Holy smokes, funk legend Chaka Khan has a new track out, and it's amazing.
Could "Like Sugar" be funkier? Not possible. I look forward to the many dance videos featuring this track.
Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" was a big part of my adolescent sound track. Still gets me moving, decades later.
Here's another reason why #blacklindyhopmatters.
All this week I've been participating in the Get Free Hip-Hop Dance Festival, a week of urban dance classes, talks and competitions in San Francisco. Today, a panel of female artists were talking about feminism and hip-hop. One Black dancer explained how she was in the process of discovering the roots of urban dance, going back to lindy hop and authentic jazz.
She described how she had the opportunity to go to the Frankie 100 Celebration in New York City in 2014. Here's the gist of what she experienced:
"When I walked into that ballroom, I felt a strange mixture of emotions. On the one hand, I felt like I was coming home, reconnecting to a tradition that my people created. On the other hand, I also felt very isolated as one of the handful of Black female dancers there in a five story ballroom full of people."
That duality of feeling both happiness at participating in something that you have a cultural connection to, and also alienated from it because you are a minority in the community, is something I've heard from several other Black dancers. It's not something I can easily relate to, as an Asian American. But I can imagine how confusing and troubling that might feel.
It reminded me of what African-American tradition bearer Latasha Barnes said at the recent panel at Lincoln Center on the history of lindy hop:
It's as if you had this beautiful house that you established with your community. And you needed someone else to watch the house because you had to move on to do another thing. If you find someone who loves the thing as much as you do, then you give them the keys. You tell them how to take care of the plants, take care of the yard, maintain the structure.
And then you go away and they do a really good job. And then you come back, and you realize its going really well. You're gonna be gone a lot longer than you thought, so you say, "go ahead and move in."
And then you come back 30 years later, and they look at you like, "Who are you?"
It's still your house. It still deserves to be respected as your house. You aren't kicking them out. But you are saying, "let's continue to maintain and share this together." That's what the community has been asking for.
But others felt that because they had been maintaining it for so long that it belonged to them. But that's not how that works. There's a difference between being an owner and being a steward.
There's an intergenerational gap between that knowledge transference that we are trying to overcome. But to do that the doors have to be open a little bit more for us... for us to be present and not feel alienated in our own culture."
I don't have any easy answers. A first step is just listening to people's experiences and feelings, particularly the negative feelings, and really try and empathize and understand them.
I think we can all do a better job at making sure that all people -- particularly those who are part of the culture that created lindy hop -- feel welcome and at home in our shared dance spaces.
Photo Credit: Andrew Lin Yikai
About a month ago I had a blast participating in a Jack&Jill dance contest in Singapore at their World Lindy Hop Day celebration. I finally got the video of the comp from local dancer Lionel Tan, who graciously allowed me to share it here.
Such a fun time competing with the wonderful Nicola Mah. And we won!
Li-Hsien Lim shot some fun pics of our dancing. So grateful she captured these sweet moments.
I just can't get over how amazing this performance by the Fabulous Sisters of Japan was on the TV show "World of Dance." This is what blows me away about waacking when done at the highest level: the drama, the power, the expressiveness. And that group choreo is just so damn tight and flawless.
This version with the larger company is even more impressive, given the numbers and length of the piece. Really it's a full production they are putting on up there.
This is in my top 10 waacking performances of all time. And best group waacking choreo I've ever seen.
I got to practice changing my self-talk yesterday, after I picked up my scooter from the shop. When I arrived, what I thought was a $500 set of repairs and a tuneup turned out to be closer to $700. That was a lot more money than I had hoped to pay.
During the scooter ride home I started to freak out a little about it: "$700 is a lot of money!... I'm going to be unemployed soon.... Why didn't I hold off on getting those repairs done?... Why didn't they quote me an accurate estimate of what it would cost?...Why am I so helpless about mechanical things?"
Later on, I calmed down and assessed the situation and was able to put it in a better frame:
"Yes, it's a lot of money. But it's to make sure my primary means of transportation can reliably and safely take me from place to place. That's not something to go cheap on."
"I trust my shop to only do necessary work. They have never tried to cheat or upsell me before."
