Blogger to Blogger

So, we all know that there are TONS of wedding blogs out there right? Don't they all kind of seem the same? Don't get me wrong...I like looking over pics of a fantastic event as much as the next girl, but a lot of them are missing something. Something real, personal, funny, unique.

Which is exactly why I've been enjoying Mo's blog Pink Argyle so much. She's a real girl planning a real wedding. And she's awesome!

Mo asked: What's the most ridiculous thing you've seen/read in your unfortunate new subscription to Glamour magazine? Visuals would be appreciated.

Katie answered: UGH! I kept waiting and waiting for my next issue to come so that I could answer this for you, but it never did. I guess someone over there at Glamour is reading my blog, got mad at me for not liking Taylor Swift and cancelled my subscription.

Mo asked: We already know about your obsession with the chocolate-covered almonds. Heck, those babies are sitting on our kitchen counter too! But aside from the almonds, what is the absolute BEST thing you have ever eaten?

Katie answered: I've had so many amazing meals in my life. But the thing that makes one item of food stand out over another is usually the circumstance surrounding consumption. For example:

One time I was on a Horizon flight. I was alone, motion sick, cold, hungry, grouchy and pretty much a big ole mess. I didn't think life could get more uncomfortable. Then, the flight attendants started passing out these warm ham sandwiches with spicy mustard on pretzel bread and I thought I was going to die they were so good. A small tear of joy leaked out of the corner of my eye and the gratitude that filled my soul was so rich and sincere that the memory has burned itself on my brain.

Mo asked: Take us through your perfect day, starting with where you wake up.

Katie answered: I wake up in a big fluffy bed with the ear doctor inside a magic mountain cabin. The linens are all crisp white and the long billowing drapes at the window are calmly waving in an alpine breeze. Someone has just pulled a pan of hot, sticky Cinnamon rolls out of the oven and they're finishing frying up some bacon. Sunlight is brightly beaming down through a high window. We spend a few minutes laughing at some funny dream he's had.

Our little dog Roscoe jumps up and puts his paws on the edge of my bed and nuzzles his face in my hand. He is clean and happy because someone else took him out to poop and got him groomed for us.

I get up, eat, and shower and put on the cutest most perfect outfit I've ever owned. It fits perfectly and makes me feel like a million bucks. My hair is magically dried and styled without me having to lift a hair dryer or brush.

Together, we take off. Right outside our cabin door is a path leading up to a lake. The three of us walk up the path were a fantastic lunch spread has been laid out on a blanket. There is Italian meats and olives and cheese and stuffed dates and pecan crusted cookies and diet coke and Italian sodas and piping hot pizza and mini hamburgers and macaroni and cheese and fried chicken. What's more is that anything we think of that is missing magically appears for us to taste. We never get full and carbs and calories don't exist. In this meadow, Roscoe doesn't need a leash because he behaves perfectly...coming when called every time. We sit there in that meadow laughing and eating and hiking around.

As the afternoon wanes we walk back to the cabin. Now the cabin has transformed from a cozy 2 person chalet to a large, expansive retreat. All of our family members are there and most of our friends. We all eat a big catered dinner together and after the meal there is a fantastic talent show. Each person gets up to perform and they are all wonderful entertainers!

As night wears on a band starts to play and we all start dancing out under the stars. It's the happiest night anyone has ever had and we all got to experience it together.

...and then...

Katie asked: What is your favorite book and why? And if you can’t think of one you can give me top 3.

Mo answered: I like being difficult--how about top 2?

We'll start with my favorite book for adults. One of the elements of blogging that I started paying closer attention to is the writer's voice and how authentic it sounds. That's probably one of the main reasons why I'm so in love with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Dave Eggers has a smart, unique, funny, and honest voice that makes for great storytelling. I'm also biased because his story is mainly set in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly Berkeley, which is where I went to school and where most of my family lives.

My favorite children's book is Matilda by Roald Dahl. I still have the copy my mother bought me when I was in the fifth grade, and it has a panda bear bookplate in the front with my name scrawled in purple marker. Some things never change.

What I really like about Matilda is that she's such a strong, incredibly smart heroine. I wished that I was just like her. Another one of my favorites was Harriet the Spy, for the same reason. I wanted to be a writer when I was little, so I decided to keep a journal just like Harriet. Unfortunately when you grow up in rural California, nothing much is going on. "Saw Jack Rabbit. It ran away up the road. Really hot today, my Popsicle melted on my hand."

Whoops, I cheated, that was 3 books wasn't it?


Katie asked: I recently heard a factoid on the radio that the most common inter-racial couple combo is an Asian female and a Caucasian Male. I was surprised and thought it was interesting. As a Chinese-American woman, do you find that interesting? Do you have any perspective on it that you’d like to share?

Mo answered: Ha! Oh Katie. I'll try and answer this question without boring your readers and regurgitating what I learned in Asian American Studies 101.

And as a Chinese-American woman who spent 4 years in a relationship with a Caucasian male, why yes! I do have a perspective on this subject. Let's see, where to begin?

*clears throat*

I went ahead and looked up the census for Boulder, CO, and according to hello boulder (http://www.helloboulder.com/Census.Cfm) only 4% of your population is of Asian descent. Considering that San Francisco alone has a population of 20% Chinese, and that's only Chinese,

This was a pretty hot topic when I went to college (in which the student pop. was 42% Asian), where seeing an Asian female and a Caucasian male was very common. Some students at the University of California, San Diego even made a video titled "Yellow Fever" about why "all the white guys are stealing (their) women": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQFs33fWzxo.

There are countless theories that I heard while dating my ex-bf. None of which I endorse, all of which I found insulting, since I think our relationship was based on love and mutual respect, as opposed to this rubbish.

• Asian women are trying to date/marry "up".
• The majority of Asian women (and women of other races) are not attracted to Asian men. (sorry Asian men!)
• Caucasian men date Asian women because they have an Asian fetish.
• Caucasian men have an Asian fetish because they find them exotic and submissive.

I could probably list some more but this blog post can't go on forever!

But I'll finish up with what I think, almost done, I promise!: every couple is different. Every situation is different. I am different from the Asian girl that grew up in Asia, different from the Asian girl that grew up in Colorado, different from the Asian girl who is living downstairs from me. We are not the same and we come with different experiences and perspectives (same goes for the Caucasian guys,) and it's problematic when generalizations like the above mentioned are made. It's bad enough that no one can tell us apart!

Man Katie, this was a hard question! Is the next one easier?

Katie asked: What do you anticipate being the biggest change with your upcoming marriage?

Mo answered: Ok good, this one is easier to answer.

Hmmmmmmm....I'm not sure much will change! We have lived together for three years, we pay bills together, we take vacations together, and we won't be moving. I'm also not changing my name, so I won't even have to get used to a new one. I imagine the biggest change would be filing for taxes together and referring to him as "my husband" and not "my boyfriend". Weird.