"One Person Can't Feel So Many Things At Once - They'd Explode!"

So says Ron Weasley in one of the Harry Potter books, and I sort of agree with him in some ways.

I knew it was going to stir up some emotions when I did my inaugural December listen-through of my favorite Christmas album of all time, AVB's fantastic A Savior Is Born - but I didn't know it would do quite this much to me.

I really miss my family. I knew I would, and I knew it would be especially hard once the holiday season rolled around, but I don't think I'd really let it hit me fully until today... Until I started playing that album that I love so much. See, we always listen to this one (and a few others) as a family, during tree-decorating and during family meals, and during present opening on Christmas Day.

It didn't take more than a few seconds of listening to the first song on the album for me to start bawling. Like, seriously, I'm having trouble seeing the screen here. I didn't really know it was quite this possible to revel in the joy and the feelings I only get when listening to Christmas music and celebrating the meaning of this holiday - while at the same time missing home and family with a sharpness that I haven't really felt since I came here. (Though I did have a little preview of that on Thanksgiving, when I found a beautiful version of the hymn our family always sings together before the Thanksgiving meal, listened to it on Youtube, and cried.)

Man. It's a good thing Skype and Google Hangouts exist. It's a good thing my sister and I aren't going to be all alone for Christmas. And it's a good thing I do love what I'm doing, and I believe it's meaningful and valuable, and that it's exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

Oh, it's time for "Joy To The World", the best version ever. Excuse me while I smile and go get another tissue.

(Decorating our house here helps a little bit.)

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise..."

I absolutely cannot let the 25th anniversary of the TV premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation pass without comment. Watching this show with my family is one of my earliest TV-related memories. I grew up watching Captain Picard and his crew travel throughout the universe, bringing their Starfleet idealism with them everywhere they went. I saw Star Trek: First Contact in theaters even though it was rated PG-13 and I wasn't thirteen yet. I was terrified by the Borg. I had nightmares after watching the episode where Data has bad dreams, and the one where Troi has bad dreams about "Eyes... in the dark..." (Apparently, I was easily disturbed by episodes about bad dreams. They didn't give me nightmares but just made it very, very hard to fall asleep.) I idolized Picard, and Riker, and Geordi - especially since I also loved LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow. I thought Data was awesome - and I loved that he had a pet cat named Spot. I loved Worf's gruffness and loyalty. I even liked Wesley. I was too young to find him irritating. Heh. Troi and Dr. Crusher were great as well, and essential parts of the cast (which I've already mentioned is one of my favorite ensembles). Even now, when I hear the opening monologue and the theme, I feel a rush of nostalgia that's quite powerful.

What are some of the ways this show influenced me? Well, for one thing, my preschool-aged sister and I learned how to say, "What the hell is going on here?" from one Commander William Riker - much to the shock of our parents and the horror of our grandmother. Heh. But more importantly, it continued to foster the love of space, science, and exploration that my parents had already begun in me. I know I wouldn't have been as excited as I was to do a report on Pluto in first grade if I hadn't already started to learn about planets, star systems, and galaxies from TNG and other sources at home.

This past year, after all of the Trek series were added to Netflix's instant watch option, it became tradition that my sister, my dad, and I would all eat lunch at home while watching an episode of either TNG, Voyager, or DS9 (not as much of a fan of the original series, though it's a classic for sure). We didn't get through all of the episodes. I think all of the series are available at the DVD store in town, so I might pick them up at some point while I'm here, but I'll miss watching them with Dad at home.

Cats, kittens, and ailurophiles

I have loved cats my whole life, as far back as I can remember. We had a family pet, an orange tabby named Oscar, when my sister and I were toddlers. Some of my earliest memories revolve around him. We loved him, although he wasn't overly fond of us I'm pretty sure.

When we moved to the house where we spent most of our growing-up years, my parents (who are also fond of cats) decided my sister and I could pick out a kitten each from our preschool teacher's cat's litter. I chose a tuxedo cat, polydactyl (six-toed) male whom I named Sweetfeet. He had little while paws, just like his mother whose name was Sugarfoot. My sister chose a longhaired black female whom she named Blackberry. Blackberry's fur later turned out to be sort of dark gray in places, but the name stuck anyway.

