and add water to dilute the sauce if it's too salty.  Adjust until it tastes good to you. If you want lots of sauce, make more. If you want to make it thicker, add a little cornstarch.  If you want to make it spicy, add chili. If you want it sweeter, add more sugar.

The fun:
Cut your onion in rainbows, dice your garlic, cut your Chinese broccoli to be bite-size (roughly 2-3 inches depending on the size of your mouth and I also cut them diagonally cause it looks prettier).  Using a wok or your largest pan (this makes a lot so sometimes you can't fit it all in your wok/pan so you have to do two batches), stir-fry the onions with a little olive oil and then add the garlic on medium high heat. Garlic burns faster so you don't want to cook the garlic and onions at the same time. Dump in your veggies and tofu and let that cook a few minutes. (If you're cooking with raw meat, cook that first then the veggies.) Then throw in your noodles and toss and turn like a professional Chinese chef.  Again, do this quickly kung-fu style, so you don't over cook your veggies unless you like them mushy.  Remember, the noodles are already cooked, so once the noodles are mixed in with the sauce, you're done and ready to chow down baby!

So EZ Chi-Neez Noodles... it's making me hungry just looking at the picture!

Too Good to Be True Turnip Green Soup

I'm a Vietnamese girl from Michigan.  I have never heard of turnip greens or turnip green soup!  If it weren't for me being in Texas and for the awesome Farm-to-Work program, my palate would never have been so enlightened!  Every week, I can order $25 worth of seasonal organic veggies from local farmers.  I don't do it often because it's usually too much for 1 person but it's the season of the greens and I love me some greens!

This is how it works and what I got for 25 bucks*:

turnip greens
2 bunches of mustard greens
collard greens
kale
spinach
bok choy
romaine lettuce
2 heads broccoli
green onions
a bunch of sweet potatoes
an onion
a clove of garlic

*If you don't like something, you can trade whatever you don't want for something you do want. That's cool.  So, I traded in a bunch of green onions for the mustard greens.  Not bad, eh?  Usually, I trade in the okra too because I haven't figured out yet how to cook them right.

So, it was really cold on Saturday and of course, I felt like soup.  FYI, I love soup!  I started a big pot of chicken stock.  I love making stock because it's so easy and yummy!  Here's how you do it.

A couple pounds chicken bones (2 carcasses) or 1 whole chicken
A couple carrots
A few stalks of celery
10-15 whole peppercorns
I recommend roasting these cause it's so much better and just use what you have or be creative:
1 whole onion
1/2 clove of garlic
1 thingy of ginger
Other misc things you can add if you want to experiment:
bay leaves
coriander seeds
lemon grass
whole all-spice
other veggies you have in the fridge that needs to be used
chicken neck

Throw it all in a big pot (about 6 qts.) and fill the pot with cold water, covering the whole chicken.  Then just let it boil and simmer for at least 2-3 hours.  The longer, the better for sure.  Skim off the foamy chicken goo and fat that collects.  Strain off all that goodness and compost or give to your kitty and then make whatever soup floats your boat!  Or freeze a portion of the stock for next time.  You can also turn this stock vegetarian by just omitting the chicken, of course.  I've done it before for my veggie friends and they loved it!

Sorry for the half-empty pot. I had already used half of the stock to make the turnip green soup but you can see I've got chicken neck and bones and carrots and all kinds of stuff in there!  That's what makes a good soup.

Then, I had to figure out what to do with all my Farm-to-Work veggies and my stock. So, while it was simmering, I googled "turnip greens" and came up with a few turnip green soup recipes.  Perfect!  I never heard of it before but I love soup.  The basic recipe calls for turnip greens in a stock with navy beans.  Well, I didn't have navy beans nor am I a huge fun of them so I just used what I had, lentils and a can of black beans.  The nice thing is you can use whatever kind of beans you like. I didn't follow any of the recipes and just made up my own awesome impromptu version of turnip green soup recipe:

1 1/2 - 2 qts of stock (medium pot)

1 bunch of fresh turnip greens, dice the turnips and cut the greens in 2 inches or so. (I suppose you can use the frozen ones too)

1 small onion, diced

1 can black beans, strained and rinsed

1/3-2/3 cup lentils

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in a little olive oil.  Then add your stock and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils first, since they take the longest to cook.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked.  About 10 minutes after the lentils, add the turnips.  They're like potatoes, so they take a while but not as long as the lentils.  Then when your lentils and turnips are cooked, add the turnips and can of black beans and turn off the heat.  It'll be enough to cook. You don't want to overcook the greens and the black beans.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Then you got yourself some yummy and ultra healthy (high in Vitamins K, A, and C) turnip green soup!!!  

