The other night, while being driven to my sister's apartment in the rain, we passed by a drive-thru espresso stand. Not an uncommon sight in this part of country, but there was something unusual about the woman working inside. I couldn't make out what it was through the rain-covered car window, but as I learned from Karen, the employee was clad only in a bikini. It seems the Pacific Northwest has it own version of Táiwān's 台灣 betel nut girls 檳榔西施 in the form of these bikini coffee babes! Alas, it proved impossible to get a photo. On the other hand, pictures were possible the next day (Saturday, the 5th) at a shopping mall (see below) of another Taiwanese-influenced phenomenon, but I decided not to take any. I'm referring to those women you often see on the streets of Táiwān using what looks like long pieces of thread to clean the pores on the skin of customers' (usually female) faces. In a booth at the Alderwood Mall were women providing the same kind of service, and business looked to be doing well. Later on during our trip we would buy a drink from a bubble tea 珍珠奶茶 stand, while I was surprised to read a review of Táipěi's 臺北 well-known dumpling restaurant, Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐, which has a branch in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue. If I ever return to the States to live, I have a feeling this blog will be dedicated to the search of all things Taiwanese that I may observe in American daily life.
Meanwhile, at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Amber was enjoying being spoiled by her aunt. Karen took her to Build A Bear, where my daughter proceeded to, well, build a teddy bear. She did so by choosing a bear, having it stuffed, fluffing it up with a hair (fur?) dryer, selecting an outfit and accessories, and, finally, naming the bear and receiving an official "birth certificate", all courtesy of my sister's credit card. Amber chose "Danielle" as the bear's moniker, not surprising considering it's one of her two middle names (the other being "Nami" 波). She likes the whole concept so much she's already picked out another design for our next visit!
It may have been in the high 30's/low 40's Fahrenheit outside, with rain falling on-and-off throughout the day, but back at Karen's apartment complex, the heated indoor swimming pool awaited Amber and her second cousins, Kloe and Kyver. The evening ended with a home-cooked Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner courtesy of Amber's auntie, and some obligatory group photos before everyone called it a night. It certainly felt great to be back in the States.
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