Cumpleaños

  Once the sun sets, it's like I get this motivation buff. But sometimes, if I don't know that I'll finish something, I hesitate to even start. Neurosis is a bitch. Especially now that during the week, I have to focus on my classes. I didn't even really think I was gonna get this post started tonight, but here we are.

I feel better now though. Nice warm tummy tickles from Guldendraak. Diffuser's got some yummy oils, oldies tunes from nemo's dreamscapes, we're comfy here and ready to write some trash :D



OH. by the way, I've been having this stupid ass story in my head for like, years, and since I'm not a writer, every now and then, I think I'm gonna just start writing it as it comes out.... on here. Incrementally. Like chapter by chapter. Idk when. Or if it's gonna be towards the end or the beginning of a post. But it's got to come out. It's fucking me up.
(at the same time, I also kinda don't want to, because it's different. and am afraid of having the narrative stolen as so much media ends up as anyway? IDK. WHATEVER)


Soooooooooo my parents stayed with us recently. It's the worst time to visit, obv with levels of careless and selfish assholes at an all-time high, but also... because a lot of places we would've liked to have taken them are still crazy crowded. Regardless, their stay here was so nice. I missed them so much.

They brought some things back from Peru. (Family stuff)

One of those things is a chef's shirt with a Peruvian logo and the flags on it for Chicken. He can wear it when he makes me yummy Taiwanese pancakes.

They also brought a ton of candy!!! All of which were always stocked up at the house throughout my childhood. So damn good.

She even brought back bon bons with pisco sour liquor in em ^_^. Could never have em before but NOW I CAN CUZ AM ADULT :D

One thing I will say though, my mom went crazy with cooking. It was a trip to the grocery store almost every day for a shit ton of ingredients. She had like, an itinerary of everything she wanted to cook while she was here. She looooves to cook. One of the first things she prepared was ceviche.


rant incoming:

CEVICHE HAS LIME IN IT.
LIME.
NO LEMON. AT ALL. EVER. NO. FUCK.

Sigh.
I went to this peruvian joint once with someone, and ordered a side of ceviche

mf they made it with LEMON

I was so upset

Don't fucking disrespect ceviche like that. 

Same thing with pho. One time

I went to this pho place with Chicken, they were out of limes, so they gave us lemons without saying anything. No "hay we're out of limes but would you like to try it with lemon instead?" I woulda been like.... i'll try it, sure. but no.
I was so upset lol

Don't fuck with lime. There are rules. If the recipe says lime. DON'T CHANGE IT? If there is no lime:
1. Don't make it

2. Warn people

That's it.


ANYWAY. I told my mom about the lemon ceviche and she was like tf is wrong with them and I was like i know right
WE ORIGINATED THE FUCKING DISH. PERUVIANS DID. CEVICHE? THAT'S OUR SHIT. AND THE RULE IS; DON'T FUCKING MAKE IT WITH LEMON.

I don't even wanna get started on the tomatoes and other random shit salad shit that google tells people to use omg

lol
I gotta stfu.
:)

Well. All that matters is that Chicken had it, and now has a standard to go by.

My mom also made papa rellena. One of my favs. It's, in simplest terms, potato balls with more seasoning and a creole garnish of red onions. The yellow sauce is huacaina sauce. She prepared papa a la huancaina, and there was sauce left over.
Huancaina sauce is, in simplest terms, a savory, generally spicy cheese sauce served with potatoes. It's kind of an appetizer type dish in restaurants. It's amazing with pretty much anything.

Dad and Chicken chatting in the garden over his Miata. So cute.


This is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes of all time. Carapulcra.

Simplest terms: insanely savory braised meat with potatoes and a type of curry? But it's not curry at all. The sauce comes from the starch in the potatoes that thickens the water everything is cooked in with seasonings. The other one is olluquito con carne. Same-ish thing.

Everything is served with rice. I haven't seen anywhere that serves either of those dishes. Lomo saltado is pretty popular though! My dad says it's cuz people here like fries.



Back to campus I go. I hate how COVID set me back like 2 years basically.