Sweetfeet and Blackberry were our cherished companions from the time we were about 5 years old until we were past 21. They had good, long lives - although when the family moved in their later life, they had a little trouble adjusting. Blackberry's health failed first. Her brother held on for a while longer. I still miss him.

Then our household went quite some time without any pets at all. My sister and I were getting ready to move to Southeast Asia, my brothers were moved out, and my parents' new job duties mean they travel frequently so they didn't think it would be kind to a cat to leave it to the care of housesitters so often. My brother got a kitten at his new apartment. It was fun to play with her when we visited. She's her own delightful brand of kitty crazy.

Once my sister and I were settled in to our own house here in Southeast Asia, getting a cat or two was pretty high up on our to-do list. Thankfully, our housemate and friend was also okay with the idea, especially since cats fulfill the important function of keeping the house free of spiders, bugs, and geckos that are foolish enough to be in range of a pounce. But you don't buy cats here. You go through connections. If a friend or acquaintance has a cat that has kittens, you can get them for free. So my sister and I waited for a while, putting out feelers to friends in the area.

And then one day, during language class, the director of the language school (who is also a friend) came in with one of the custodians, who was holding a little calico kitten. Our language school's ceiling is apparently a popular place for mother cats to have their kittens, and this little one's mother was nowhere to be found. Our director knew we wanted kittens, so he asked if we wanted her, even though she wasn't weaned yet. We couldn't resist. After our director friend went and bought us a kitten-feeding bottle, we took the little sweetie home and named her CJ.

Yes, she is named after Claudia Jean "CJ" Cregg, our favorite character from The West Wing. That was it for a day. CJ started to adjust to being bottle-fed. She was lonely when we weren't around, though, the poor little thing. Then the next day, our director interrupted our class again - this time with a whole dustpan full of tiny kittens! He asked if we wanted another one. We really, really did. This time we chose the little black and white male. At home, we quickly decided he would be Toby, after Toby Ziegler (also from The West Wing). CJ seemed much happier to have a sibling around, and Toby stopped howling when we put him next to her in the box, too.

Round-the-clock feeding of two tiny kittens while still trying to do language school and also find time for sleeping and eating was not easy. I can say I have a newfound respect for new parents, especially since they have to do that for much longer than one has to for fast-growing kittens! But thankfully our little ones were more than halfway through the weaning process. So we only had to give up vast quantities of sleep for about a week and a half.

Now they're already on solid (wet) cat food, mostly litterbox-trained, and growing more and more every day. They're sweet, cuddly, inquisitive, and playful. They're also developing personalities beyond, "I'm hungry! Feed me now!" My sister's CJ is more fearless and independent than my Toby, who complains a lot and sometimes needs more time to figure out new things. But they both bring me joy every day. I've missed having a cat (or two) in the house. Few things are more relaxing and heart-melting than time spend snuggling with a little kitten in your lap, in my opinion.

I look forward to many years of companionship from these two!

We Are Family: Best TV Ensembles

Many of my favorite TV shows happen to have a strong ensemble cast of characters. (Not all of them; The X-Files for example is really all about Mulder and Scully, no matter how much I love Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, and others.) This aspect of these shows often makes me love them more, since I love stories about family, and about diverse groups of people who come together to become a family. With that in mind, here's my list of favorite ensemble shows. It's hard for me to even number it, because I would want to place so many of these at number one. So once again, please consider that the order doesn't necessarily mean I like one better than the others.

1. Firefly

This is usually the one that occurs to me first, I will admit. Making family out of a highly diverse group of people whom you wouldn't think would ever get along and love each other is kind of a specialty of Joss Whedon's (one of the many things I love about his writing!) - and Firefly is a prime example of this. We have Mal and Zoe, two veterans of the losing side of a war, Wash, who's an expert pilot and describes himself as “the funny one”, Kaylee, the sunny, optimistic ship's mechanic, Book, the shepherd with a mysterious past, Simon and River, siblings on the run from the Alliance, Jayne the mercenary who would say he only cares about his own wellbeing, and Inara, the elegant Companion. Somehow, all these people end up knit together as a family, although Mal would prefer to call it his crew. It makes me love them all even more when behind the scenes footage, photos, Twitter accounts, and interviews from the cast make it clear that they're friends in real life, too. Sigh. I love this show.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Another quintessential Whedon ensemble. At the beginning of the show, it's just the Core Four members of the Scooby Gang: Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles. By the end of the show, the family has grown and shrunk and grown again, with the Core Four still at the heart of it all. Through all the changes, it's made clear in so many ways that Buffy wouldn't be able to succeed at her calling – and wouldn't want to try – without the love and support of her friends and family. They keep her sane, grounded, and allow her to have fun. They save her life many times. They'll see her through. It's what they're always meant to do. What can't they face if they're together? What's in this place that they can't weather? There's nothing they can't face … except for bunnies. (Okay, done with the OMWF lyrics now. I guess.)

