The back of my hand is stained with ink once again, with promises to not forget - ever. Even if they are fulfilled, it doesn't come off so easily. They stay there as permanent reminders. The ones that jerk you awake at 3 in the morning making you think its 3 in the afternoon. The ones that keep me up at night even though I can barely keep my eyes open.

They say sleeping beauty slept for 1000 years (or more). She must have been very happy. 1000 years of dreams.
I would like that.

I live in a grand old Victorian mansion in the woodsy suburbs. I live in the attic along with old-fashion pine bed-stands and drawers, which I share it with spiders and a mouse named Algernon. Sometimes squirrels come to visit me for acorns. They did not come this year. There were no acorns to give.

In my world, it is always late spring or early fall because I can open my windows and watch my white curtains billow like deer ghosts. The breeze, warm, but not stifling, rattles past my hair: whisking past my ancient easel, old newspapers, and sheets of papers that are flying like turtledoves around me.

At night I dream a lot about tomorrow. I tell myself, if the weather is fair, I will go outside and hunt for my most valuable treasures: animal bones, smooth rocks, and leaves. If it rains, I will draw and read and clean my treasures.

Tomorrow does not always come. It trips and follies over homework days and work days and now college days. And over other days I can no longer remember.

I had a pet plant. He was one years old when he climbed into the rafters and wound his way to the roof (to think he started his life in a plastic bottle). Maybe it was because I went away. Maybe it was because time passes faster when you cannot dream. When I came back, he was gone and the windows, wide open.

Here in the land of polar bears, there is no spring. There is only the cruel dawn and a dying sun and waking up to the sound of terror every morning. No cricket on the hearth or cicadas in the trees to lull you to sleep - only the soft pattering of rain and thunderstorm weather on aluminum, which I hate.

There is no saving Prussia.
Frankenstein is dead.

Year Of The Tiger

I Do Not Believe In Reality

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems.
~ Fireflies by Owl City

Bay of Light

Slumped in the grass are five crazy dreamers looking into the distance.
Tired, after a day of frozen toes and fingers and ice cracking under the weight of the soul.

Even if the world is still - broken only by the cruel wind in the marshland -

The world will turn.
The world will turn.

Nyappy New Year

Eat-and-Run in Washington D.C.

Aestivation is a terrible fate: -5 degrees C never felt so cold.
Yet, good food waits for no creature.
And so we walk.

Our first stop was Dupont Circle, a traffic circle located in the historic district of Washington D.C. The neighborhood feels a lot like an old movie, with its residents walking up and down the sidewalk dressed in trench and pea coats.

Quite by accident, we found Tangysweet, the D.C. version of Pinkberry. Though slightly expensive, it was worth a taste. The three flavors of the day were Green Tea, Pumpkin Pie, and Pink Guava. As expected from the name, the froyo was extremely flavorful and...tangy, but with a pleasantly clean aftertaste. The portions were also JUST right: enough to satisfy. The Green Tea is supposedly made from organic tea, but was much too fruity for my tastes. The Pumpkin Pie was sweet and spicy, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. Pink Guava was delightfully sour and definitely worth a try, especially since I never had Guava before.

Our next destination was Georgetown Cupcakes, THE gourmet cupcake place for cupcake lovers in the D.C. area. However, getting there was much more painful than we expected, partially because there is no conveniant way to get to Georgetown, but mostly because I barely knew the area. The cold did not help and I was jealous of the little dogs in santa suits and kittens tucked in carriages.

Georgetown Cupcakes recently moved to a new location on the corner of 33rd and M street. As expected, there was a long line inside, but it moved quite quickly. Within 20 minutes (enough time for us to deliberate), we decided to get a dozen cupcakes. The flavors I tried were Red Velvet, Lava Fudge, Mocha, Lemon Blossom, and White Chocolate Peppermint. My favorites were Lemon Blossom and Mocha. Both were delightfully rich in flavor and texture. As an icing hater, it was my first time eating all the icing from a cupcake.

Because there was no room in the cupcake store, Teaism was our final rest stop. Hot tea, cupcakes, warmth, and good company are the perfect way to end an adventure. While the tea was quite expensive, it was also very fragrant and delicious. I had a pot of Anxi Oolong tea, which was surprisingly strong and smelled vaguely like a mix of green tea and incense perfume. Kat had Jasmine Silver Ball tea, which smelled beautiful, but tasted rather fruity. I enjoyed the presentation of the food and the coziness of the dining room and hope to actually eat something the next time I come here.

The winter evening fell heavily upon us.
Red streaks of planes and the last of Christmas lights were our last bits of amusement.
Goodbye, said the moon, rounder and fuller than the day before, Goodbye.

Till Next Time We Meet.