In one of my labs, there was this super pretty alt girl and she noticed me when I walked by her but I'm a piece of shit so I sped walk right by her avoiding eye contact (i'm extremely shy and awkward when i'm.... myself. lol.) And later on at lecture, we passed each other again during break and I impulse couraged and stopped her to tell her I liked her outfit and that she's super pretty and she was like I SAW YOU AND WAS THINKING THE SAME THING and now we're lab buddies :D

We went to get poki the other day. She works at a hospital (that we've worked with lol) I told her so, and she was like oooh to pick up supplies? I was like....

o________________o 
noooo..

it clicked. It's cool. She's cool. The commute to campus sucks ass, but sigh, can't give up. So close.


Next dish! Chicken's favorite. Tallarin Verde. With papa a la huancaina again. It's basically spaghetti with very savory basil pesto.

Lotta the dishes are named in Quechua. Native language in Peru. My grandma spoke it, but never taught it to my dad. I sad. I wish I spoke it.

TEACH YOUR KIDS TO SPEAK YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE DAMNIT

oh no is my face

So, while my parents were here, it also happened to be my birthday! And Ponies sent me yet another amazing surprise gift.

Came in this cute packaging. And to my super happy surprise... I saw A CUTE

YUREI FIGMA FIGURE

AND SCREAMED

SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL I LOVE HER. I immediately ran to get my yurei book and looked up the old kabuki paintings based on yurei and and and

what's a yurei?
GHOST. It's a ghost.
I went balls to the wall and filmed a video talking about them while unboxing the figma, but I'm undecided on whether I wanna upload it to the youtoom or not. I kinda forget about videos after I post them, and that feels.... mean.

ANYWAY. My yurei fima is beautiful and I love her. Thank you Ponies!


We took my parents out for hot pot. They've never been.
At first, my dad was like wtf is all this raw shit

And I had to be like.... I know.... just wait.
Verdict: they loved it.
We're going tomorrow cuz I'm craving it now.

Next dishes! Caldo de gallina. Peru's take on chicken soup. It's way more intense in flavor, and in Peru, it's prepared with hen that's raised a certain way. There's nothing like it. My mom couldn't get hen, so she settled for chicken, but it still came out delicious. Chicken was in heaven.

The other dish, more familiar to SoCal, lomo saltado. the french fry stir fry thing that everyone gets. I missed this. I can get it anywhere, and I can also prepare it, but the way mom makes is.... mmpf.

She also prepared the green chili sauce the restaurants have. It's aji de huacatai. Huacatai is black mint. Take the shit, blend it, season and add chili to it to make it spicy. Queso fresco. some milk. Shit is creamy heaven. No measurements. Taste as you go til it's just right.

Happy bordday to meeeeeeeeeeee
I did homework all day lol
But a lot of family reached out to me and having my parents around was super nice.

The last and final thing that we wanted them to try (there was more but my mom just wanted to cook the entire time she was here lol), was GALBI JJIM.

We had to. We had no choice. It was now or never.
We took em to the spot where I seduced Chicken like 4 years ago the first time we hung out. SUN NONG DAN. Now he wants to marry me, I'm telling you. This place is legit.

I got em the thing. They were amazed and so excited. The banchan threw my dad off lol they had no clue what was about to happen. We just told em to hold off.

I took my chances and got the large this time. With hesitance, because if you know anything about what happened before.... you'll know I'm a little butt hurt still 2 years later. But I said fuck it. Lets go with large, I'll cut off all the meat for them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CYNTHIA

NO BACK RIBS :D

Best birthday dinner this chick could ask for. Seriously. I'd also be happy with all you can eat sushi, all you can eat kbbq, all you can eat shabu-shabu, noodles, or street tacos. But this was good. I mean... no back ribs. Fucking perfect.

They loved it so much. They were surprised at how delicious it was. I don't blame them. It is. It is SO delicious. I got the mild this time. Unfortunately it was still a little too spicy for them. Next time we're gonna order the soy. That'll be a first for us, too.

When it was time for them to go, Chicken gave them moon cakes to take with them. They tried them and also very much liked them. Made me happy. Dropping them off at the airport was bittersweet. I wish we weren't so far from each other. Idk if I'd uproot to live in the east coast, but if the opportunity presented itself, I'd be open to it. Only thing I'd feel bad about is that Chicken would be far from his parents, instead.

In the mean time, we did these peels again, different brand this time. It's day 1 and my soles already feel dry and paper-y. I can't wait lol.

Now I go lay in bed and play more candy crush. Or read. Whichever one feels comfier.