3. The West Wing

I LOVE this cast so much that I cannot even put it into words. I mean, seriously. With the exception of a character who disappears after the first season (to no one's sadness), every single cast member is amazing, even the recurring guest stars like Stockard Channing, Timothy Busfield, NiCole Robinson, Kathryn Joosten, and many others. Note: I count Josh Malina in this because, when his character isn't being written as making a hugely foolish decision, I like Will Bailey a lot. But I will admit I prefer the Sam seasons. (Because of Rob Lowe, and because of Sorkin's writing, and also because of Rob Lowe. Ahem.) This is another ensemble where it's clear that the actors enjoy each other off-screen as well, which makes me happy. For such a large group, their chemistry is nothing short of amazing. Plus, the writers generally do a good job of balancing everyone's screentime from episode to episode. Also, the family element is even made pretty explicit a few times during the show's run. The group is centered around and grounded by Martin Sheen's Bartlet. In the words of John Spencer's Leo, “He [President Bartlet] likes teams. I love him so much.” So much, indeed.

4. Sports Night

Okay, so Dan and Casey may be the central relationship of this show (and I've written about my love for it already), but it's still an ensemble. And everyone gels amazingly, once again. From Isaac, the wise, sarcastic father figure whom everyone else clearly respects and loves, to Dana, the woman who puts all of herself into her show but loves her people even more, to the idealistic young Jeremy, to the sweet Natalie, and all of the secondary characters (and great guest stars, like William H. Macy and Clark Gregg!), this is one fantastic bunch. And as with The West Wing, everyone has perfect comedic timing. That's an essential element in any Sorkin show, for sure.

5. NCIS

It may not be one of my can't-miss favorite shows (or at least not anymore), but I cannot and would not deny that NCIS has a wonderful ensemble cast. In fact, that (and the father/daughter relationships I have already mentioned) is what keeps me coming back. Mark Harmon is a highlight, of course, but it's not just him. Each member of the cast – except a certain former director whom I do not miss at all – adds a great deal to it. All of the characters care about each other and would do just about anything for each other. And once again it's clear that the cast members enjoy spending time together both on and off-screen … which is a good thing, since it's been on TV for approximately a billion years at this point.

6. Bones

Another one that's no longer as much of a favorite as it used to be for me, but I still enjoy it, largely because of the excellence of its ensemble. I remember being initially skeptical of Cam when she came on the scene, but she quickly made herself as crucial a part of the team as Booth, Brennan, Hodgins, Angela, or Zach (oh, Zach. Sigh.). Caroline is great, as well – I like seeing her whenever she shows up. Despite some really stupid plotlines in recent seasons, I still find pleasure in watching this show, mostly because of the interplay between all the characters. I hope those actors that weren't particularly well-known before their roles here will go on to other awesome things after Bones is over.

7. Babylon 5

Okay, I must add a proviso to this show's inclusion on my list, too: I'm really not a fan of Michael O'Hare's Sinclair. Sorry. I'm glad he's not around all that much after season 1. But even with some rough spots like that, this cast was fantastic. I've already posted about G'Kar and Londo, whose friendship is certainly one of the best ever to grace TV screens. But complex, interwoven relationships between the rest of the cast are also developed and explored in throughout the course of the show. All of the main characters and their stories are compelling, and I wish we'd gotten a chance to see more of them. Plus, the fact that a majority of the cast formed an honest-to-goodness band after the show was over speaks to a real friendship between them all!