"I'm glad I got this done while I still am employed and earning income. It would be much more painful to get this work done if I had no income coming in."
Small victories.
I had a small revelation this weekend about what makes a pleasurable pastry eating experience for me.
I realized its much more than just the lamination of the dough, the kind of butter used, and the freshness of the fillings. (Although I care very deeply about all of those things.) It also has to do with the light in the cafe, the kind of seating, and the character of the patrons. Because the full experience of enjoying a pastry involves so much more than just the actual baked good.
This is me happily sitting on my favorite spot at my favorite bakery, b. patisserie.
It's a corner seat, with a great view of the pastries in the case, the crowd of happy patrons, and the queue of people outside waiting to come in.
On a Sunday morning, the place is abuzz of activity. I love to watch people picking what they want, taking their first bite of a pastry, gush about them to their friends and family. It makes me so happy, almost as much as eating the actual pastries I purchased, like these.
If I were to buy these pastries and coffee and take them home, they would taste just as good. But the entire experience would be so different.
Other bakeries I frequent offer different kinds of eating experiences.
Other pastry spots that have good environments for enjoying their baked goods are Neighbor Bakehouse in the Dogpatch, Thorough and Hearth in the Castro.
It's pretty simple, really. If I like the feel of a place and I feel comfortable and at home there, I'm going to enjoy whatever I order that much more. If I feel judged or anxious or unwelcome, I'm not going to enjoy the food as much. It doesn't matter how perfect their lamination is.
The second leg of my recent Asia tour was in the fabled city-state of Singapore. I've been to Singapore before, so I had some high expectations for the food scene, coming in. With some experience under my belt, and in my belly, I came in knowing what I wanted. And boy did I get it.
Here's some of the amazing food I had in Singapore.
Kaya Toast made no real impression on me the last time I was in Singapore. I didn't really get what the big deal was. It's toasted white bread with some coconut-y spread in the middle. Big deal.
This time around I got it. A proper Kaya toast breakfast involves the above said bread, toasted to perfection and slathered with butter and some kaya spread. This is served typically with a couple of barely cooked whole eggs, and dark coffee.
After getting all the components, you break the eggs carefully into a small bowl, put in a bit of soy sauce and some pepper. Then you take the toast, dip it in the eggy mixture, and wolf it down. Wash it down with some sweetened coffee. It's that combination of the sweetness from the kaya spread, the smooth butter, runny egg, soy sauce, and sweet coffee that all come together into a heavenly breakfast treat.
Best way to start your day.
Laksa is one of the most popular dishes in Singapore. A Peranakan dish, it's a rich and spicy coconut flavored soup usually served with rice noodles and chicken.
I had what locals tell me is a sub-standard version of it from the Newton Food Center, and still it was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I loved the sweetness of the soup combined with the heat and many spices. The noodles were freshly made and the chicken tender.
Salted egg fish skin crisps are the hottest snack in Singapore. And for good reason. They combine the best part of fish – the skin – that is magically crisped up to potato chip consistency. It's coated with egg yolk, chili, sugar, and curry spices for a very strange and wonderful taste.
The first flavor notes you get are the sweetness combined with the fishiness, then comes the egg, and the heat of the chili at the end that lingers.
There are several competing brands you can find in Singapore. Irvins is apparently the original, which I do enjoy a lot. I have had Auntie Esther's and Snacky & Crisps versions, which are also delicious. Irvins apparently won a blind taste test not long ago, so keep that in mind if you have a choice.
There are many hawker markets to choose from in Singapore, with their own specializations and charms. The best one I went to this visit was Satay by the Bay, in the midst of the lovely Marina Bay Gardens.
You can get lots of fantastic seafood at Satay by the Bay, as well as, of course, satay, grilled chicken, Indian food, and more. During my visit, we had some wonderful chili crab, tiny fried octopuses, prawns, and piles of pork and chicken satay on skewers. Don't miss it, if you are in Marina Bay. And bring all of your friends.
I am not a dim sum fan. I find the flavors to be simplistic, the textures rather boring, and too heavy and greasy for me.