I don't know what turnip green soup is supposed to taste like, but I don't think it matters as long as it's got turnip greens in it and it's yummy!

A Woman's Guide to Picking Up Hitchhikers

Let me guess what you're thinking...."What?!?! You PICKED up a HITCHHIKER?!? That's crazy!  You could've been killed!"  Yes, I picked up a hitchhiker and I know I could've been killed. Call me crazy. I'm a girl. I was alone. I could've been hacked into pieces, blah blah blah.  BUT before you REALLY think I'm crazy and stupid, let me tell you my story and then you can judge for yourself if I really am crazy and stupid. So this is how my awesome Houston hitchhiker story goes...

It was 6 days before Christmas. I had been listening to Christmas songs and dreaming  of a white Christmas. [Perhaps being in the Christmas spirit might have played a part in my impulsiveness that day, but then again, I probably would have done it anyway because I'm not that religious.]  I was on my way to Houston for a photoshoot and to visit family. Shortly after I started heading East on Hwy 290, I saw a guy sitting on the side of the road at the gas station, holding a sign that said, "To Houston (Montrose)." I didn't get a real good look at the guy or anything since I was in a fast moving vehicle.  But instantly, my unfiltered thoughts were, "well, I'M going to Houston. If there's someone that needs a ride, why not give him a ride?" Seriously, that was all I thought before I took the next turn-around and headed back to the gas station.   

Here's my perspective behind this: What if we didn't live in a society where we were inundated with depressing news of random shootings, murders, rapes, kidnappings, burglaries, terrorism, etc? What if there was no crime, no evil? What if we lived as humans should live together...in love, peace, and respect for one another? Imagine that for just a moment. [Seriously, pause and give it some thought. Close your eyes if that helps.] Then imagine a situation where you are driving somewhere and you saw someone who needs a ride to the exact same place you are going.  Would you even hesitate to give that person a ride? Would you even question for just a second that that person could be some crazy pyscho that will chop you up in pieces? I don't think so. If you're an average sane human being, your good Samaritan human instincts would tell you to do the right thing and give that person a ride.  It should be that simple, right? 


Now, imagine you're back in the real world. In two seconds, your mind would be flooded with paranoid thoughts of how you might be killed with an axe and buried in pieces, etc. If you grew up watching Freddy the 13th, Jason, Poltergeist, or Pet Cemetary, I'm sure you can conjure up all sorts of gory scenarios. [By the way, I don't like and refuse to watch horror movies because of this.] But, you won't immediately realize that those paranoid thoughts are precisely the result of our (crazy) society invading the purity and goodness of our human nature. Personally, I think that's sad and depressing to think that we live in a society that IS that scary -  that we are  afraid of helping a fellow human for the sake of protecting our lives. Honestly, I think THAT'S crazy. It just doesn't feel right to me. How would you feel if you were stranded one day and had to hitchhike for a ride?  Wouldn't you just want a kind person to give you a friendly ride and not think that you're an ex-convict axe-murderer going to kill them?


Ok, hopefully I made my point and convinced you that I'm not crazy.  But I haven't convinced you that I'm not stupid either.  You're probably thinking..."Get down from Cloud 9 you crazy girl because we DON'T live in your dream world and we DO live in a scary world. There ARE crazy people out there that will kill you." True. You're absolutely right. I'm not totally naive and stupid enough to think that I'm always safe from crime and evil and everyone out there is inherently good. So, I tried to be smart about it at least. 


This is my woman's guide to picking up a hitchhiker:

• He was young, under 30 years old. Plus, under all the facial hair, you could tell that he was good-looking but that doesn't matter. It was just a lucky bonus.
• He had dreadlocks. I know this is stereotyping but it's a good stereotype and I would bet my life (and I was right) that guys with dreads are hippie types that make peace, not war.
• He was dressed in pants held together by a whole bunch of patches, actually in several pants and in several layers of shirts. This means he was a serious hobo gypsy traveler type. I don't know about you, but they're my kind of people.
• He had a backpacker backpack. If they don't look like they're really traveling then you can assume they're in a different type of situation, though that doesn't eliminate the fact that they may still need help.
• He had a guitar. My theory is that musicians are creative, not cruel, nor criminals. Brilliant theory, isn't it?
• I also checked his I.D. He didn't have a license, but he had a passport. That says A LOT to me, personally.  He's smart enough to have a passport and even better that he's a worldly traveler. [The statistic varies, but according to an article in the New York Times, the State Dept. estimates that only around 27% of Americans own a passport.]
• He was just trying to see his good friend in Houston that he hadn't seen in a long time. I think that's simple and sweet.
• He was kinda stinky, but that was a good thing in this case. :)
• Given all that... I've backpacked and lived around the world by myself so trust me, I have enough experience (and never a bad one, thankfully). I can say with confidence that I trust my instincts. If you don't trust yourself, then who can you trust? [On a side note, I must say that of all the places I'ved lived and traveled in, the U.S. is the place that I feel the most unsafe. Just something to ponder.] 

