SNOMG 2012!

Yes, it snowed in Seattle this week and as with any winter which takes place here, you can expect there to be the usual hoopla, panic and over dramatization of the fluffy stuff falling outside. After all, it wouldn’t be Seattle if the Seattleites didn’t:

-all run outside to build snowmen at the first sign of snow
-record people driving and skidding then post these videos on YouTube
-talk about how it never snowed an inch at their house and how cheated they were
-mention cabin fever at some point
-harass reporters when they try to inform us about safety

And it wouldn’t be Seattle if the weather reporters didn’t…

-discuss how only in the 1930’s did Seattle have a similar winter
-use the words “record breaking” in almost all reports
-change their forecast several times a day
-miss the mark on which day the snow would hit
-refer to 2 inches of snow as “blizzard-like conditions”

And lastly, it wouldn’t be Seattle if the other cities in our country didn’t sit back and laugh at us…

Regardless of the fuss Seattle makes over the winters here each year and the snow that comes with it, we are absolutely allowed to be drama queens since many of our inhabitants are really not natives of Seattle at all, but transients. Not everyone is used to experiencing the white fluffy stuff so yes; this is a big deal for most here. Have you looked around our lovely city lately? We come from all sorts of states and nations where snowy winters are not always common.  I think the reported 800 car accidents in a 24-hour period yesterday would help to support that fact, along with our unique infrastructure and make up such as lots of hills and the deceiving slickness of the roads during such storms.

Additionally, hello people – the panic is all part of the fun. Duh! We KNOW the world is not going to end because of this particular winter but we enjoy acting like it might and preparing for it and talking about it.  You’ll find it never fails each year; we’ll act surprised, scared, panicked, or like a kid on Christmas morning, along with a lot of other adjectives and emotions when really, we know the roll and we know what to expect.  After weather reports are issued you’ll find crowded grocery stores with people stocking up till next Christmas, busy gas stations and you can also expect a week off from work. This is just how it is and we get a kick out of this! After all, it’s extremely exciting for us to stir up some fun and thrilling chaos in this boring, dull and depressing city others outside of Washington think we live in.

BUT when the LA Times wants to talk smack about Seattleites being wimps in the snow… well I’d like to challenge them to a snowball fight and see who comes out winning… that is, if they know what a snowball is.  I’d just like to know when was the last time they had 9 inches of the white stuff to deal with. Myself and several others would have probably joined in on the insults of the article in poking fun at ourselves if say the Sun Times of Chicago or New York Times wrote such a piece, but LA? I’m sorry LA but when your high’s are 65 degrees in the dead of winter, well, this conversation is over.

I suggest since most of the Los Angelenos will be moving up this way to live at some point in their lives (and partake in the freak out sessions), it’s best to stick to what they know best with their beaches, their palm trees and their botox and and not be iceholes about how we handle our winters up here…our REAL winters, we’re not talking sissy like omg it sprinkled a little bit of rain today winters either.

At this rate, we’re just never going to be friends that way…

Happy Snowmageddon, my wonderfully panicked Seattleites! Stay warm and be safe out there. LA, put a cork in it!

-Tanya

Photo Courtesy William Blumenstein share on Facebook

Making friends in Seattle

Welcome to my Seattle-series. I’m not sure where all these Seattle-related topics are coming from lately but it’s a topic which is clearly on my mind. I hope you enjoy yet another post about Seattle.

Seattle People [sēˈatl pee-puhl ], noun, plural

Definitions:

1. Women and men, who live in Seattle, conditioned to be hermits because of the weather and therefor lack social skills when meeting new people. One time when I tried talking to Seattle People, they wouldn’t even look at me and I noticed it was raining.

2. A collection of persons, who were born, raised or live in the Seattle-area most well-known for sticking to their own and fail to branch out and meeting others. I’ve lived here for a couple weeks and do not find Seattle People very friendly yet. I have no friends here and it makes me sad.

Source: Tanya. “Making Friends in Seattle.” Tanya Talks, June 27, 2011.

