The Original Blonde Asian

A lot of people ask me why and how I got so interested in Asian culture. I actually have been really crazy about all things Asia since I was a little girl. My dad lived in Japan for 2 years and still speaks a little Japanese and used to talk about it and I think first sparked my interest in Asia. Of course when you are 6 or 7 you don't really differentiate between the different Asian cultures (so unpolitically correct- I know- but it was true for me). As I got I became more interested in China and Chinese culture and jumped at the chance to study Mandarin Chinese in high school. I still maintain a deep interest for all Asian cultures and recently I have found myself particularly fascinated with all things Japanese. 


I have always loved Japanese and Chinese food and when I was little my favorite thing to do with my dad was have a "daddy-daughter" date and go to a giant Japanese superstore and have a delicious Japanese lunch and then I got to pick out a cool Japanese toy.  It always was a toy related to the original Blonde Asian herself...Sailor Moon.

I loved, loved, LOVED the Sailor Moon show - it was the only thing I would ever wake up early for. In my old diaries I wrote about what was happening in Sailor Moon's life and speculated about what was going to happen next. I also had a huuuge crush on Tuxedo Mask. I still have a deep affection for Sailor Moon and feel a little bit of a kinship with her- blonde girls who live in Asia and love it. That is pretty much where the similarities stop (no moon crystal wand or talking cats for me) but I still smile whenever I think of Sailor Moon and credit the show for helping inspire my love of Asian culture. Sailor Moon also really inspired my early love for fantasy and sci-fi fiction and stories.


I just booked a trip to Japan in January and can't wait to go to eat the amazing food and soak up the culture. This one's for you Sailor Moon! 

Here's to favorite childhood TV shows. What are some of your favorites? 

"She will never turn her back on a friend...she is the one named Sailor Moon!" 

Dressed up as Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts for a college costume party in 2007

Believe in (or just read) Fairy Tales

Revisit childhood by reading a beloved fairy tale. Or even better, try reading the original version of a classic fairy tale. Most are definitely not for kids. My university even offered a course on fairy tales. These stories have been around for a long time, and with good reason. A good fairy tale is captivating, filled with danger, beauty, and adventure. Everyone knows the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, who are wonderful story tellers, but don't forget lesser known but equally talented Charles Perrault, who gave us gems such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Puss in Boots.

Reading fairy tales will spark your imagination, perhaps even inspire creativity, and of course entertain you. And they don't take too long to read, which is a bonus in the fast paced world we live in today.

Here are a few of my favorites. Some are household names thanks to Disney, and others are a little more obscure. All are told with vivid detail and are fantastically transportive. For brevity's sake I am sticking to Western fairy tales, I'll save some of my favorite Chinese and African fairy tales for another post.Take an afternoon and fall into a fairy tale.
The Little Mermaid- Hans Christian Anderson
Wild Swans- Hans Christian Anderson
Cinderella-Charles Perrault
The Frog Prince- The Brothers Grimm (I am really excited for the Disney version of this!)
The Twelve Dancing Princesses- The Brothers Grimm
The Steadfast Tin Soldier- Hans Christian Anderson
The Selfish Giant- Oscar Wilde
Beauty and the Beast- Jeanne- Marie Leprince de Beaumont

And that's your daily good thing!

Lost in a Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale

(also known as the Appalachian Trail)

Once upon a time...
(Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany)