Get Inspired by Chinese New Year - Bali, New York, Chicago

Indonesian gardens in Bali

 You are looking at this and thinking that it is the most idyllic scene for girlfriends to share. It is beautiful, isn't it!? Asian form and architecture is sleek and clean and functional and makes for an almost illuminated experience when you are in it or on it! Nada Tea and Coffee House offers that in Chicago. And Brown Cafe in New York has these lovely teapots for their tea. There is something magical in the stillness of it all! The ceremony is mystic yet inviting!

Tea at Brown Cafe in China Town, New York
 

PonRizSan and I have decided that loose tea is the only way to go! The tea bags seem a bit like false promise. They mostly contain dust; leftovers from the good tea; bottom of the basket. Japanese and Chinese stores all over the States have chubby, glossy, silly tea pots that steep tea like it's their job! I've cracked a few but I couldn't ever be without one. They are cheaper than a Starbucks (SAY NO TO GMO!) latte! Really good green tea doesn't have this rotten meat smell! Do trust me on that! And the leaves are shiny even when dry and the slip through your fingers! The aroma is orgasmic! Tell me if you find some and if it hasn't changed your life!


In the Far East the lotus flower symbolizes enlightenment
 

Oh, Food! Soup! Delectable, wonderful soup! You need water, veggies, bullion, and some kind of noodles. And a pot obviously! Boil water with a cube of veggie or mushroom bullion and add the noodles when the water is boiling to practically just soften them up. Soba or any Chinese or Japanese dry noodles don't need much. And add veggies like mushrooms (shitake or something chewy like that) spring onion, cabbage, carrots, things that you've seen in your Thai soup before. They need a minute, well, OK 4 minutes! Mmm! Peanuts will be good on top. Sesame seeds too.

 

 Every major US city has their own wonderful China, Korea, Japan town. They are truly stuffed with gems. Hand-painted chop sticks, little saucers, plates, funky shirts and sun umbrellas. Oh, the joy!

Look at that gorgeous ring! PonRizSan cannot lie...it's from Lucky Jeans on Halsted Street in Chicago and not from an exotic location. But since it is the year of the snake and Cartier is setting every ruby they own in a snake shaped something I needed to have it. Snakes are very unfairly treated. They are simply stunning and people born in the year of the snake are also charming and elegant. It is their lucky year, 2013!

 

 

Find a snake - admire it if it is real and respect it and let it be, buy it if it is in a jewelry shop or take a photo of it and have a cool Instagram picture to later make into a coaster! Either way, it cannot be anything other than a super Snake-sess! See what I did there? :-)!

xoxo PonRizan