Grace Lin's Blog, page 104

on my desk monday

Bowl of chocolate pudding!


I just got my remaining wisdom teeth (3!) out. Ouch. All I can eat is pudding. boo hoo.

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!Today's words are:

pink: fěnhóngsè
purple: zǐsè
blue: lánsè
brown: zōngsè

Kids Reading Across Rhode Island

I was super-duper honored when I was told that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was chosen as the book for the 2nd annual Kids Reading Across Rhode Island event. It is a one book-one state reading program and it is such a thrill to think so many RI kids will know the book!
So, of course, I was happy and eager to go to the big kick off event at the State House a couple weekends ago. It was a blast, but it was so busy that it went by way too fast! It happened so quickly that most of the day is kind of a blur.



First, there was a lion dance:


Someone told me it was in my honor, which I wasn't sure to believe. But I did get to feed one of the lions with lucky lettuce:


Which they spit onto the audience (always a crowd pleasing trick!):
I want to get these guys for my next book launch! Think that's too much for a bookstore?
Then I gave a talk:

to a lot of people in a really fancy room:

And then I signed books for a long, long time:

The Kids Reading Across Rhode Island program was giving away a copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to every family for FREE! That explains the long line:

I felt like a rock star! Too bad I can't give away my books for free more often!

Thanks so much, Kids Reading Across Rhode Island !!!

fortune cookie friday

"All cats love fish but fear to wet their paws."
-Chinese Proverb

on the way to the grocery store

You do? Really?

greedy

News anchor Janet Wu, Atsuko Toko Fish, Chair Emeritus of the ATASK Board, and recent Founder of the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund Boston,Jody Adams, Chef/Owner of Rialto Cambridge, Joanne Chang, Pastry Chef/Owner of flour bakery + cafe at the EmPOWER Breakfast
So, maybe because it was just my birthday, I've been thinking about goals and futures and plans. I know I am extremely lucky to have the life that I have now and I am thankful for it every day.

But it seems to be human nature to always want more. Instead of condo, I would love to own a house. As well as a nice husband, I'd love to have kids. As well as my books being read, it'd be fun to have them turned into a movie or a TV Show. And my new books? More wishes, more dreams...always more.

And while I have misgivings with the apparent greediness of it, I also acknowledge those are the things that make life the beautiful struggle. After Robert died, there was so much of life that I wanted to live and filling it with all those wishes and dreams made the future bright. But the danger now is that it is like a balloon-- the more I fill it, the more it feels as if it is going to pop. Trying to have all those wishes and dreams come true sometimes just seems so...impossible.

Which reminds me of the EmPOWER Breakfast that I went to in April (which I meant to blog about earlier but got too busy!). It was this lovely event to benefit ATASK, emceed by news anchor Janet Wu and featured a panel discussion of super successful women. To be honest, the whole room was full of super successful, beautiful women--most of them were doctors and lawyers, who not only had smart, happy kids & husbands but also ran marathons and charities. I was quite in awe and actually felt rather small (and lazy!) next to them.

To me, most of them seemed to have it all--families, commitments to health and charity, achievements and accolades, and personal wealth--and I couldn't even be jealous because they were all lovely. In fact, when I bemoaned my personal lack of comparative achievement to the woman next to me, she said something to me that still rings in my ears. She said, "You CAN have it all, but usually not all at the same time."

And that made sense to me. Having many goals and dreams are important for a full and happy life. But sometimes you can only work on one dream at a time. I've had very talented friends who wanted to be published but things didn't work out, so they moved on. It wasn't "giving up," it was finding another dream that they liked better, cared about more at that time and focusing.
So, I'm trying to remember that. There's no expiration date on dreams and I can work on them one at a time. And it's okay to put some on hold for later.
Or at least until my next birthday!

booktalk tuesday

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

IndieBound Description:Clara Lee likes her best friends, her grandpa, kimchi, candy necklaces (her signature look!), and the idea of winning the Little Miss Apple Pie contest.

Clara Lee doesn't like her mom's fish soup, bad dreams (but Grandpa says they mean good luck!), speaking in public, or when her little sister is being annoying.

One day, after a bad dream, Clara Lee is thrilled to have a whole day of luck (Like!). But then, bad luck starts to follow (Dislike!). When will Clara Lee's luck change again? Will it change in time for the Little Miss Apple Pie contest?

My Thoughts: Very cute book! When I first wrote Year of the Dog, I had intended it to be more like this, but it turned out a little older, more personal-- so I am glad this book is out there.

on my desk monday

Birthday presents! Wheee! Look at these little boxes...what did I get?


First, with a sweet card came a pretty pair of earrings from my mom. They came all the way from Taiwan and are handmade "blessing flowers." Thanks, Mom!


Then in the wood box from my friends at Little, Brown (my publisher) came:


MOUSE CHOCOLATES! So cute...and delicious:

I almost (but not quite) liked them as much as my bestest gift which was from the Sasquatch, a red sea glass necklace:

He remembered how I kept searching for unique pieces of sea glass during our summer vacation, so bought me this necklace with a very rare piece of red glass. Of course, I heart it! But just to make sure I liked his gift the best, he also got me a yellow begonia and an apple pie.

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!Today's words are:

red: hóngsè
yellow: huángsè
green: lǜsè
orange: júhóngsè

fortune cookie friday

"Genius can be recognized by its childish simplicity. "
-Chinese Proverb