I love taking the bus. The 545 is awesome because I can get to work in 20 minutes and it’s just seriously the best, no hassle commuting ever created. This morning I rode the bus and during my short ride, I eavesdropped on an interesting conversation. I know that’s terrible and I should know better than to do such a thing but hey, but they were sitting right next to me and I left my headphones at home. The conversation was between a man and a college student. It was mostly about the man’s children getting into college and him speaking with this girl asking how difficult it was to get into UW these days. Then the conversation progressed to the topic of our weather shortly before my stop. Actually, over the last few days I’ve wanted to forward my last blog on not being so down about the rain to quite a few people I’ve spoken to who’ve griped about the start to the summer. But it’s OK, not everyone needs to love the rain!

So yes, rain. They were talking about whether or not summer was actually here and during the conversation the girl rattled off some statistics to the man including:

• there are only 58 sunny days a year in Seattle (really, that many? yeay!)
• Seattle is amongst the top cities in the US with the least amount of sunshine (duh!). I wanted to say, “AMONGST the top?” Aren’t we the TOP?

So none of this data was surprising to me but at the end of the conversation I heard a very interesting comment from the wise man who said, “I believe Seattle weather shapes and conditions how people interact with each other. We never get out of our houses so our social skills are lacking, therefore we do not make new friends outside of the people we know.”

And just like that, I found my next blog topic.

As a Washingtonian, one of the biggest and most recurring complaints I hear from those who move here (in addition to weather) is the fact that it’s hard to meet people and make friends in this town. That sorta breaks my heart, too. Precisely I have heard people say that here in the Seattle area, people tend to stick to their own, groups are extremely segregated, and people really don’t branch out. I always thought that was so interesting because my mother is a social butterfly and my dad was always eager and pretty good at making new friends while I was growing up. I feel I personally don’t fall too far from the tree either in this regard and I try to be open to meeting others. Yet after all these years of hearing this, it seems this is a real perception and a constant complaint…and dare I say, most probably a true statement? So was this bus-riding-man right? Aside my own reality, is it true Seattleites could care less about making friends beyond the circle they already have? And if that’s the case is it mostly because of …. RAIN?!

Let’s dissect his social inept conditioning thing further.

What do we do when it rains? As I mentioned in the last blog, we cuddle up with a blanket, we watch lots of movies, we do indoor yoga, we make nice tea, we indulge in comfort food, we read good books, on occasion we’ll participate in a game night or muster up the energy to go out and submit to getting wet. So basically, we do indoor activities; I said it myself and I even encouraged it just a few days ago! Got it, so then according to him, because we’re inside all the time due to our weather, this prohibits us from being out there interacting with people, and therefor we are uncomfortable being social with people we do not already know. Well, that kinda makes sense. After all, it’s hard to make new friends from inside your house unless you’re a cyber-friend-maker and chances are those friendships stay online, from what I hear.

But what about those 58 days of the year when it’s nice out? Doesn’t that count for anything? What are we doing then? Well, we’re having BBQs, we’re going hiking, we’re gardening or we’re spring cleaning, but we use those precious few days to spend it catching up on outdoor activities we’ve been meaning to do, and yes it’s with people…people WE ALREADY KNOW! So one can infer from this thinking: 58 nice days are spent with people we know and the other 307 days are spent indoors in isolation, in a dark basement being antisocial, hiding (not cuddling) under a blanket. OK, maybe not that extreme but the bottom line is we’re not at all interested in making new friends and meeting others. Why? Well, what would we do together? Sun dances? Go hang out in the sun we don’t have?

But is the bus-riding-man right? Does this weather makes our social skills crap?

In places like CA or Florida, is it different? Are those friendlier places? I’m not sure but would love it if any CA or FL residents would let me know! I mean, do people on the beach talk to one another. Maybe? Or when the sun is out does this make people friendlier? If Vitamin D and friendliness have some sort of correlation, that would be very interesting and funny and I’m not ruling it out. Or is it simply that when people are out and about do they just tend to be more inviting and engaging of conversations with others because they are happier? Also, In Washington, the fact that many of us are guilty of being technology geeks does not help this cause either as that’s another indoor activity we seem to be incredibly consumed with. After all, according to Forbes, we are the most wired and connected city around. I’m starting to buy bus-riding-man’s theory about all of this. Yikes!

