It was Sunday night, March 16th about 17h. My sister and I were talking about how I had an unplanned glorious 2 wks off from work. Turns out she had 2 months off from her masters! So naturally I booked a ticket to Paris, she booked a train from Germany, and 48 hours later we met each in the City of Lights. Here are a few snaps of Day 1: (gross amount of photos will follow every post for the next week)

 

Death of a Patty Cake: I see it everyday, it makes me sad everyday. The death of the Patty Cake is an epidemic here in Asia. Every kid has an ipad or a phone or a screen in front of them. And if they don't, the parent does. Head phones in, world turned off. All I want to do is go and pick up the baby...damn angry birds are taking the place of, "roll it, pat it, mark it with a __ ". Can I please just have a cabin in the woods near a lake with my little family so they get a childhood built on sunlight not screenlight. Stepping off soapbox now...

Moments: the pool of hollandaise was perfection as it caressed those perfectly poached eggs aloft exquisite parma ham and sourdough. Snapped a photo then my first thought, "OH MY GOSH I HAVE TO INSTAGRAM THIS #brunchisawesome, #iheartmylife!" I should whatsapp my mom and tell her i wish she was here, put it on facebook because it is so luscious! ah ah ah ....

but I didn't. I resisted the urge...and resisted the urge to get a better picture. So many of my beautiful moments are cheapened because I long to share them with others. Yes sharing is a good thing, but at times, it is not. Hollandaise gets cold quickly, and by the time my meal was shared with the electronic universe, it's eggy citrus goodness would be lessened. My moment would be less. I think I need to let life sink in more, so much of it just hits the surface and I hashtag or send or post it so quickly that I never give the little snippets of life time to sink into my soul and truly enhance my life. I take my eyes off the moments far too quickly. .....and for the record, the eggs benedict altered my life.

Sometimes I take time away from sleep, to enjoy being awake.

Modes: ...you know how washers have modes: spin, delicate, etc....you know how massage chairs, and cars, and irons, and Japanese toilets, and blenders all have modes? Well I think God puts us on modes as well. I am currently on kaleidoscope mode.

Dear Powers that may be,

can I please be taken off kaleidoscope mode? It is a bit dizzying. I want to be on Disney Monorail mode, really steady, slow and scenic. Thank you. Please just put me on this mode until further notice. {I am sure I will get bored and want kaleidoscope back}.

Sincerely,
MK

Fisheye: I had perfect eyesight, then something happened and it crapped out on me. I now call my eyes my Fish eyes....long story. But if you must wear glasses to work, you might as well get some fun ones. So here are 2 of my 3 new pairs....and me wearing them at work

sometimes I get to ditch chef clothes and go to fancy wedding....and take selfies in fancy bathrooms

Singapore slumber used to look like this....minus the coral pillow which i just added...wahn wahn

 while in Utah, shopping with my BFF's (My Mom and sisters, Jen and Audrey) we decided to fancy it up a bit....polka dots and flowers. And yes I did have to check an extra suitcase just for this:

and it was so worth it. {my room looks like a prison cell but it is just the phone angle}

800 thread count, you make life just right

Let’s talk about how much I love living in Asia. I have no car to worry about, no road rage, no snow (*tear I actually miss that), everything is close and convenient, there is a mall, a grocery store, and an amazing food center all within walking distance…..but, from time to time I miss a few things from home. Let’s just focus on one. Iit is a difficult adjustment for me to know that if I want to do a lot of grocery shopping….I must bring an old lady wheely cart, {which I don’t have so I bring my teal carry-on suitcase given to me when I signed up for a bank account last December, Cheers Citibank}. I feel like a fool, I look like a tourist. These few things however, made everything better: Cream Soda in a 12 pack, “Everything but the”…..albeit $14…..

and...

And this about sent me over the edge with joy! Hello Kitty printed toilet paper! Pretty sure it is terrible for the environment because it is dyed, but this time, I don’t care. Potty time just got awesome at my place.