But my hosts in Singapore took me to an amazing all-veggie dim sum spot, of which apparently there are several in the city. I found the flavors refreshing, the textures interesting and I didn't have that gross heavy feeling after eating them.
I wish they had this in my city!
I had a couple of fun late nights eating hot pot with friends in Singapore. There was a lot going on at our hot spot joint -- fancy noodle making by your table, people making balloon animals, festive birthday singing, even a place you could get a manicure in the restaurant! Here's a video of a noodle maker with his own sound track!
But of course the essence is the food experience, which is simple but very satisfying. Basically you order for the table one or two kinds of broth, which are kept boiling hot via heating elements under the table. You also order various things to throw in the broth, vegetables, tofu and all manner of meats. Then you cook it up, and eat it on tiny plates with sauces you customize to your liking.
Our hot spot spot was more toward the Sichuan end of the Chinese spectrum -- so everything went from mildly spicy to completely nuclear. I usually like spicy foods, but after one night I was craving something bland for awhile afterwards. Still, a very entertaining dining experience with a group.
I found the Glasshouse Cafe in the charming and historic Chijmes center. (Thanks, Ana!) It's a beautiful, well-lit space with lots of greenery and modern furnishings. I had a delicious pour-over, a single origin Burundi that I wish I had brought home with me.
The barista knew his craft, and we chatted amiably about the coffee scenes in Singapore, Shanghai, San Francisco and South Africa. He also informed me that a portion of the profits from the coffee went back to the community it came from.
They also sold me some delicious salted egg flavored chocolate, because... Singapore.
Another strong coffee contender is the humble kopi o you can order from any kaya toast place. Kopi o is a basic black coffee with sugar. I prefer kopi o sieu dai, which is less sweet and very dark. So strong and reviving in the morning.
Tiong Bahru Bakery is a local Singaporean chain of French bakeries that's pretty damn fantastic. I had their basic kouign amman and a chocolate-almond croissant. Both were well made and fresh. The kouign amman was a thing of beauty - crispy sweet on the outside, rich and buttery on the inside. Their chocolate almond croissant was no slacker either. (Thanks, Ana!)
Another strong contender was Bake Cheese Tart's signature cheese tarts. Originally from Hokkaido, Japan, their version of the cheese tart is dense and caramelized on the outside and wonderfully gooey on the inside. Not too sweet, perfectly balanced.
Apparently San Francisco has a Baked Cheese Tart shop in the Westfield Mall, now! A pretty good reason to head to the mall.
Overall, an incredible food expedition to Singapore. These people know how to eat well.
I just got back from two weeks of travel in Shanghai and Singapore. A lot of that trip was spent going totally off diet and eating lots and lots of delicious food. Basically it was two weeks of cheat days.
Here are some highlights of the amazing food and drinks I had in Shanghai.
Soup Dumplings. That's the first thing people tell you to eat in Shanghai. And yes, I had A LOT of soup dumplings (xiao long bao).
Din Tai Fong, the popular Taiwanese soup dumpling chain, is huge here in Shanghai. I had an epic first meal at Din Tai Fong in Xiantiandi my first night there with my friends Orchid, Tasha and Sing.
The soup dumplings there were of many varieties, with different meat and veggie fillings. All of them were amazing (and spendy.)
I had more soup dumplings from one of the top contenders for best soup dumplings in Shanghai, Nanjiang Restaurant in Yuyuan Garden. I got there early, around 11:30am, to beat the huge lines for these famous dumplings. They did not disappoint. Hot out of the steamer, dangerously greasy and soupy. Amazing.
The video above is one of the hard working dumpling makers from Nanjiang.
Shanghai is full of awesome street food. I had several versions of their savory pancakes, which were cheap and filling. My favorite version had yummy greens on the inside, that was a perfect breakfast food on the run.
The other variety of soup dumpling is the Shengjian mantou, a smaller version of the soup dumpling that is fried on a grill to give it a nice crispy bottom. I actually prefer this kind to the steamed larger version.
There's another giant soup dumpling that you are supposed to just drink with a straw, forgoing the wrapper completely. My friend Ana and I got one and were underwhelmed. Who wants to drink soup through a straw?