Let’s take another look at this situation though. What about our population make up?

Seattle is enthusiastically and admirably diverse compared to other U.S cities. Ballard has a wonderful Norwegian community; there are various Asian communities on the Eastside and in South Seattle. You’ll find Ethiopian, Arab, Ukraine, American-Indians, Hispanic or Latino ethnic groups and more spread throughout. The different groups in this area have enriched the culture here, there’s no doubt about it. But here’s the thing, when you have a lot of newly migrated groups in the area you will notice people tend to stick to what’s familiar to them and that usually means their own.

Think about it this way if you don’t understand why it is the way it is: say you moved to Zimbabwe where you had a new language, new food, where things were just done differently, and you met a few Americans there. Your first inclination would be to immediately associate and interact with the Americans you’ve met there. There would be no guess work around their culture, their food, their thinking, the way they do things – you just have a very common understanding with them automatically without even knowing much about them. This familiarity creates a connection or an almost instant friendship because you two simply relate, whereas if you only interacted with the people of Zimbabwe, you might feel like the “different one” all the time, maybe the “outsider” not even having a 1^st common language between you. I think the natural thing to do is to gravitate towards those you relate best to. Seems pretty logical, don’t you agree? So why is this so bad?

Bad or good, America is unique because it is made up of so many cultures that we are exposed to global diversity at an early start, but I think until generations get a little further along here (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th gen) people will naturally and justifiably stick to their own. And Seattle is guilty of this indeed. I see it all the time since there are so many different cultures here!

I say this from experience as my husband is of another culture and we’ve both made some adjustments when interacting with each other’s circles and feeling like the “different one.” It’s pretty easy now and it’s safe to say neither of us feels all that different in the other’s respective circles today, but even here and there he still has to explain things to me at times and me to him, when it comes to understanding cultural nuances.

Alright…so what’s my point here?

So my point is, we have rain, and we have a diverse population being a few reasons why Seattleites are less inclined to make new friends or be all that friendly to those who’ve relocated here. Any other reasons? Probably. But I’d like to end this long, drawn out blog on this note: your current circle of friends are great but try not to miss out on an opportunity to make new friends, meet new people, and gain some new invaluable knowledge and experiences you can only get from relationships built. Rain OR Shine. Similar OR Different. There is so much I have yet to learn about Norwegians, Somalians and the Chinese. Most likely I can teach others a few things they might not have known otherwise.

So, don’t let the weather stop you because it’s really not that bad. Last I looked there were gazillion coffee shops around here where you can meet lots of new people. And one thing you have in common with those people at coffee shops is they like coffee just like you! I once heard Whole Foods has become the latest and hottest pick-up place. Folks, don’t just pick people up there but make some new friends there too! Let’s show that in this area we are inviting and warm not cold and dreary like our rainy weather!

So how do you do that? Get off your computers and get out there and go talk to one new person this week. Here’s a stretch goal: invite them to hang out, even. Whoah!

SCARY?

-Tanya

Simply A Seattle Summer

We’re going on day #4 of summer and I find myself the least bit bothered by the weather outside though I continue to see a lot of complaining about the lack of sunshine. Call me crazy or a true Washingtonian but I am definitely a rain lover. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so crazy that that I dislike sunshine because I truly love sunshine too, but an overcast gray day with some occasional showers could not get me down in the least.

Having said this, I can certainly understand how it bothers a lot of people. While the rest of the country and world is experiencing great sunshine and warmer temperatures in months like June, we still have the same weather we had in December. I also get that the gray skies tend to depress people and makes some want to slit their wrists which is never a good thing, while bright skies tends to cheer people up and makes others want to roll around in a field of flowers. I understand this well and am not denying those truths here. This is why I believe Seattle is not the place for everybody however, if you are living here and Seattle happens to be your current fate, on that next rainy or gloomy day (ok, today) try to look on the bright side:

Rain is great because….