So do you still think I'm stupid? Perhaps. But anyway, you know that the story doesn't end with me being chopped up and buried in the bushes somewhere in BFE, Texas. To continue with the story, I picked up the hitchhiker and we shared a deep conversation about life, art, music, kids, travel, etc... We listened to Pink Floyd and had an enjoyable ride to Houston. He kept me company, we had great conversation, I got him safely to his destination, and even met his friend. In fact, I am even Facebook friends with both of them! Needless to say that I didn't do it to get anything out of it, but I was rewarded for my good deed with a bowl, Jim Beam, and VIP seats to good live music.  However, I am absolutely positive that my real reward will come as good karma in disguise at some point, if not already. Besides that, it simply felt good to help someone out and make him happy...and not just one person, I made two people happy.  They literally jumped for joy and hugged and screamed like little girls when they saw each other.  And it really really touched me and made me so happy to see two grown boys hugging like that! So, as crazy and stupid as it may have been, I followed my heart and I know I did the right thing.  Love, Peace, and Happy Hitchhiking!       

Disclaimer: For your safety, La Pham Nikita does not encourage women (or men) to pick up hitchhikers and even if you do, I cannot guarantee an experience as pleasant as mine.  But if you choose to do so, please be safe and use good judgement.  I don't do it regularly or pretend to think it is a smart and safe thing to do for a single woman, but I just trust my instincts that much and consciously choose to live my life this way, as pure and good-hearted as possible, uncontaminated by society, seeking adventure at my own risk and hitchhiker-friendly. But, I will probably delete this post when my children are able to read.  This is just a post to stimulate your thoughts and provoke some conversation about the society we live in and how it affects our thinking and our human relationships.

Caption: This is the photo of the hitchhiker and his friend.  They were both extremely talented musicians and I was lucky they didn't chop me up, but instead sang and played beautiful music for me. How blessed am I?

The Black Ao Dai (The Long Black Shirt)

Presenting....my first painting of a Vietnamese woman in a traditional Vietnamese dress, called the Ao Dai (literally Long Shirt) and pronounced: \ow zai\ with an upward intonation on the 'ow' and a downward intonation on the 'zai'. The Ao Dai is a two-piece dress, consisting of a long shirt and pants.  To me, this is the ideal dress because it comes with pants. Truth be told, I've always detested wearing dresses and avoid them at all costs but I actually enjoy wearing the Ao Dai. So, how convenient that it makes both me and my mom happy!

Since this was my first time painting, I wanted to choose something simple and easy to paint.  After contemplating what to paint for a couple weeks, a vision of one of my own modeling photos came to me.  The photo was taken by Miriam Daugherty on my very first photoshoot in Austin, Texas in May 2009. I had designed the dress when I was in Hanoi, Vietnam. I had chosen the color black, which is an unusual color choice for an Ao Dai dress because only older women, say over 70 years, might wear black and other dark shades.  Traditionally, young women wear Ao Dai of brighter colors and patterns to portray their youthfulness.  However, I wanted to design something a little bit more edgy and chic. The material is of thin flowy chiffon so that the sleeves and the waist piece are see-through.  This adds to the sexiness of the dress. I also want to point out that the secret to the Ao Dai is that it 'covers everything, but hides nothing.' In other words, it is extremely form-fitting, flattering, and shows nothing but a small triangular area of skin through the side slit at the waist. And that, my male friends, although is a big tease, is the all-time sexiest part of the Ao Dai.

Painting is another artistic mission I've been nudged to pursue for a while by an artist friend of mine, JLaw and then I met Ruba, the beautiful neuro-linguist masseuse Syrian painter.  She invited me over for an intimate painting party with 3 ladies, including myself.  I brought the wine (ladies love sweet so I chose a nice crisp Moscato). She provided the veggies and dip, art supplies and the rest is strictly confidential (except for our paintings, of course).

Over the last month, we had painting night once or twice a week either at my house or her house with a couple other ladies. Wine, tea, veggies and dip, fireplace, and painting - it was romantic, inspiring and quite simply, lots of fun!  One night, we were enjoying each other's company so much that we didn't even paint! There were four of us - dos Mexicanos, a Syrian, and a Vietnamese.  We are all in our early thirties, single, smart, strong, and attractive women.  And it got me thinking...mainly about how many independent, smart, talented, and beautiful women I know, how much I admire them and how much they inspire me.  So, really, this painting is a tribute to all the lovely ladies I know and all the ones I don't know yet, who make the world a better place.

