Tiny Bubbles

This past year, I have become a junkie. Before you go plotting your interventions, I am not suffering the same throes of addiction as the more glamorous LiLo's and B.Spears. Nevertheless, my addiction is equally crippling. I suffer from mood swings when I can't get my fix. I crave a "hit" at all hours of the day; I lie awake at night thinking about my next encounter with my sweet elixir.

What is it that has me so hot and bothered? What keeps me tossing in bed at night? It's not crack, crystal meth or black tar heroin. It is, however, an exotic import. From the far shores of the Asian Isles, I am enslaved to the flavor and fun of Bubble Tea.

Bubble Tea? WTF is that, you ask? Well, for those of you not in the know, Bubble Tea is a drink craze from Asia. According to Wikipedia, Bubble tea is a tea beverage that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. The tea features tapioca balls; the balls are often called "pearls," and are consumed along with the beverage through an extra wide straw. Bubble tea is especially popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions such as China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. More recently, the drink has popularized in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The drink has gained in popularity in the US, branching out from regions with large Asian populations (like New York and San Francisco's ChinaTowns). The drink is sometimes referred to as Boba Tea. Boba is children's Mandarin slang for "nipple," as the tapioca pearls somewhat resemble a round nipple.

Essentially, the drink is a base of green or black tea and a flavoring (usually fruit). Added to the cup are tapioca pearls (these are the black balls in the glasses pictured). These pearls are gelatinous, and have a gummy texture - like soft gummy bears. The result is a beverage that can be both sipped and chewed. It's a unique mouth experience. The drinks are served over ice, or in the form of slushees and smoothies. Often times, the drinks are flavored with exotic tastes like Taro and Lychee. Sometimes, the drink is served with "jellies" instead of the typical pearls. The jellies are slivers of gelatin - usually in a fruit flavor. Typically, the teas are either fruit flavored or milk teas. The milk teas would be more similar to a Chai or an iced latte.

Being of Asian descent myself, I'm always open to trying new things. I am fortunate to live in a culturally diverse area - with many ethnic groups represented in their own neighborhoods. By venturing off the beaten path, and trying some of these wonderful restaurants and neighborhood shops, you can find some really amazing things. You might even develop a new "addiction."

You can find me, at least once a week, at my favorite Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese fusion place...bubble tea firmly in hand and a smile on my face. Addiction....ain't it great?

DO THE RIGHT THING

This weekend is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Dr. King was a great man - he was a civil rights hero who initiated a movement and a new way of thinking. He encouraged people to see past their own prejudices and to embrace their differences. Unfortunately, his legacy has largely devolved into a bank holiday; it is a day off from school, and for some of us, from work. Few citizens take time to remember the precious price that Dr. King paid for his beliefs - and even fewer take the initiative to "do the right thing."

In 1989, Spike Lee made the film "DO THE RIGHT THING." The film tells the story of Buggin Out - a would be do gooder who is crusading for change in his own neighborhood. Tired of the local pizzeria neglecting to show anyone other than Italians on it's "Wall of Fame," Buggin Out takes his mission to the people. He is a voice for change - crusading for his cause.

I am disappointed to say that few of my friends volunteer. Very few people I know have a cause that they are passionate about. Ask them the problems in society, and they can easily rattle off a list a mile long. Ask them what they've done to combat those problems, however, and the conversation will quickly dry up. I do a lot of volunteer work, and my friends always act like I am Jesus himself. The reality is that my efforts are shameful - my involvement with a few causes leaves much to be desired. I am not consistent with my volunteerism; I give when it is convenient - when it fits my schedule or wallet. That is hardly dedication. True dedication comes at all costs - or as Malcolm X said, "by any means necessary."

As we head into the weekend - and you enjoy your day off in honor of Dr. King - think about the true cost of our freedoms. What do you do to make things better? What do you do to increase awareness? When push comes to shove, can you say that you will "do the right thing?"


It's an election year - and we are a nation in a time of turmoil. We are on the brink, but the brink of what we can't quite be sure. Dr. King said that "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." I encourage you to take that to heart. Find your cause - and fight for it. Become involved, leave a legacy, and ultimately, you will find that you will "do the right thing."

Let me leave you with two thoughts from Dr. King:

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

What is the life you are leading saying about you and your beliefs? Inaction is still action.

A New Year....A New Blog

2008 has arrived, and with it is the inevitable wind of change.

While my blog has gone largely neglected, I am hoping that 2008 will usher in an era of new productivity. I plan to write more frequently - espousing my opinions on everything from politics to Pollyana. I'll blog on pop culture and popcorn. I'll write on music and musings. It will be nothing, if not a mixed bag.

So, bookmark this page.....and join me for discussions on whatever comes our way.