· It keeps things green: have you ever flown in to Seattle and realized just how much GREENER this place versus everywhere else?
· It keeps things clean: come on, it’s ridiculously clean here and it’s not that way for nothing!
· It’s refreshing: it truly just smells good. Tide doesn’t have a scent called ”Renewing Rain” for nothing.  Let me know when you hear about a “Soothing Sunshine” scent.
· It gives us the BEST produce: we have a gazillion farmer’s markets in this area selling the tastiest and freshest fruits and vegetables. 
· It keeps things cool: after recently coming back from Thailand I looked forward to having normal sweat glands again and the crisp air.
· It is the perfect excuse for numerous, comforting cups of coffee throughout your day! Seattle is the coffee capital for a reason! Vinit loves chai and pakoras on these days.
· It’s soothing and comforting: nothing beats waking up to the sound of morning rain. Sound machines sell because of noises like rain!
· It makes for perfect spa days: having a spa day when it’s warm and sunny? Ew!
· It encourages you to spend lots of money on sunglasses since you’ll be losing them in between the nice days, and new styles will have come by the next time you need them.
· It’s peaceful. And it’s solemn. And very therapeutic.
· It only makes you appreciate nicer days that much more, after all, why do you think people say there’s not a more beautiful place than Seattle when it’s sunny. Think about it.

So there you have it, a few reasons why rain can be a wonderful thing, even in the summer, and why it’s not so bad after all.

I sympathize with the complaints out there that if it’s summer time, bring on the sunshine, the shorts and summer dresses, the BBQs, the beach volleyball, but folks, for my entire life of living here, since when did we have a summer with ONLY sunny days start to finish? OK, so that’s just crazy thinking if you’re expecting that. Here’s are a few famous lines I hear often “…if we have a summer this year” or “if summer decides to show up.”  Guess what? It has. This IS a Seattle summer and you will not find constant sunshine the way you are hoping suddenly this year.  It’s true, there are years where we have warmer weather in summer months than other years but gray and overcast weather during summer months an unusual thing? No, my friends. If sunshine and beach time are all things you want so badly on a consistent basis, I hear San Diego is a constant 72 degrees year round and you should check it out!  But Seattle is different and the quicker you can accept that the less annoyed you’re going to be.  Gray summer days or not, this is and will always be, the way it is. And it’s not such a bad thing, really!

I also understand the added stress of driving when it rains here. Yes, this is also a valid complaint.  People out there are totally cookoo and ridiculous when behind the wheel and expected to drive like a normal human if a few droplets of water hit the road. That, my friends, is because Seattle is filled with tons of transients and relocators (i.e. Californians) who are paranoid of the pavement + water combination and they cause all the problems. I’m sorry but it’s true. Here’s the thing, please be careful while driving in the rain especially after a series of nice days since the oil on the road mixed with water will make things slippery, but driving 20 MPH in the fast lane on the freeway is good for nobody.

So bottom line is, take it easy and chill next time you find yourself getting worked up or feeling sad over a few drizzles outside.  Instead, wrap yourself up in a blanket, make yourself some really nice tea, do some indoor yoga perhaps, indulge in some baked goods (I love scones), and read a good book. The sun will come out when it’s time, I promise you that. But at the end of the day, we still live in Seattle, where it rains, where it’s gray and where Starbucks and other coffee shops are booming businesses (for a reason).

Cheers to summer weather, whatever it might be!

-Tanya

There’s no Place like home, Thanks Dad!

As many wonderful places as there are in the world there is something super special about coming home. I enjoy traveling very much and can appreciate the beauty beyond what is in front of me, but landing at SeaTac Airport will always be my favorite thing at the end of a fun trip.

I came home to an amazing city yesterday. It was a clear day, a pleasant 70 degrees outside and I had the most breathtaking view of the Pacific Northwest from the plane.  This experience was no stranger as I look forward to flying into such a wonderful city after being away, but something hit me a little harder than normal this time.

