Current Mood


How is it July already?

Reading...
The Vanishing Half: A Novel
Once I picked up this riveting tale of race and identity, I didn't want to put it down and ended up finishing it in two days. The Vanishing Half tells the story of two light skinned Black identical twin sisters growing up in the deep South in the 1950's. At the age of sixteen, they run away and end up leading very different lives with one sister choosing to pass as white, leaving her old life and her sister completely behind. The rest that follows is fascinating. This book is currently fourth on the NY Times Fiction Best Sellers List and author Brit Bennett just closed a 7 figure deal with HBO to adapt the book into a limited series. I loved the writing and this is one of the best books I've read this year.

Watching...
Twogether
I have been looking forward to Twogether ever since I heard about it last year. It is a reality travel series where two celebrities, Lee Seung Gi, an actor, singer and variety star from Korea and Jasper Liu Yi Hao, an actor from Taiwan, are brought together to travel to pre-chosen destinations where they have to complete a series of missions each bringing them closer to a meeting with a local fan.  Seung Gi and Yi Hao have an easy brotherly chemistry and they're well matched because they're both a little flaky yet affable and down to earth. They communicate in English and in earnest try to learn each other's mother tongue which is part of the fun. When there is a breakdown in communications, it's like the Chinese saying of a duck trying to talk to a chicken. The premise of the show is light and it's a pleasant diversion. We're enjoying this one. Seung Gi is such a variety veteran now and quickly corrupted Yi Hao with his wily ways LOL

Looking forward  to...
Hamilton
We've been entering the ticket lottery for this Broadway smash for over two years and now that it's coming out on film this Friday, we couldn't be more excited to finally watch it.

Eating...
Red Cabbage
I'm a little obsessed with red cabbage at the moment. It's so good as slaw or lightly pickled in salads and fish tacos. But I love it best sautéed with garlic and red onion and tossed with a little ACV. I usually serve this with roasted fish and soy butter potatoes or garlic parmesan potatoes, a quick and healthy meal I make at least once a week.

Cooking...
Heat & Serve Meals
Cooking is no picnic with a shoulder impingement so I've been supplementing with heat & serve meals for some shortcuts. I like the options at Fulton Stall Market and have also ordered meal kits from Hanjan a restaurant I have dined at and reviewed here. They offer home delivery with a take on Korean comfort food with a different menu  every week and I'm a fan of  how they are transparent about their purveyors and use local, sustainable and organic ingredients and responsibly raised antibiotic-free meat.

Wearing...
Lucky Hafina Slide Sandals
I have been wearing these cute and comfy slides out on the terrace and on walks in the garden downstairs. Eventually I hope to wear them on vacation but as I've previously stated, we will be vacationing on our terrace this summer. Yes this is my terrace. The cropped view is to obscure where I live because privacy matters.

Enjoying...
Shorter Hair
I haven't even gone to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and that's essential so seeing as you can't social distance while getting a haircut I am not going to the salon anytime soon. My husband and I have been gearing up for home haircuts for awhile now and see this as our future for at least until the end of the year if not longer. We cut his hair into a two block last month and last weekend we cut each other's hair. My husband did an excellent job on my bob. I'm extremely grateful for his patience and diligence in getting the angle in and all the time he spent texturizing and thinning it out. I have really thick hair and that is very time consuming. He was so good about it even though it was painful for his shoulder. We watched a bunch of videos on Youtube beforehand and since we often got our hair cut together, he remembered some of our stylist's technique. He cut about two inches off. My hair was at that awkward length where it got super wavy on my neck and with the heat it was driving me crazy. It came out great and I couldn’t be happier.  I'm so lucky to have such an awesome and talented husband who is now rocking a shorter two block and looking really good.

Cautiously awaiting...
The Restart of Baseball
It's no secret that baseball is our favorite sport to watch and we are hopeful we might get to see to the Yankees play a shortened season. We missed baseball so much, we started watching the Taiwan and Korea Baseball Leagues.

Living as if...
We're still in the midst of a pandemic
Because we still are. Just because places are open, this doesn't mean everything is back to normal. Far from it. It's become increasingly clear that there is a direct correlation between gathering in public spaces and a spike in Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Just look at all the states that have recently reopened. New York is still on the right side of the curve but I fear we will set ourselves back especially with so many people acting like everything is fine and congregating without masks. Like sure outdoor dining is available but what is the appeal of sitting out on the same dirty streets that garbage gets put out on and dogs poop on with people walking by and traffic fumes in the air.  I want to support local businesses but I'll stick with delivery and takeout and continue to tip well, This pandemic has brought out the best in some but it has also exposed a fundamental problem of how selfish some people are. I actually enjoy spending time with my husband and like staying home and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The only time we go out is for groceries or takeout and I've been getting our groceries delivered as well so we don't have to go out as much. After we got back from the doctor's last week, we threw everything we wore into the laundry and showered and washed our hair right away.

Thank you so much to everyone for your kind words of encouragement and support on my personal update and I also appreciate the support of those who reached out to me privately. We're going for x-rays today and we'll see what happens next.

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18 comments

R.ChamberofBeauty said...