The Black Ao Dai (the Long Black Shirt) by La Pham Nikita. Acrylic and ribbon.16" x 20". Not for sale. The red sash on the conical hat is a real red ribbon. I hope you enjoy the painting!  And if you like it, check back here for more because I am starting a series of Vietnamese Ao Dai paintings, and those will have a price, if you want one.

Note to self: Austin, Art, Attraction, and I

[note: this is kinda just a personal journal entry for myself - just my uninhibited unedited freeflow thoughts tonite.]

So I guess I took a mini sabbatical from blogging.  Over a month.  I finally found some down time to reflect on the whole past month or so of my life.  It's been a total crazy whirlwind of everything. I took a little break from drawing, henna, peacock bags, work, and overdosed during the holidays with family, travel, eating, knitting, skiing, dancing.  I've been deep in my self-conscience, mindful and alert of all the signs in the world around me and listening intently to the Universe speaking to me. Family has come back in my life so strong. Art speaks for itself. Love, and the endless search. Friends, cherished and more beautiful.  Passion.  Energy. The Secret. The Law of Attraction.

I've been wanting to write about this "law of attraction" I've been experiencing intensely for the last few months. My life has been kind of tossy turny to say the least. My heart was wounded. My job is boring but I can't complain. I was lost, still lost. I've turned to art for healing, expression, focus, meditation, relaxation, motivation, energy, passion, collaboration, fun, friendship and love. I can feel the energy all around me.  It gives me energy  and gets me all excited whenever I get myself into a project. Just ask my friends. There's proof in every person I'm meeting, family, friends and in all my travels, encounters, conversations.  I'm going to cram more than a month's worth of blogging into 1 long run-on sentence.  Here goes... from my brother, my dad, the sudden flood of emotions all directly related to the hours...days....weeks I've spent with my family this past year (it was good but intense, not including the funniest thing - they want me to go to dental school and they said they would pay for it), my encounters with Austinites (this is one of the reasons why I love Austin - all the cool people I've been meeting!).... the mysterious awe-amazing energy of a woman that bought my first piece of art, the henna peacock drum, the musician at the (my uncle's) Mi Bar on New Year's eve, Ella Reese's Pieces' birth, my hotshot famous artist friend, the beautiful and so talented painter, neuro-linguist Syrian masseuse that I instantly connected with at the Austin Asian Film Festival, my friendships with the pilllow designer, models, photographers, the fashion designers, the dreadlocked San Franciscan musician hitchhiker I picked up on my way to Houston the week before Christmas and the conversation I had with him, my cousin Lee's sweet friend that I met in Germany 3 years ago and took me skiing at Mt. Snow, Vermont, cooking with my mom, tennis with my niece and nephew, ice-skating with my cousins in Hartford, CT, karaoking with my cousins in Houston, my brother's mouthwatering and romantic foodblog, his awesome xray flower photography, his fiance Kim Dao's Jalapeno Poppers in a blanket (Vote for her too!), job searching, internet dating on eHarmony and Okcupid.com, the german-speaker, the salsa dancer, the journalist, the filmmaker, and so many more unidentified experiences and people yet to be known. I think that's a whole lot of attraction and creative energy going on in just a month or so, don't you think?  I had no time to pause and blog.  I was focused on living in the moment. I feel very lucky.

My current artistic venture is painting.  This is the first time in my life, seriously. Believe it or not. And I admit I'm scared.  I was scared of drawing. I'm also scared of painting. I vaguely recall helping an older schoolmate paint a mural on the wall for young kids after school.  That was maybe between the 7th and 8th grade. I'm starting with acrylic on canvas. It's a photograph that Miriam Daugherty took of me in my black Vietnamese Ao Dai and conical hat with a bold red sash. This was my first photoshoot.  The thing that really started the ball rolling in my world of creative experimentation and exploration.  My friend kept saying I should try painting and that I would like it.  He's right.  Now I'm painting with my lovely Syrian friend and she said I'm talented. I hope she's right too.  :)  I will post photos of it when I'm done.

My upcoming events:

I'm excited to say that I'll be doing henna tats and selling whatever art type stuff I can create at the Austin Reggae Festival, April 16-18, 2010.  I'll be sharing a booth with several other Austin artists, http://www.dracouni.com/. 