I’m sure everyone feels this way about the place in which they call “home” as I don’t believe Seattle is the best city for everyone, but definitely best for me. While overlooking the Puget Sound and all the different islands when flying in last night I started thinking about my dad and how he probably had a lot to do with my love for this place. I think one day when I have kids of my own, being able to provide the exposure to the Pacific NW like my dad did is something which will be tough to live up to. I couldn’t be happier with the love and appreciation my dad instilled with this place in which I call home, a place I’ve known my entire life.

Here were some of my most favorite Pacific Northwest memories which I began to think about while on the plane flying in:

We went Fishing. My dad used to take us to the San Juan’s and we would go fishing and crabbing in our boat. As a child, I used to jump off the boat in the middle of the San Juan’s not realizing what I was swimming with – that meant dog fish, crab and who knows what else but it didn’t seem to bother me. For never being a seafood eater, I also had a natural knack with fishing! I remember my first fishing pole, a Snoopy fishing pole which I thought was the neatest thing in the world.

We went Canoeing. My dad used to take us to the UW Arboretum where we brought our canoe and I remember I would share a canoe with my dad when we’d go.  One time I almost flipped the canoe and remember getting into lots of trouble over that. We enjoyed this event so much, I remember!

We went Camping. Oh my, how much camping we did! My parents and grandparents had a tradition of going to West Port every year where my dad, grandfather and brothers would go out on charter boats and I would play at the campground with other kids. If I was lucky, my parents would bring my bike along which was my favorite activity. My grandmother and mom would always cook up the best camping food which was half the fun alone!

We went Skiing. As I looked at the Cascades while flying in, I remembered my dad taking us skiing and watching us at the bottom of the runs as I stumbled down, meanwhile my crazy dare devil brother flew past me and everyone else. His ski lessons paid off for sure. I started skiing when I was 8 years old and enjoyed this yearly tradition more than anything.  If only I kept it up now!

We went to the Beach. Over on the peninsula, there is a place in which I’ll never forget called Liliwaup which we liked as it was not very populated and my parents loved to go clam digging there. We took my Filipino Grandparents there one time and watched my Grandfather slurp down oysters right off the beach. We also went to Bremerton quite a bit and spent some good beach time there and I will always remember the jellyfish.

We went to Camano Island. Some of our relatives owned a former Boy Scout camp which happened to be a few hundred acres of property with log cabins and this became our official Webb family reunion location every summer. I recall going to our reunions from as young as I can remember to when I was a teenager and relatives far and near would religiously attend the reunion. Each year had a theme, i.e. Wild West, and the reunion was based on that theme. I looked forward to this every summer.

We Camped at Home and Barbequed. As soon as school was over and summer break started, I always wanted to sleep outside so my parents set up a tent in our yard and those were my quarters for the next few months, every year. As a child this was the neatest thing ever for me.  Imagine doing that now? Sadly I would be too afraid to let children sleep outside the way I used to. We also bbq’d almost daily during the summer months and put up our badminton net and croquet course each year.

We took Weekend Drives. My parents used to take us on weekend drives where my dad would show us some of the very accessible beauty just within a few hours drive.  My dad was an avid sports hunter and was quite familiar with some of the more scenic surroundings which we would get to see.

I started thinking about all of this as the view from the plane reminded me of all the reasons why I love the Northwest so much. I saw the coast, the water, the beaches, the mountains, the lakes and I believe my experiences in this area explains why I’m so crazy in love with the Pacific Northwest. I feel very fortunate and give my dad a lot of credit for keeping us very active and emphasizing the beauty and natural assets we have here.  He was born and raised in the Seattle area so having been here his entire life his wealth of knowledge was one of the best things I remember about my childhood.  As a native just like my dad, I really should be able to carry on his knowledge and traditions, too.

No matter how far I travel and all the amazing places in the world I might experience and see, Seattle will always be the most beautiful place to me, the place I will forever and proudly call home.

-Faithfully yours Washington,

Tanya

My Homeowner Experience.

I’m writing to people about my home owning experience so that for those in the market looking for a place can be ware the pitfalls one can go through in what was simply meant to be an investment for me.  This is only a warning to people based from my experience.  I know many who’ve had only wonderful experiences!!