Hi Rowena,
I hope you are feeling better, the novel you have mentioned here seems really interesting. I will check it out. It's so sweet that Your hubby and you cut each other's hair. This is so tough time for all of us. In India, the lockdown is over but the pandemic is increasing day by day. I'm praying for my family and all of you.
Have a nice day.
http://www.rakhshanda-chamberofbeauty.com/

Jackie Harrison said...

I been taking time for myself doing what I enjoy, Gardening, cooking need to grab some suggestion here. I'm embracing my new me less time in media and blog so I could enjoy what really matters in my life. I hope you are doing well. Have a great 4th of July weekend.

Oh to Be a Muse said...

I was fortunate enough to see Hamilton live when the production was in San Francisco a couple years ago. I still wish I could watch it on TV tomorrow, though. It's just that good. But sadly, I no longer have Disney Plus.

Pilar said...

I hope you're feeling better Rowena! I saw that Hamilton was streaming on Friday. I want to see it too. Have a great weekend!

Ivana Split said...

It is absolutely the right decision to stay in and continue social distancing in the midst of pandemic. I have eaten out and gotten my hair cut (with a mask on) but that was because there were no cases in Croatia at the time. I continue to monitor what is happening and will act accordingly. Everyone should do so. There is no telling what the tomorrow will bring, but we must all be careful, especially those living in highly populated places. Just because the places are opening doesn't mean we should or must go to them.

Your bob looks amazing. Your husband has got talent. He cut your hair like a professional. Thick and straight hair is the hardest hair texture to cut because even the slightest mistake is visible, so he really deserves to be praised and bonus points for doing it with a painful shoulder.

I enjoyed reading your reading and viewing recommendations. Hamilton sounds like a great show to see and so does Twogether. The Vanishing Half sounds like a great read. Your slide sandals are very pretty and they look so comfy.

Lucie said...

Il est clair à mon avis qu'à l'heure actuelle, nous n'avons pas mille solutions. Bien que se confiner soit cotraignant, si cela permet de sauver des vies pourquoi pas!

Sakuranko said...

The Vanishing Half sounds marvelous I saw this book inmyrecommedations in Goodreads I should give a chance. I prefer stay at home the most of time is better and safe
xx

The Dainty Dolls House said...

I hope you continue to feel better my dear!! I need to read these books, they sound fantastic!! Ahhhh...Am watching Hamilton right now, it's soooo brilliant!!! I really wish that I had been able to see the stage show live with the original cast but, this has made me feel lots better for not having been able to. Incredible show!! I hope you enjoy it too! Have a beautiful weekend :) x

R's Rue said...

Thinking of you

Jo said...

Thanks for the book rec Rowena. Ever since this pandemic started, I've been buying and reading a lot of books so I'm always looking for any suggestions. And I've also been into Korean food lately too. Stay safe.

xo Jo

http://www.whiterosesandcoffee.com/

Amy Aed said...

I think that I heard about The Vanishing Half - it's one of those books that looks really interesting, I'd definitely like to give it a read.

Shireen L. Platt said...

I've gotten a hair cut but only tonight we actually went out for dinner with my in-laws. We are still being extremely cautious, still no play date and have only met up with one family who is our best friend so far. Better safe than sorry and I am nervous about the second wave hitting Canada.

Mica said...

Thanks so much for that book recommendation! I've been reading a lot more lately, book club has made me find more time for reading and I'd love to have a recommendation of a book to share one month, so I've ordered that one as it sounds so fascinating and other reviews say it's a good book club book! :)

It's nice you were able to get a home haircut too! Hairdressers didn't close here but we waited until restrictions were a little more relaxed before getting the kids much needed haircuts, haha! Their hair grows so quickly, they almost need another cut!

Hope you are having a nice weekend :) We were out at the park again today :)

Away From Blue

Emmylou said...

SO awesome how your hubby is doing your hair, chingu:) My boys finally let them trim their hair so yay! Like you, we're also still pretty much in lockdown mode so I told them no salons yet and they finally gave in:D And as I said on Twitter, so agree with you that Hamilton is one of those things that deserve the hype...I am so in love with its score now so I downloaded it right away after seeing it:D And thanks for the heads up about the book. It sounds interesting and something to add for sure to my to-read list.
Stay safe, my friend. XOXO

R.ChamberofBeauty said...

Hope you had a nice weekend!
http://www.rakhshanda-chamberofbeauty.com/

Hena Tayeb said...

We are looking forward to watching Hamilton as well.. the kids and I have been reading a book on historical figures and we just happen to be reading about Hamilton. We plan on watching it as a family as soon as we finish reading.

ALLIE NYC said...

The Lucky Hafina sandals look and sound amazing. I need more sandals I can walk in for longer periods. And that book sounds so good! Did you ever see Imitation of Life? There are two versions one made in the 1934 and the other in late 50s with Lanna Turner. The 1934 version is actually better. And so cool it is going to be a series!

Allie of
www.allienyc.com

Evi Erlinda said...

This novel seems a great reading!
I also enjoy reading some novels at home.

The pandemic is getting worse after reopening. The new cases are soaring and I just got the second nasal swab testing for Covid this morning. I am waiting for the result.

I love your new short haircut!