I'm also super honored to do my friends Ekta Shah and Anirban Chatterjee's wedding henna, the date is June 19, 2010.  I told her to submit their photo to the Austin360 Cutest Couple in Austin.  so please vote for them! Yes, they're the cute Indian couple. In fact, they're a smart techy couple and both not vegetarian.  This is my first wedding henna, yikes!! Super nervous.  Wedding henna tats are a big deal, majorly auspicious! And just think that all her Indian family and friends will see it and examine it?  OMG, I'm scaring myself. When I'm not nervous about it, I like to tease her and tell her I will sneak in 2 fishies into the henna design (fish is a symbol of fertility) and that I'll be extra careful to make them identical.  :) She says, "NOoooo!!! You better not! I will take 2 days off work and travel to Dallas...and experience a full-on traditional Indian wedding. Wow, that part is going to be freaking exciting!  I gotta get myself a Sari! In fact, my bollywood SRK crazy Indian girlfriend is working on getting it for me from India, right this moment...

It's half past midnight and the storm is rolling in.  It's thundering and lightning.  I want to be awake to hear it. It's pounding on the roof now.  I love it.  It makes me miss Hanoi.  I love Vietnam.

Ella Reese Michaud, Born December 27, 2009 in Hartford, CT.  6.1 lbs and a precious little 17 inches.  I knit her those snuggly soft booties and mittens in record time so she wasn't cold.  I think she's the Secret. I call her my little Reese's Pieces.

It's going to be an awesome year of art and attraction in Austin...Go Tiger!

He's definitely not into you...or maybe he's just not ready.

He's Just Not That Into You: by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

Note to the Reader: I've always wanted to have my own love/relationship/sex column like Carrie Bradshaw and this is my attempt at writing a Sex in the City type column. Let's love lots and have fun with me! :) What should I call my column?  And thank you to all my wise family and friends who have supported me, shared their love, their stories, and gave their advice to me through my adventures of "dating" and finding the love of my life.

My book review: Ok, here's the real deal. This book can be harsh, obvious and even silly, but it is an enjoyable light read and there are a lot of good tips you can and should use, when applicable. AND, it gives both the guy and girl perspective, well-balanced and funny. I was dating someone I liked when I first read it and my reaction was, "OMG, they're totally describing my guy!" But, of course, I liked the guy and didn't want to believe that any of it applied to my situation. Well, now it's been 8 months of being single, "dating" and I've learned many lessons after reading this book and watching the movie. So, this post is a summary of my real live dating experiences in connection to the book He's Just Not That Into You, a personal journal entry for myself, and perhaps can offer a few wise tips for smart dating to minimize  negative impact on el corazoncito.  ***note: I know I'm risking a lot with past and current men I may be so-called "dating" and my future prospects but if it offends you, I'm sorry, it's not meant to. Also, I'm not scared because whoever loves me will love me for all that I am (and will see the love, humor, honesty and self-reflection in this post, even after they read this). Period.

My movie review: 4.5/5 stars, but then again, I love light-hearted romantic comedy chick flicks and I'm not ashamed to say it. So, go see it with your girlfriends or take your girl out. I promise you you'll get a good laugh. Just take it for what it is and you won't be disappointed.  Plus, there are a lot of famous actors and it's a Drew Barrymore-produced film.  Who doesn't love Drew Barrymore? :)

My dating credibility: I'm not an expert by any means, but I've been around the block...a few times. I've gotten out of a 3.5 year relationship earlier this year and even though I didn't want to date and don't even know what dating means, I somehow ended up "dating" several guys the last 8 months and still attempting it. Wish me luck! I'm also keeping an open mind about eHarmony and had membership for several months now, though I admit I'm not a very active member and haven't actually gone out on any dates yet. Nevertheless, it's a different approach, gives me more options, time-efficient, and it can't hurt, right? (except my bank account, but what's money if I find true love?)

My dating review of the last 8 months: It has surely been lots of fun and excitement (well, maybe not for my friends who went through it all with me), but also daunting and unfortunately led to some heartache.  It's all part of life, enjoying both the sunny days and the cloudy days for what they are. Some days I struggle but ultimately I know that I've met wonderful new people: male and female, shared love, laughter, conversations, chilled, danced, shared the love of art, food, culture, photography, music, pool, camping, biking, and all things Austin. I truly believe there's a reason why people connect in life.  And every person that comes into my life are special to me! So through the happiness and heartaches this past year, I've learned quite a bit about men and dating, but more importantly, a lot about who I am and what I'm looking for. I've learned from my experiences, my mistakes,  this book, and from consulting with friends (male, female, single, married, gay...the whole shabbam). I always do my research and have to have a well-balanced perspective on things. In reflection of my love life in 2009, I think I've learned a few things that I want to share with you before the year is over, ladies and gents alike.