Tianzifang was one of my favorite neighborhoods in Shanghai, a dense warren of alleyways full of lovely shops and cafes.
One of the best meals was in a tiny Japanese bistro call Cafe Dan that my friend Ana took me to. Hidden away in a tiny alley, we ascended some very steep steps to end up in a very charming and homey setting with huge windows overlooking the hubbub of Jianxifang's crowds.
We had delicious homestyle Japanese cuisine, the likes of which I have not had for a long time. This was followed by some of the best handpoured coffee I've had during this visit.
Also in Tianzifang was this wonderful chili sauce shop with like a dozen varieties of Chinese chili sauce. You were given tiny paper bowls with rice to sample them, and each one was better than the last.
Being a coffee and pastry snob, I had to sniff out the best coffee and pastries in town. My two favorite coffee purveyors were S. Engine Coffee and Seesaw Coffee.
S. Engine in Xiantiandi serves incredible pourover and espresso coffees, as well as some damn fine croissants. I actually went twice to try both of their signature blends.
Seesaw is another local coffee shop that has several spots around the city. I had a lovely visit to the one new Jian Temple, where the baristas happily chatted with me about their favorite beans and flavors. The Yunnan variety I had had notes of longan and jackfruit, but was perfectly balanced and not too acidic. Would have again.
I couldn't leave this post without mentioning Starbucks. I know, eww. Starbucks are everywhere in Shanghai. I couldn't believe how many shops I saw in every neighborhood.
I didn't really understand why until I was informed that the Chinese tech giant Ali Baba has invested heavily in Starbucks in China. They opened an enormous roastery in Shanghai, which I didn't visit but you can check out here.
Kind of neat, but mostly obnoxious, in my opinion. I'll stick with local businesses with personal service and quirky charms.
The best meal I had was with my friend Orchid, who took me to this tiny, cramped traditional Shanghainese restaurant call Ji Shi. Orchid ordered an incredible spread of food for me to try, each one better than the last.
The standouts for me were the pork belly and mushroom stew, cold jellyfish in vinegar, and mochi-stuffed plums. So many neat flavors, textures and sauces that I had never had before.
Overall, I had a great time eating my way through Shanghai. That said, I don't think I can eat another soup dumpling for awhile.
Here are some of my favorite things that I encountered in Shanghai, in no particular order.
A very touristy but still charming old neighborhood, centered around a tiny warren of narrow alleyways chock-a-block with shops and cafes. Some of it is just tourist nonsense, but there are lots of gems in there.
My new friend Ana took me to the delightful home style Japanese Cafe Dan in the heard of Jianxifang. I had an amazing pour-over coffee and some delicious Japanese food in a very charming, homey setting.
A bit of old-world European calm nestled in the heart of Shanghai. I had a lovely time wandering around the French colonial style tree-lined streets.
The first stop on my tourist itineraries. Full of old world and new world grand edifices, and a stunning view of Pudong just across the river. It's quite picturesque, although it was overcast and muggy most of the time when I was there.
I enjoyed visiting the fantastic Fairmont Peace Hotel, even with the incredibly overpriced macchiato and cookie that I ate in a very snooty cafe there. The Art Deco architecture is just gorgeous, particularly the atrium. Don't miss the tiny museum there.
This very weird and still charming tram takes you slowly through an underwater tunnel between the neighborhoods of the Bund and Pudong. The cheesy lighting, music and voiceover I thought was super entertaining.
Another huge tourist destination, Yuyuan Garden is a perfectly preserved example of an old Chinese lord's artfully created garden. Worth the price of admission, particularly if you can early on a weekday when the tourist crowds are not as oppressive.
The surrounding shops and restaurants are mostly tacky and cheap. The famous soup dumplings can be sampled from a couple of reputable spots there.
I visited this charming, huge park a couple of times, once during the weekend and once during the week. Oddly, on the weekend it was fairly empty. But during the week it was bustling, with hundreds of older locals doing all manner of activities in the park -- ballroom dancing, group singing, karaoke, badminton, tai chi, and more. All within well maintained and beautifully designed gardens, plazas and fountains.
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