8. Star Trek: The Next Generation

This show is probably the show to which I subconsciously compare all other ensemble shows. I mean, I grew up with it. I grew up with Captain Picard, Data, Geordi, Riker, Dr. Crusher, Troi, Worf, and yes, I'll even include Wesley. I loved this show before I was old enough to be able to tell what was bad acting and what was good acting, what was terrible special effects and what was awesome. When I went back and watched much of the first couple of seasons recently, I noticed things like less than stellar (heh, no pun intended) acting, and some awesomely cheesy “special” effects. But I also noticed that after a few eps, the cast really seemed to get into their roles, and their relationships quickly became at least as compelling as the show's plots. And if you're a TNG fan and you haven't seen any clips from the recent 25 year reunion of the entire main cast, you should check it out on Youtube. The real friendships between the actors are just plain awesome to watch. (It was also wonderful to get to see the friendship between Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes in person, at Emerald City Comicon last year. Those two guys are crazy, but in a delightful kind of way.)

9. Fringe

Honestly, I was a little bit unsure this show counted as an ensemble, since the core characters are only three in number. But there's also Astrid, and Broyles, and Nina, and the Red 'Verse team (and heck, even Gene the cow) – and together, they make a respectable sized ensemble and an extremely compelling bunch (Gene less so). I adore the interactions between them, and the depth each character has. And although I've already said it before in this list, the Fringe team really are a family. Considering the challenges and traumas various members of the group have endured and inflicted on each other in the past, it's even more amazing how close they are now. On a related note, these themes of forgiveness and redemption are another reason for me to love this show.

Honorable mentions:

-Angel: I wasn't sure whether this should be on my list, since in some ways I preferred the show when it was just Angel, Cordelia, and Doyle (much as I love Wesley, Lorne, Fred, and Gunn). But it certainly deserves an honorable mention. Like other Whedon shows, the team is made up of people who would under normal circumstances have nothing to do with one another, but through their shared goal of helping the helpless (“Our rats are low” *sniff*), they become a united front who care about each other even when that love is tested.

-Dollhouse: Part of the reason I didn't put this on my favorite list is because the central member of the ensemble is not the strongest actor of the group. But Enver Gjokaj, Dichen Lachmann, Reed Diamond, Olivia Williams, Fran Kranz, Amy Acker, Harry Lennix, Miracle Laurie, Tahmoh Penikett, and yes, Eliza Dushku do make a great ensemble. My favorite thing about this show, in fact, is the opportunity it gave many of these actors to shine – sometimes for the first time in a starring role.

-Veronica Mars: This show really is about Veronica and her dad. That said, the rest of the characters make it even more awesome. It wouldn't be the same without Wallace, Logan, Flashback Lilly and the Kane Family (which, btw, if it's not a band name already, it totally should be), and the other recurring guest stars. I should say, in fact, that the friendship between Wallace and Veronica is one of my favorite non-romantic male/female friendships on television.

So, did I leave anything off the list? What do you think?

The joys of Thai food, tropical fruit edition

Another joy of living in Thailand is ready access to wonderful fresh tropical fruit all throughout the year. You have access to the most delicious, flavorful pineapples, bananas, and melons you could possibly desire - and also many other fruits that aren't as familiar but are just as delicious or even more so.

Right as my sister and I arrived this time, we were thrilled to discover that even though it's just getting into hot season, the relentless heat is balanced out by the fact that it's also mango season. If you've never had Asian mangoes - Thai or Philippine, or Indian - you've never had read mangoes. They are really, really, REALLY good. I've been eating them pretty much whenever I get the chance. I've already mentioned my favorite Thai dessert of mangoes with sticky rice and coconut milk: also known as pure delight. They also sell mango yogurt in supermarkets here, and you can tell it's real fresh mango chunks in there, which therefore means it's a favorite.

Another fruit that's been a revelation for me on this trip is passionfruit. I think it's just coming into season right now, too, which explains why I hadn't had the chance to eat it on previous trips. I've had passionfruit-flavored fruit drinks before, but always with other flavors mixed in, so I never knew what it tasted like on its own. It. Is. Heaven. Seriously. Tangy, sweet, a little bit sour - really, I almost want to start using the ridiculously overblown language wine tasters use to describe its flavor. I don't know if you can get it in the States at all. If you can, I bet it's really expensive and not very fresh. But it would still probably be worth a try. I found some passionfruit jam in a supermarket the other day, and let me tell you: passionfruit jam + peanut butter in a sandwich? Joy.