 

I bought my condo 3 years ago and for those who know me, know I can barely pick out an apartment for myself let alone invest in a piece of property I’d like.  Well, after months of looking, I finally found a condo which met my needs: great location, decent price, my style.  After finding this place and what I thought was a great investment, this experience has made me incredibly nervous in the whole home owning process and experience.  As since purchasing this condo, I’ve had nothing but headache after headache and am waiting for the day I can myself out from under this money pit by selling it.  This has been a horrible experience.  The worst part?  I don’t even live there!  1 year after living there I moved out to avoid an estranged person from bothering me and decided to rent out my condo.  But as good idea as I thought this was to buy real-estate, sometimes it does not pay to invest as I feel this place has caused me nothing but problems.

 

A.    The lawsuit.  A few months after moving in I was told as an home owner in this building, we would be suing another unit for damage which was caused and in which had incurred multiple special assessments.  By the time I moved in, the previous owner paid a total of $25K in special assessments for this particular repair.  All units were suing to recover from what they believed was damage caused by another owner.  The law suit (excluding the additional special assessment costs) has cost each owner about $10K each in attorney fees.  I’ve had very little say in this lawsuit since being a newer owner of 8 others in the building I did not have the history other owners had with this tenant.  For the record, I was against the lawsuit from day 1.  For a 100 year old (but rockin) building, repairs were inevitable.  Blaming 1 unit for $300K worth of repairs which affected an entire whole side of the building did not stand a chance in court if you ask me…The current status is, the law suit was settled out of court just two weeks ago.  Additional attorney fees are being assessed and owners will walk away with nothing, if not still owing more.  I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing like throwing money down the drain!  I’m still trying to find the logic in why the owners felt this was worth the money it cost them.

B.    The special assessments.  A few months after moving in the construction started.  Additional special assessments were claimed for the extra cost of the repairs not accounted for in the original estimate.  The special assessments for the same repair cost each owner about $15K on top of the original $25K (which at least I wasn’t here for).

C.    The tenants.  So, I told you I moved out right?  For the most part the tenants have been decent.  Sadly the current tenants in the building who I completely adore, are moving out of the country back to Japan in which they just moved here from but family needs them.  But today I was contacted by Seattle City Light of a $615 bill in which a tenant almost two years ago never paid therefore it has default back to me, the owner.  I’ve been dealing with this all morning. 

D.    The super cranky neighbor downstairs.  My wonderful current tenants emailed me Monday telling me the neighbor below them is scarying them.  They have a 1 year old baby girl and said the neighbor below bangs on the door and rings the door bell nonstop until they answer the door, only to scream and yell at her that she’s a bad parent as their baby is too loud.  Never hearing of this before, I contacted my neighbor below asking him to contact me, the landlord (owner) if there were ever any issues so I could talk to my tenants directly, and he told me and I quote: “I will continue to contact them directly whenever and by whatever means I see fit.”  Since his ways are frightening and his behavior is harassing as my tenant told me she’s incredibly scared of this man and looks out her window 100 times a day to see if he’s around, fearing he will come to her unit again yelling, I asked her next time he comes up to let me know and we’ll call the cops together.  I’ve already contacted a police officer about this who agreed this is harassment and they can issue a warning to him.  For the record, every tenant I’ve had has claimed this neighbor to come up yelling at them.  When you pick a basement unit of a building, you’ve got to expect to hear noise.

E.     The added costs.  My HOAs were low to start with, which was one of the reasons I had picked this building, but since buying this place, they’ve gone up some.  I’m constantly being hit with unforeseen costs I never expected.  It’s been a total nightmare.

 

So, my advice???

 

Hindsight is indeed 20/20 and looking at this experience here’s what I would advise:

 

1.     When asking your potential HOA if there will be any future assessments and they say no, ask another homeowner in the building or just assume there will be.

2.     Expect your HOAs to go up most definitely.

3.     Consider a house over a condo to avoid bitter neighbors living in the basement, as well as lawsuits you’d rather not be part of.