Dating tips for the ladies:

Tip #1. You can show interest, but definitely let him pursue you.  How else would you REALLY know he's into you if you do all the work? I know, I'm one of those confident modern-day gals that likes to go after the guys I like, and it works most of the time, but it leaves you not really knowing if he would have pursued you if you didn't or you end up in a relationship where you love him more than he loves you. And in the long run, it doesn't work.

Tip #2. Go slow and be patient. This means don't reveal everything about yourself so fast, don't get physical right away, and don't always be available. Holding hands, hugs, kisses, and snuggling are all good but hold off on the sex until you really get to know someone and they get to know you. I have such a hard time with this one. I'm patient everywhere else but impatient when it comes to love and I'm really comfortable being open about myself. We women like to talk and share a lot but this can be overload for a guy in the beginning. Guys don't know how to take in all that information and what to make of you. Unfortunately, sometimes they can make judgments about you that are not accurate but that is because they haven't the chance to really get to know you and understand you yet.  About the sex part, don't mistake me for being old-school because believe me, I'm planets away from traditional. But, as women, we have to admit that most of us can get emotionally attached when we have sex with someone. Who wouldn't? We're not built like men. It is a very intimate thing to share with someone and unless you're a sex fiend like Samantha from Sex in the City, it is extremely difficult to separate mind (or heart in this case) and body.

Tip #3. Friends first and foremost. After all this time and having never had a relationship that started out as friends first, I realize now how important it is to build a solid friendship before getting hot and heavy in a relationship. Like they say, marriage without friendship is like building a house on sand. It's so true! If there's no foundation, it's bound to fall. I'm not married yet, but I can only imagine how a marriage can fall apart if you don't have a good friendship. That said, I know in reality it doesn't happen that way. Physical chemistry gets the best of us and it's what often happens first. It's the "butterflies in my stomach" feeling when we're instantly attracted to someone. We've all been there and done that. But, when you ask yourself how many of those relationships worked, I'm willing to bet they didn't last too long. When I look back at my relationship record, I have to admit that 4.75 out of 5 started off with physical attraction. And don't get me wrong, because I'll be the first to raise my hand and say that physical attraction and sexual chemistry with someone is very important. But sometimes friendships stay friendships or relationships become friendships.  In any case, friendships can blossom and are always a blessing because friends are what makes life beautiful and worthwhile. I know I couldn't live without my friends. It's not easy, but that's why you go back to tip #2! Go slow and be patient.

The bottom line is: If there's any uncertainty, he's just not ready. When he's ready, he will show it and you will know it! Or maybe you're also not ready. It may not be the right time. I really believe in the physics of time and how it factors into relationships.  Sometimes you just know. And sometimes it happens really slow.  I've yet to experience any of this, but I've witnessed it dozens of times with friends and I would swear by it. For example, my new favorite Indian couple friends that I have the honor of doing her wedding henna for. Congratulations!

Dating tips for the guys: (this part is easy!)

Tip #1. If you like her, go after her. It's flattering when someone shows interest in us. Just be polite, sweet, and genuine.

Tip #2. If you just want to get in her pants, be honest about it and make that crystal clear.  Sometimes we're ok with that and sometimes we're not. If you're lucky, then you'll get the "we're ok with that" girl and you won't have to deal with the messiness later. It's that simple.

Tip #3. If you don't want to continue dating her or being in a relationship with her, just be honest and respectful. I know you don't want to hurt our feelings, but we can handle the truth if it's done respectfully and sincerely. Communication is key.

Disclaimer: La Pham Nikita is not responsible for any dating disasters or broken hearts (and I'm so sorry, it sucks) but please let me know if you used my tips and found true love.  That would be so lovely to know! Now I just need to use my own advice....

***note to all the boys I've loved before:  Always my love, peace, and friendship. :)
To all my single lady friends, let's have fun together and share a funny story with me. :)

A Quick-y Turkey Chili

On a cold and wet day in Austin, there's nothing I crave more than a hearty and healthy chili that's quick and easy to make. I try to substitute turkey for beef whenever possible because it's a healthier option and you can't even tell the difference. (oh, and this is not the turkey left over from Thanksiving, haha!) Keep in mind that I don't usually cook with specific recipes so you need to trust your taste buds.  Don't worry, this is so easy you can't go wrong. So, in less than 45 minutes, you can have a hot savory chili to eat for yourself!