There are many other delicious, unusual fruits here, too: starfruit, rambutan, lychee, dragonfruit, etc. But mango and passionfruit are definitely my favorite at this point.

The joys of Thai cuisine

If you've ever eaten at a (good quality) Thai restaurant, you know that Thai food is delicious. I've loved Thai food ever since my mom came back from a trip to Thailand in the late 1990s and started cooking Thai peanut curry for us - which was also about the time that Thai restaurants starting popping up all over the place in the greater Seattle area. Some are better than others, of course.

One dish that hasn't really made it over to the US yet* is one that I was introduced to last year when my sister and I were in Chiang Mai at the end of the summer: khao soi. It is sheer amazingness. If you've ever had pho, it's similar - but it's a hundred times better, IMO. I love pho, but khao soi takes it to a whole new level.

Here's a picture of the khao soi that's served at a restaurant which has quickly become one of my sister's and my favorite places to eat in Chiang Mai ("Just Khao Soy"):

The soup has pieces of chicken and rice noodles in a light curry, with crispy rice noodles on top. Then you can choose what else you want to add to it: coconut milk (YES), pickled onions (surprisingly tasty), chili paste, shallots, fish sauce, sugar, and fresh lime. There's also a few slices of banana to help dull the spiciness, if you need them. You can add as little or as much as you want, to taste. It is absolutely wonderful. The original dish comes from Northern Thailand and Laos. It's is less fancy than this, and is apparently regarded as mere "street food" by many Thai people. But the restaurant version at least is wonderful, and I hope it does become more widely available outside of Southeast Asia!

Another item of Thai cuisine one should not miss when one is in Thailand is their version of limeade. It's like lemonade, except with lime, and a little bit of sugar and a little bit of salt. The balance of flavors is delightful - and something that Thais strive for in their cuisine. I had some with my khao soi at lunch today. Perfect. The only way to have made the meal even better would have been to finish off with mango and sticky rice for dessert. If I'd had any room left, I would have ordered some! But there'll be plenty of time for that while we're here.

*One of my favorite Thai restaurants back home, Bai Tong, does list khai soi on the menu, but I haven't had it so I can't speak to its authenticity or tastiness. I'm sure it's quite good, though, since Bai Tong is excellent!

Goodbye, Leo McGarry.

I've posted a few times about my love for The West Wing, and how much I adore its cast. I've also posted about John Spencer's awesomeness in particular.

Before I even watched the pilot of this show, I knew that John Spencer died before the series finale; I heard about it on TV when it happened and I remembered it for some reason, even though I wasn't watching the show at that time. So that meant I knew Leo was going to die when I started the first season. I wish I hadn't known so much ahead of time, but it can't be helped.

Anyway. All that said, even with that knowledge as a warning, I couldn't help adoring the character of Leo, and being extremely impressed with John Spencer as an actor (and as a person, from what I saw in interviews and clips). Leo was smart, wise, witty, savvy, classy, principled, and above all else, loyal. He was the driving force behind Jed Bartlet's election to the presidency, and his President's best and closest friend. He wasn't perfect - his character would have been far less interesting if he were. But he cared deeply about his President, his daughter, his friends, and the good of the country.

So when I got to season 7, and the episode in which Martin Sheen gives a brief but heartfelt announcement and goodbye to his friend John Spencer, I knew it was going to be rough when we got to Leo's final episode. And it was. Oh, it was. From the moment Annabeth (ably portrayed by Kristin Chenoweth) discovers Leo in his hotel room, to every character's reaction - which had to have included the cast members' genuine grief at the loss of their costar and friend - I was grieving alongside them. Just like when Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith on Doctor Who) died, *I* feel almost like I have lost a dear friend. That is thanks both to the vividness of Leo McGarry as a character, and to the man who portrayed him, who died far too young.

I recognize that the show as a whole has decreased in quality since Aaron Sorkin left. It's only too obvious when I go back and rewatch an episode from the first four seasons. But I'm still enjoying it a great deal, and it's still an exceptional show. The cast as a whole has never ceased giving amazing, compelling performances, and the way the show handled this untimely loss is, I think, a fitting tribute.

In the words of C.J. Cregg to President Bartlet, "I really miss him, sir." And in the words of Joshua Lyman: "Thanks, Boss."