4.     Don’t buy out of frustration.  I looked for quite some time so I jumped on this place as it “appeared” to meet my needs.  Still do all the necessary research.

5.     Add on an additional $1000/month as a safety net to your mortgage budget for unforeseen costs.

 

The good side:

The only good thing I’m happy about at this point is that I thank GOD all the time my condo is easily rentable.  I thank myself for being stubborn about then location which has attracted renters every time I place ads.  Knock on wood.  I just can’t send this blog link to any potential tenants or they’ll run for the hills… no, having lived there, it’s a wonderful place to live and the place is beeeeautiful, especially in the summer, but sometimes it’ll have the cranky characters you can expect of the city.

 

I’m still hoping to come out not having lost any $ in the end.  I’m hoping when I do decide to sell I at least walk away breaking even.  I’m no longer expecting more even.. breaking even would suffice.  I don’t care at all.

 

So people in the market, here it is.. be really careful out there and make sure you consider all things well!  Even when you try and do everything right, you can still be completely shocked.  If the deal just doesn’t feel right, DO NOT DO IT either. Be more than ready when you make this decision.  Normally my gut is good but this experience has really thrown me for a loop, that’s for sure.  I thought it would be worth it and it’s not been at all.  L 

 

Anxious to sell,

Tanya

I’d like a side of Fries with my Phad Thai, please…

And that may very well be what I find Vivian, Deagon and now Amelia Potong ordering one day.  My best friend from kindergarten welcomed yet another Thai/White child into this world February 3^rd named Amelia.  If Amelia is anything like her older sister and brother, I’ll want to eat this one up too and am sure that will absolutely be the case.  But in thinking about the ever-growing Potong family and it’s make up, I started to think about the dynamics of what it means to grow up with parents of two different cultures, something I experienced to some degree as well. Needless to say, I am dedicating this entry to all of the people involved in mixing it up out there and contributing to our awesome melting pot that much more.  I’m super excited to talk about this.   

My mom was 1-year old when my grandparents moved here from the Philippines.  In fact, she celebrated her first birthday while in transit relocating to the U.S.  My grandparents took on the full adoption model when coming here which meant integrating into American culture fully, leaving behind many of their cultural ties.  My mom and her five younger siblings spoke English, never learning a word of Tagalog and were pushed to assimilate with the American way as much as possible.  I do know my grandparents raised their kids to eat the traditional Filipino food but I’m not completely sure other than that, what traditions were kept.  I’ve heard it go both ways actually.  I know of other families which do the exact opposite than what my grandparents did and make every attempt to preserve the culture and to keep it present and part of their lives no matter their residence.  I think every family has their own personal reasons for this and do it in a way which makes the most sense for them. 

When my mom was 18 years old, her parents suddenly realized they had raised a very Americanized daughter and forced her into running in a Filipina Beauty Pageant.  My mom was crowned, being the only contestant who didn’t speak nor understand a word of Tagalog.  But my grandparent’s goal with this was to connect her with a community in which she barely knew.  My mom really enjoyed this experience and finally had the opportunity to understand this heritage of hers so much better.  Later, when my grandparents found out she wanted to marry a white man, my mom recalls her parents locking themselves in their bedroom for an entire day, not coming out once.  Rumor has it they sobbed and sobbed as this was not what they had in mind for any of their 6 kids by any means, let alone their first.  Prior to this, my grandparents had set my mom up with meeting numerous Filipino men to consider for marriage (accompanied by her two brothers) all of which she instantly rejected. It took awhile to accept her decision but they came around eventually and things worked out fine.  Of the 6 children, 2 married within the Filipino race, the rest married outside.

As for my dad, who has French ancestry, today he still remains as the only one within his family to have married outside his race.  From my understanding, not even an eyebrow was raised with it from his side.  I think no matter what nationality you are or what your background is, there’s this inherent need for a lot of understanding and openness as well as a level of acceptance that must exist and I did see that with my parents.  Even though my mom was raised here, there were still things both had to adjust to because at times I’m sure both thought the other one was simply "strange" — my mom’s crazy 3 day Filipino dish preparation and cooking sprees and my dad eating everything raw.  LOL!  But that’s just part of it.  My grandparents who once cried over the idea of their daughter marrying an American learned to adore my dad completely.  And us, the grandkids — we were a pretty cool thing to them, too.  My dad’s parents doted on my mom for being the unique one of the family and loved her as if she were their own daughter.  I don’t ever recall seeing any problems but I know they were probably lucky and maybe an exception. 