Ingredients:

1 package of ground white turkey (19.2 oz/1.2 lbs)
3 14.5 oz cans of chili ready tomatoes (you can use regular diced tomatoes as well)
1 15 oz can of red kidney beans
2 small yellow onions or 1 medium to large onion, chopped
*2 handfuls of chopped baby carrots (I like the added crunch and beta-carotene)
*2 stalks of chopped celery or 1 can of corn
4-5 cloves, chopped (I like a lot of garlic but you can adjust to your liking)
2-3 tablespoons ground cumin (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons chili pepper or cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

*optional:  I always add additional veggies if I have it and need to use it. It adds extra crunch and nutrition or if you like southwestern style chili

Cook the ground turkey on medium-high heat in a stock pot with olive oil, the chopped onions and garlic and season with the cumin and chili pepper.  When the turkey is cooked, add the 3 cans of tomatoes and the chopped carrots and optional veggies.  Let it simmer on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the carrots are cooked but not too mushy (unless you like it mushy).  Strain and add the red kidney beans at the end so they don't get mushy. Salt and pepper to taste although you won't need much salt if you use the chili ready tomatoes. Add more cumin and chili pepper if you want more flavor and spice. I also add crushed red pepper or jalapenos because I like my chili spicy. Then enjoy with saltine crackers, shredded cheese, and/or bread. Or if you like it real southern, you can make it a Frito pie with corn chips.

Transformation...

The theme is "Transformation." How fitting as I feel like I've been morphing and transforming this whole year - from cooking to modeling, from aspiring entrepreneur to artist. I just submitted 2 experimental pieces of 12 x 12 x 2 wood panels for the Maranda Pleasant Holiday Art Box Show. Neither of my pieces turned out as I had envisioned, of course. Nevertheless, this is a tres cool art event that I'm happy and excited to be part of for the first time.   Art, food, wine, music. Perfect! I got a sneak peak and it's amazing to see how a 12x12 frame can be transformed into so many one-of-a-kind pieces of art!

I had spent a few weeks doing research and contemplating what kind of mediums to use: paper, pen, paint, natural dyes, henna, goatskin, and thick leather scraps. I asked lots of art questions and bounced my ideas with artists and friends. (Thank you!) I've been spending after hours at Jerry's Artarama, Tandy Leather Factory, and Hobby Lobby. In the last 4 weeks, I discovered Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens (instead of black Sharpie markers), rapidiograph pen sets, how to use and color gesso, how to stain and stretch goatskin with henna, coffee, tea, wine, and how to silkscreen. All of this is completely new to me and the projects were entirely experimental. I love the challenge of trying to do something I've never done before. Creating art is a risky business but the excitement of the unknown is thrilling. I think I am mastering the art of improvisation but I have a lot to learn in finding my creative voice.  What is art what is not?  ...if it moves you, it's art.

Reflections on my 2 experiments...

"Meditation in Space"

As I was drawing the mandalas, I was meditating on the theme of "Transformation" and the meaning(s) of mandalas. I love the symbolism and the depth of the meanings of a mandala: the circle of life, a microcosm and macrocosm of the universe, a tool for meditation... It's fascinating how all things in nature are mandalas from the very nucleus of our body cells, to flowers, to our solar system. (also check out the Mandala Project) For this piece, I was attempting to transform my henna skills into a piece of art and drawing the mandalas was helping me find my center. It is of mandalas in space of different sizes and drawn freehand with sepia ink pen. I painted and sanded 4 layers of gesso and colored the gesso with coffee and tea. That was fun! Originally, I had sketched a large mandala  in the center and one in each of the 4 corners. However, it turned out to be the opposite, a lot of white space and a few small random mandalas. This was a very mentally challenging project for me, especially because I had stayed up all night working on the henna pea-drum project and was already mentally and physically drained. I did not sketch a detailed drawing beforehand. I make it up as the tip of my pen touches the board. I had to be extremely focused with a perfect steady hand. It's being in a meditative space and a calm state of mind. It's finding patience and balance. The most difficult part of it all was knowing when to stop and let go. I could have spent hours adding layer after layer of details but I decided to stop when one of the mandalas got a little smeared. I was gutted but I had to accept it. I do like the simplicity and the contrast between the details of the mandalas and the openness of the white space. As Carl Jung might say, "it is a representation of my unconscious self." Forever transforming...

