Houston

On Sunday, Tuyet accompanied me in my drive down south from Dallas to Houston, to see my Aunt Anna (Da Bo Mu). I don't think I'd seen her in nearly 20 years! I was glad to have some time to spend with her, however short. She was absolutely wonderful to be with - telling me stories about the past - from my nai-nai and ye-ye to people they knew to funny stories about her kids (my 3 cousins on my dad's side).

She treated us to a delicious lunch at the new Chinatown that sprung up where she lives. I've already forgotten some of the dish names (a tofu-beef soup), but some of my favorites were the jyo-tsai-he-zi and the fan-tuan. I took a much needed nap (having not gotten enough sleep the previous night due to stomach problems) and then felt refreshed for a lovely home cooked dinner and more talking about the family.

It was a visit too short, and I hope to see her again soon. Tuyet and I awoke at 4 am the next morning in order to return the Budget rental and catch my flight out of Dallas. I gobbled up a cha siu bao on the road for breakfast and managed to stay awake for the whole drive up.

Coating fish with Japanese breadcrumbs