december 2022 - Wanderlogue

december

2022

another month, another end

December happened in a crazed phase. Or rather, two phases. A month spent on two hemispheres. In several places, enough to make it pass by in a blur and yet feel like it lasted longer than 31 days.

The first two weeks were in New York. Shopping, celebrating, wrapping things up. The anxious exhilaration of the holiday season coming to its peak, all dressed up in festive spirit as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop lower, but still easily warmed up by a hot beverage to walk through the holiday markets. Final parties and dinners and walks through the park while it’s still on the cute side of winter.

And then it was a grand escape. Out of office notice turned on. A glorious holiday season spent in Asia, the first time I’ve ever spent the winter holidays outside of the continent, the first time I’ve ever experienced the strange version of Christmas in places that were not largely Christian. The purely commercial version of the holiday, the exported, adapted, diluted version. And as much as I love the spirit of the season in a place that goes all in, there was something particularly delightful about this version, almost felt like a steal. A day gained, frolicking about.

Two weeks in New York. A week in Japan. A week in southern Taiwan. And some final days in Taipei. A quarantined Taiwan is still a cozy paradise compared to the reality that awaits in the other home.

winter walks

As the colder half of the year sets in, there is a sense of urgency. When the weather is hovering in the 40s and 50s, tolerable to spend extended periods of time outside in a nice coat. When it’s the perfect amount of brisk that makes you spend money on hot coffees and a pastry (though granted, hot bev season is still financially more responsible for me than cold bev season). Final bridge walks. Meandering solo walks around my own neighborhood. Even some time spent in midtown to see the city dressed up for the holidays. Taking free spirited detours to pick up everything from hot cocoa to bagels on a whim, things that I don’t typically crave suddenly feeling like the right choice. Walking through bustling holiday markets with no agenda, just to be immersed in the joyous season.

holiday shopping, everything everywhere

I know I’m in a pleasant mood when I put up with the crowds of Eataly in Flatiron. During the holidays, it does its job: it makes me want to buy shit for a dinner party I’m not planning to have.

Something about beautifully packaged chocolates and stationary that makes me just want to buy into the All American (ahem, I suppose more like Euro-centric) dream.

eataly // venchi // fish’s eddy // goods for the study // blue stripes cacao

lower east side edition

canal st market // november 19 // chop suey club // sweet pickle books // partybus bakeshop

gift shopping in williamsburg

new fixation is getting a new ornament each year, with some sentimental memorable meaning

deppaneur // lockwood // awoke vintage // stella dallas // red pearl

current obsessions

little treats, but specifically teeny pain au chocolats

garrett leight

sunglasses

bc a true californian wears sunnies in the winter too

specialty shops, like this beer boutique

east asia is currently obsessed w caneles, and so am i, so it counts as due diligence to do taste tests everywhere i went

things cooked

december was mostly spent cleaning out the fridge, but I had a bag of fresh cranberries to get through that resulted in a lazy crumble (which made for an easy breakfast) and these jewel-like mini cookies perfect for a holiday party.

also leaned into the comforts, roasted delicata squash made into a nourishing grain bowl, roasted honeynut squash blended with braised carrots unlocked a new level of umami in a rich vegan soup.

holiday gift guide

left to right:

hojicha (or honestly, anything) from kettl for tea appreciators

a good book to share with friends and family (stay true)

nice soap (grabbed a bunch from soap cherie for gifting aunts and cousins)

dainty jewelry from local shops (in this case catbird)

hot sauce for anyone who likes it spicy (this one from yun hai)

local coffee beans for dad (partners was a lazy choice on my part, but a reliable choice)

themed ornaments (for the tree i do not have)

fancy kombucha (i mean, anything in a wine bottle is just fancier)

and then nearly 24 hours in transit to transition to the second part of the month

an uber, a very crowded JFK, an extra large coffee, a very long flight, a cute little ice cream, a cold bagel, only to arrive at an eerily peaceful NRT, greeted by the same shop front i see every day i go into the office, a dystopian gate, sleep deprived at a delayed layover, so bored, no caffeine to be found, masked delirium, five stages of grief, a shorter flight, going through the many many motions upon arrival to the familiar TPE, greeted by family and a spray down of alcohol, 40 more minutes by MRT into the city, a short cab ride (mostly for the suitcases) through a startlingly quiet neighborhood (a pang of panic missing the comfort of 24/7 signs of life even in my corner of Brooklyn), a long awaited shower and sleep. Only to wake up, unpack, grab one meal out, come home, pack again, and head back to Japan less than 48 hours since my layover in Tokyo.

