Saturday, November 24, 2012

Movin to the Country...and why I changed my mind.

Hello!

As some of you know I moved to Wylie, TX (25 miles outside of Dallas) about 3 months ago. I did this for 2 main reasons. To follow love, and follow my heart. And there was always a part of me that wanted to live the more simple life. To have chickens and wake up to my own fresh farm eggs. To be able to make my own artisan cheese. Unfortunately, reality hit...Read on to find out why.

Honestly for those from California, I was thinking moving to the country in TX would be like moving to Petaluma. That I would be able to easily find cute little farmer stands at the end of the road. Or there would be that simple mom and pop restaurant I would frequent every weekend for the best homemade food and fresh pies...

Yes I am idealistic. Yes I was dreaming. Yes I am me.

Wylie - my take...

Pros
You will find some of the friendliest people in Wylie. I remember the smile and graciousness I found when paying at a gas station once. Or when I walk my dog every morning, and how people stop to wave and say hello. Raising kids seems good here. Kids as young as 6 years old are walking home from school by themselves. Its safe. Its simple.

Wylie even has a brand new library, you can tell they are really trying to add more culture to this town. They have a good high school and opening a movie theater soon.

Cons
There are no dog parks. Maybe I am spoiled. I do like my dog having dog friends. I walk my dog every morning and no one else walks their dogs. This is a sleepy neighborhood where dogs are yard dogs. Nothing wrong with that. But a little cosmopolitan girl like me appreciates the thought of getting ice cream with her dog on a sunny day and walking through a park. Boo!

There are only fast food restaurants nearby. Fast food nation here we are. Obesity? Yes. Convenience? Yes.
Obama voters probably do not exist. I am not big into politics. But diversity of opinion, right or wrong I think is healthy.
Raise a kid to be simple and kind is easy here, but how about cultured and open-minded? But then again, who am I to judge. Most Dallas kids that go to public schools are hispanic and African American. Only white and Asian kids can afford to go to private schools.
Commute. I know traffic. I lived in LA. I drove 3 hours a day sometimes in traffic. But there was never any permanence around since my job was project based. Now that I was living and commuting 60 miles round trip, I felt it sucked the life out of me. I was too tired to cook, to dance, to do yoga, to see friends. Not just that no friends, yoga or dance in Wylie. I commuted 7 days a week to be able to attend church, work, dance, etc. I was exhausted and unfulfilled in life.

Reality
I always frowned upon the "uptown" folks. As if being rich was a crime, I looked down at how pretentious they were. And that was not me. But now that I have been on the other side, I realize that life is not so "black and white". I don't want to judge people in Wylie and to stereotype them as "red necks" nor do I want to do the same about uptown folks being "rich and snobby". All I know more than anything I learned a huge lesson. I am not defined by where I live, but I cannot deny who I am. I am Asian, I am French, I am Californian and I am a Texan. Though Wylie is not for me, and neither is uptown, I realize I am somewhere in between. Where I need to be close to work, to dance, to my friends, to my religion, and to have easy access to simple things in life be it food or organic groceries. Yes I am a hippie at heart. Yes I am different. And I am proud to be who I am - unique and learning every day, to not judge others and to keep an open mind.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Dallas, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Hi blog!


How I have missed you. Did you know this year, the year of dragon is suppose to be lucky? Well so far so good, my amazing man Brian has taught me so many lessons on being human, to appreciate and honor both the good and bad. I now have a beautiful puppy named Evolie Lucky (named after evolution) and oh man, is she teaching me lessons in patience and how to be more nurturing. We are definitely constantly evolving but I am finally starting to learn to be more human. You are probably thinking what does that mean? I am learning to accept things the way they are- the good, the bad and the ugly. To just "be" despite the pain and my decision to suffer. Most importantly, to keep giving and smiling and that the world won't stop just because I am pouting over a bad day. Its not just all about me. That love needs to be practiced daily. That we still have issues of poverty, racism and discrimination in this world. Stay tuned! More to come on my negotiation and coping skills with living life...I have more to write later on this interesting phase in my life right now. 


In the meantime, here are my top ten things I love and things I wish I could change about Dallas.


Top 10
  1. Men actually open doors! Chivalry is not dead here in Texas and I love it
  2. Central Market...Whole Foods, but bigger!
  3. On that note, did you know Whole Foods is based out of Texas?
  4. Spirituality is huge here, they don't call this the bible belt for nothing. People truly believe in a higher calling and I would like to hope more people here work towards being a better person.
  5. Street festivals galore- not just BBQ, but crawfish boils, beer festivals, the list goes on. People will drink and eat in the streets even in 100 something temperatures! And the best part, not care how they look even with a few extra pounds we are one happy culture here.
  6. Fresh eggs- I have had the best tasting fresh eggs here, local farms in Texas rules...
  7. Old School Values. I love how hippie and bohemian California is. But I will have to say being in a more conservative state like Texas, people really have good family values that I adore.
  8. Southern Belles. In California, you blend in by wearing flip flops and organic tees. In Texas, you get to play dress up. I never owned as many dresses as I do now :)
  9. I love fresh meat! No hormones, no cages...nice to have friends that hunt and give you fresh wild boar sausages or venison patties.
  10. Last but not least, this is home for me. A hidden gem...a little of everything but most of all, a slow down. Here we are not too righteously hip, intellectual like Cali or NYC. We are just here living. ps Did I mention there is an In n Out here finally now? And they are bringing Trader Joes here soon too. I am one happy girl.
Worst

  1. Allergies are the worst here. Well worst than Cali. I have an air purifier that I have on when I sleep. I take Claritin 365 days a year. Yikes I know.
  2. Do you dislike Dallas? I don't blame you if all that you have seen is our DFW airport. For such a major city, we do have an ugly airport. And I noticed there are no handicap ramps or elevators for those who park far away? What gives!
  3. For one of the "richest" states with all the oil and gas dudes, we really have ugly malls here...
  4. On the topic of shopping, nope there is no La Perla (no pretty lingerie) here
  5. And nope, no Prada here either...sorry my devilish shoe lovers!
  6. On rainy days, no noodle or ramen houses. The revenue margin for selling noodles must be huge, so why doesn't someone start this?
  7. Oh yes, there are bugs. Big ones. Ones I don't know the names of. But on the flip side, June bugs here make me smile they are so inspiring.
  8. Sadly, people don't do enough recycling here.
  9. The use of guns here is a commodity here. Believe it or not, I am not anti-guns. I just have heard horror stories of things going wrong. I vote for better gun safety education. I think each gun that folks purchase should have a huge warning label that says "guns can kill". Very similar to cigarette labels. I recently went to a women's shooting clinic and the only safety chat was around ear and eye protection...common! How about don't aim at your backyard and shoot your neighbor by mistake? Or hey, your 8 year old daughter can find your gun when she is having a bad day and kill herself. Yes all true stories mind you. 
  10. Dallas schools is very sad. I volunteered for one when I first moved here. Not a single caucasian. What are we telling our kids of tomorrow? That only white kids can afford private schools? And what do we tell them when the ones I have met say, they don't believe in college since college is only for white people?