Authored by Justin Yuen on Oct 23rd 2010, 21:21
When he learned that I my be going home for a period of time, my Dad told me to ask my Mom to get me a jar of yujacha. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a delicious Korean drink made from a citrus fruit, honey, and hot water (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yujacha). My first encounter with it was during my two year stay in Flushing, NY, which has a large Korean and Chinese population. At one of the small Korean bakery/cafes near my apartment, I used to spend time picking up little bits of Korean chatting with one of the workers there. One day, she recommended that I try yujacha.
A funny thing about me is that I tend to become very attached to a particular food which I associate with each place I've had a meaningful experience - almost obsessively. When I spent a summer in San Francisco, it was Jamba Juice, in Hong Kong, it was xiao long bao (only at Din Tai Fung!) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaolongbao), in Japan, soba. For my two years in Flushing, it was yujacha.
My dad knows about my affinity for yujacha because I drank it almost every day I spent in Hong Kong living with him. So, I followed his advice and begged my Mom to make a special trip to a small Korean grocery store in Hartford just to pick up a jar for me. It must have seemed ridiculous to her at the time, but once she returned home and made me that first cup, all her doubts were dispelled. The slightly heavy smile that my face had worked hard to keep for so long transformed into a natural, glowing smile of giddiness. Who knew something so simple could have such an effect?
That gulp of fruit, honey, and water did so much more for me than hydrate me and satisfy my palate. With it came my memories of living in New York, all the great people I met and all the great times I had. Then came memories of my time in Hong Kong, where I became close to my Dad after being distant from him for so long, and where I discovered a whole different world and a whole bunch of amazing people. I was reminded of how lucky I've been to enjoy a healthy life for so long, and to have been able to see the places I've been and connected with the people I've met. I was surprised to find that I simply felt great!
A day later, that happiness has barely faded. I woke up this morning at around 8:30am, had toast and a scrambled egg for breakfast, and managed to stay awake and active until about 5pm at which time I took a nap. This is a HUGE improvement over spending half the day asleep. Now, it's 9:17pm and I'm getting sleepy. Not too far from a normal schedule!
Hi Justin, This truly is the best news I heard for all these tough months of your sickness. We, as outsiders can only trying to understand the big shock and subsequent awful and yet life-saving measuresto make you better. How ironic is all these heart-wrenching chemotherapy is actually eventually makes you better!!?? I pray that you will have a wonderful break to recuperate, revive and renew. We all tend to take things for granted, it is nice to know there is someone who truly will be at your side literally.I hope you will also sense the presence of JESUS, He will look after you. Have a GREAT time and enjoy life May God bless you all! Rennie
Justin-Your latest blog is making all of us VERY VERY happy - I don't want to say "I told you so" but I am sure the chemotherapy contributed to your weakness and sick feeling and now during the hard earned respite you should feel better all round! Continue to enjoy your break so you will be stronger by the time you go back to the hospital regime. Love to you and your Mother. A Ellie (and U Selwyn)
what a lovely post!
Justin, so gratified to read your recent messages. We always take things for granted. However, each adversity encountered has made me ponder and reflect on values and priorities. Most importantly, it brings me closer to God as I believe that through faith and prayers, nothing is impossible with God. We should always be thankful and count our blessings everyday. Enjoy your week at home and eat well so that you will be much stronger for the third round of chemo. We continue to pray for you constantly and pray that you will also feel His presence and healing. Love to you and your Mom.Gu Ma Betty
Dear Justin, Truly enjoyed reading your blog. Thank you so much for letting us walking down your memory lane with you. I would love to have a sip of your yujacha =), . Most unlikely that your Mum can get you some xiaolong bao as good as DinTaiFung's in Hartford, but maybe you and your Mum can make some soup-filled jiaozi together instead. They are tasty and easy to swallow and digest. Recently I have them every other day and I get fat. :-)Today is Sunday I went to church this morning and said a long long prayer for you---May God bless you rishly and may you always feel Hispresence.Have a wonderful day! Lots of love to you and your Mum.
Hey Just-just...Shall we also send you some soba? Glad to hear you are feeling better... V
sounds like you're having a good week so far! i just got back to HK from Yunnan to see my grandma, hope you can Kaori can take a tour all over China soon!
This post makes me want to find some yujacha here in DC. Keep your spirits up and keep fighting! Here is some music from some of my favorite bands,Arctic Monkeys - From the Ritz to the Rubble (Live)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkOkhhXVUh0The Black Keys - Strange Timeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJA330yZV0&ob=av3nAnd here is a cool article on sustainability and design innovation,http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/articles/2010/fall/52109/how-sustainability-fuels-design-innovation/Just thought I should try to keep you busy!