I have so many friends who come from similar backgrounds and other friends like the Potong’s who are actively trying to mix it all up.  It’s so awesome.  Here are some interesting ones off the top of my head:

Chinese + Irish
Filipino + Japanese + German
Filipino + Mexican + White
Iranian + White
Cambodian + White
Korean + White
Afghani + White
Afghani + Italian
Afghani + Hawaiian
Indonesian + Colombian
Egyptian + White

What I really want to point out here though is how accepted and mainstream this is all becoming.  This is something I celebrate very openly and proudly.  I’ve noticed in this area especially, the cultural integration is progressing quite rapidly.  Seattle has claimed itself as a melting pot and anytime I walk around downtown I notice this to be true more and more.  This is our future and what an exciting evolution this will be to see.   

One day it will be my pleasure to sit down with Viv, Deagon and Amelia and discuss the benefits of what it means to be part of different cultures.  I can also explain that as they get older, that’s when they will really learn to love and appreciate this unique experience of who they are, even though the “where are you from” question gets old.  Especially when people won’t accept “Seattle” and prefer to hear something way more exotic and crazy.  Oh, and the guesses!  That’s the best part, let me tell ya.  I’ve been guessed as being just about everything and have learned to quit being offended – it’s really not their fault.  LOL.  My new response when they ask is, “I’ll pay you $5 if you guess correctly on the first try!”

But as that “other” box becomes increasingly more popular and checked these days, the hype about being multi-cultural will be a phenomenon of the past as this is becoming more and more ordinary as new generations are born.  There is a great article about the benefits and advantages of mixing it up from a biological perspective, called Mixed Race, Pretty Face which spells out the physical and biological benefits of what it means to be multi-ethnic.  In my opinion, it fails to mention the benefits beyond the surface though.  And this is the part I find most important and most exciting with such diverse experiences and backgrounds with cultural lines diminishing and simple humanity persevering.  I also believe awareness can be created from families with a single race involved as well, which is equally as important.

On that note, like the Potong kids with their Phad Thai and side of Fries, I think I’ll have to try some Pancit and Baguette together one day… Oh geez, I’m not sure about that…perhaps some things should in fact stay true in form :)

Happy Mixing!! :)
Tanya

Rain, Rain Go Away…

It’s been so nice.  I guess the rain is OK, but I’d really like it to go away today.  I have so much work, maybe it should stay.  Stay today then go away for this weekend, I say.  OK, QUIT RHYMING! 

 

I’ve neglected my sad little live space blogs.  Because I have nothing to say.  But that’s never stopped me before.  Let’s see if I can write 25 pages about nothing..

 

Current Events:

 

1.  Kim will be here in a couple of weeks — YAYYYYY

2.  Sanaz will be here for our Thursday Girl’s Dinner — YAYYYYY

3.  I’m LOVING having Awesta here — YAYYYYY

4.  I feel like I’m completely buried in work — BOOOOO

5.  I may go to Texas end of the month — HMMMMM

6.  All my new shoes hurt my feet except for my polka dot ones — BOOOOO

7.  My car won’t drive to ProClub these days – BOOOOO or rather YAYYYYYY

8.  I’m going to strip tease aerobics tonight and it’s been years since the last time I went (jk) — YAYYYYY

9.  This mouse I’m using is possessed — BOOOOO

10.  Face shaking makes the world go ’round — YAYYYYY

11.  I need a vacation — YAYYYY

12.  I missing all the excellent SIFF movies right now, WTF! — BOOOO

 

I’m running low on events, kids.  Sorry things are so boring, I’ll make sure to spice them up just so I can have better blogs.

My Condo is RENTED, thanks for the inquiries everyone!