In some ways it felt like traveling back in time to an earlier phase of the pandemic but it was worth the grueling flights. I had gotten used to the laissez faire attitude that Americans have toward the pandemic. But I’ve seen worse, and even though a part of me loved the exclusivity of closed borders, it was nice to see the city alive once again.

first bites

classic breakfast, complete with impractical utensils and weird cartoon cup sealers

classic set meal, extra points for dining at the branch in a department store

classic late night snacks, authentic with the pink-tie plastic bag within a bag storage situation

market mornings

no need to twist my arm for a field trip to an open market, and dongmen market is one of my favorites

collecting goods felt like trick or treating, from “breakfast burritos” to a la carte dim sum, to a noodle soup break, to picking out fresh wax apples, the chaos of market vendors shouting at you and generations of people shuffling along just really does it for me

a glorious christmas day

there’s something particularly special about doing things on a day when you typically don’t get to do things. christmas day for all my life has been a bank holiday spent at home (or at, a home of sorts – be it a hotel, rental, etc), cooking, baking cookies, watching movies, doing whatever the hell you want without any pressure to go out. and i loved it.

but you know what i love more? going out and doing all of the things. it truly didn’t even matter where we went or what we ate, everything tasted better, felt more exciting because it was a day gained. a stolen day. this must have been what ferris bueller felt. even the most ordinary things, the places i have gone to time and time again felt fun because it felt like breaking the rules. the joy i saw from seeing crowds outside, all businesses open, lines waiting for street food and numbers being called out from drink shops. it was like a natural high, and extra thrilling because everyone else seemed to just go on like a normal day, as if this wasn’t the most glorious christmas day ever.

coffee at a packed yong kang street, which had a cheap looking santa, horrendous music and bubbles in the park nearby for the kids; an obligatory scallion pancake, a trip to my favorite bakery, tons of dumplings and lu wei because simple is best, and adorable holiday branded boba to add some cheer.

frolicking down south

After a brief break home in Taipei, it was back on a train down south. A quick HSR ride down, admiring the sunny landscapes passing us by.

First up was Tainan. A sleepy town, very little on the agenda. Mostly just wandering the city center, eating lots of small meals and enjoying the sunshine. Basically like a staycation but in a different city, a vacation from a vacation.

We stayed at the Grand Banyan Hotel. Which came with a rare open rooftop pool with views overlooking the town (so quiet and peaceful at night). And a great breakfast buffet (why are Asian hotel breakfasts so good?).

left to right:

highly recommend the hayashi department store for local souvenirs

southern night markets hit different

southern non-chain boba shops also hit different

the original du xiao yue lantern

really delicious tieguanyin tea flavored soft serve

obligatory instagram cafe break

a brief pit stop in Chiayi on the way up, literally just to get turkey rice and then hop back onto the train.

and then more aimless eating around Taichung, which included more contemporary eating experiences

— coffee and pastry with views from rec coffee

— indoor traditional market tucked in a commercial complex (i mean, they had me at AC)

— obligatory pilgrimage to chun shui tang (although this time to a pretty new location rather than the original)

— grass jelly break in the expansive modern arts and cultural center

good bites: new year edition

covid did its thing and ruined nye plans for the first time (ironically 2021 and 2022 were unscathed). so it became a serious endeavor to build up the best take out spread possible to ring in the new year at home with two covid positive parents. a bus ride over the bridge and a sweep of ximending resulted in a decent bounty of fried foods, braised foods, steamed foods, baked foods and more. obligatory stop to 7-eleven to round it out.