"Henna Pea-Drum"

I spent most of my time researching, planning, and testing this piece and had high hopes for it but I ran into a lot of obstacles along the way. It was a very long process involving heating whole cloves, a blowdryer, ammonia, henna paste, lemon juice/sugar sealant, and other miscellaneous stuff. I wanted it to be a warm henna peacock on a goatskin canvas illuminated like a lamp. But it didn't quite make it. While I was shopping for the light for my henna peacock lamp, the man at Home Depot said to me, "the project took on a life of its own, huh? That happens!" Art (and life) certainly has it's surprises! Even though you try to plan things out, things don't always happen as you hope and that's ok too! I guess I can say it's at least a drum with a henna peacock on it. Practical art. A Henna Pea-Drum. Why not? In fact, one of my favorite nights of all my travels was spent deep in the Sahara Desert camping, drumming, singing, and speaking English, Arabic, and French with Moroccans and Berbers.  Totally exotic and in the rough...!  I will not give up on the henna lamp and drum idea.

...and through all of this "art" world, what I appreciate the most...

the inspiration
the visual connections
the energy felt
the ideas exchanged
the vibes
the chemistry
the excitement
the chaos
the craziness
the dedication
the perfection
the support
the friendships
the passion and love of creative expression...

Mission Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

"Shit! I have less than 2 weeks to become an artist," I said to my friends before E.A.S.T. (my first East Austin Studio Tour).  The henna peacock bag idea was conceived one cool night in Austin. I was chillin' in the backyard, drinkin' a Lonestar with my inspiring artist friend and talkin' shop. He started a women's clothing line Darkeyes Clothing where his drawings are silkscreened on shirts and dresses. We put 2 and 2 together and decided I could draw a henna design to silkscreen on canvas bags. Actually, I had the bag idea sitting on my entrepreneurial bookshelf 3 years ago when I was living in a fully-equipped 32-footer 1982 Southwind Winnebago in Arlington, Texas, and working as a Program Coordinator for the Student Conservation Association. I was feeling really green and environmentally friendly at the time and that was when I started using the reusable bags for grocery shopping. I was also still under the influence of the German way because I had just come directly from living in a small German town outside the Ramstein Airforce Base. If you've travelled to Germany, you would immediately notice that the Germans are very environmentally conscious and progressive. At all central shopping areas, you will find several large bins for recycling paper, plastic, and different colored glass bottles. At grocery stores, you don't get plastic bags and they don't pack your groceries for you either. They all use reusable bags. It's totally part of their culture and it's called the Green Dot (Der Gruene Punkt). I remember the first time I was living in Germany in 2000 and went to the market in Hamburg. I panicked when I realized I didn't have a reusable bag to put my groceries in. "How the hell am I going to carry my groceries," I thought. No one warned me and no travel guide even mentioned it. I was ashamed of myself for not having my own reusable bag. Lucky for me, I was able to purchase a plastic bag at the checkout for 10 euro cents but I'm sure the cashier lady was frowning at me.

Now, a decade later, you can see reusable bags sold at most major shopping markets and stores in the U.S. However, we have only recently started advocating the concept of replacing plastic bags with reusable bags. It is great to see the U.S. doing this but we can still do more and be more green.  So please reduce the use of plastic bags, reuse the ones you have, and don't forget to bring your reusable bags with you to the store. Here's why:

The facts: We use well over 500,000,000,000 (that's 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute and they stay on our planet for up to 1,000 years.

The impact: Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistaken them for food. Plastic bags don't biodegrade. It takes 10 years to break down into toxic waste that contaminates soil and waterways and enters the food web when animals accidentally ingest them. And there's more of course.  (source: http://www.reusablebags.com/)  Other links to learn more about plastic bags: No Impact Man Blog, Natural Environment,http://www.earthday.net/plasticbags

(please scroll down to the bottom to purchase a bag.)

It will be an amazing cultural transformation when we are all using reusable bags for our groceries and only using plastic bags when in desperation or if we've suddenly come down with amnesia. We need to keep advocating environmentally friendly practices and hopefully in another decade, we won't see plastic bags in our grocery stores anymore or be using other harmful plastics for that matter. So, my henna peacock bag project is killing 2 birds with 1 stone (no pun intended). Not only did I start drawing after having taken only 1 drawing class in high school but I transformed my drawing into a side entrepreneurial project with an environmental cause. It would make sense that the more we like a bag, the more we will use it. Plus, these are special bags that are not made of ordinary cotton, it's 100% recycled cotton! Be aware of using cheap quality bags that won't last long and will end up in the trash after a short time. It's nice when you can have a bag that is eco-friendly, durable, practical, locally made, meaningful, attractive, artsy and affordable - all in one! I so enjoyed coming out as an artist and the process of making these bags and I hope you enjoy using it (frequently) too.  Thanks again to JLaw, Big Medium and all my family, friends and fans who have shown your excitement and support for my henna peacock drawings and bags.  I am inspired by you. Thank you! Love, Peace, and Namaste, LPN