3 photos

to make your day....they made mine.

grown man unicycles to work

 

grown woman forgets pants, really odd flip flops 

My grandmother is an artist, I am an artist of sorts {at least that is what I tell myself}....when Marcus came in with his family for his 13th birthday and asked if I would make a my little pony plate for him, I did my best....and luckily he was only 13, so he didn't really understand that is was just a bit off....I told his family it wasn't professional to kiss guests, so I drew the pony blowing him a kiss instead :)

Destiny: So in a conversation with a dear friend {ya it was totally my mom} this morning,  I was reminded of who I used to be, the girl who drove home every single day of high school during lunch just to avoid any form of confrontation, positive or negative, and eat in peace.

I was trying to escape. The problem is, you can’t escape life. You can’t escape destiny. And, boom, life is now catching up. I now on a daily basis get to defend my position, defend my decisions, defend just about everything I do in the male dominant chef world, as a female chef taking the position that was previously held by a male celebrity chef. I have difficult conversations with mouthy employees, and try to balance my simple tender insides, with being firm, and sure on a daily basis.

Lesson of the day…..don’t try to outrun destiny, you will loose. Embrace all that life has prepared for you…even if it doesn’t always hug back.

Hello, My name is Monica Kate, and I am a noodleaholic.

   

I eat them at least once a day, and I don't think I will stop....ever.

Instagram and facebook and texts are always filled up with sights just like this....but I don't care. In 24 hours time I flew from snow to tropics and across the dateline....so you get to see what I got to see from 40J, 24A, and 18A

ah the rockies

flying into Seattle....arguably the most scenic area I've flown over

fishing boat just outside of Tokyo

The restaurant was slow due to Chinese New Year, so I scampered off to Utah for a bit. The trip was too short, I didn't get enough time laughing with my mom, shopping at Target with Audrey, pestering my mom with Nick, making a fool of myself with Jen, being rowdy with Lil, and talking life with my dad....but it was a wonderful trip. So here is what I do in Utah....in photo form. All photos are a bit lame, but what can one expect with a camera phone. 

 Kenza and I are inseparable resulting in adorable scenes like this one

 I get my hair cut  & I take lots and lots and lots of baths, because I don't have a tug in Singapore

 

I do whatever I am told {I am a middle kid, it's what I excel at!} even if that is modeling children's headwear in Ikea......

and I play the piano...correction: try to play

I eat nachos, I play scrabble, I eat nachos while playing scrabble while spelling the oddest words I can

The Place: Love is a funny thing, it is different for everyone, and every relationship they cultivate. No two loves are ever the same, and how I love, love! That being said, in my 30's, my look on love is very different than it used to be, and I have found myself in a very interesting place.  Over the past 2+ years since d-day, I have had many charming dates/relationships. Some were just comically bad, ending before a full date transpired, some {okay just one} lasted a long time and became beautiful memories, some were destined for friendship and I adore them, and all the "others" were something entirely different and subsequently, potentially, added to this "place" in which I find myself.  Quite frankly I didn't know it existed.  The "other" men I dated became neither friends nor loves, because to them I wasn't a woman, to them I was: a convenience, a place holder till an "er": better/smaller/funnier/quieter/prettier came along, a processor, something to cross off a check list, a beard (yes I am pretty sure one of the men I dated was gay...who doesn't kiss a girl after 5 months!), and a rebound among other things. None of the men really truly wanted ME, they just needed to fill an aching void and I was close.  I'm sure along the way I've done the same. This is not single to men, and never fear this didn't turn me off to love or men.  I now just have this new little thought, maybe it's a fear, maybe it's a worry, or maybe it's an observation....at any case it is The Place in which my love capacity is residing, and in this place, I am not sure I know anymore, how it feels to be wanted, cherished, truly loved in a relationship just for being me.  When I go on dates, I expect nothing, I don't expect goose bumps, or butterflies, or connection. I find myself weary of telling my same story, desensitized to whether or not he opens doors, compliments me, and or kisses me, scared he will be just one more looking to fill a void, thus added one more brick to the place. I am far from bitter, and love men!, and love love, but, I do wonder what it will be like, feel like, look like, when I am really truly wanted again.  Until then, I am in this newish oldish "place", not quite sure what to make of how I feel, so instead of over thinking, I am happy, loving life, and having so much fun, but simply curious, when I will get a new zip code, one that is brighter than this place. {and hoping tremendous excitement for love will find me again}