Chiq Boutique » my neighborhood

Turkey Vultures

Chiqui — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:48:37 +0000

While straightening up in my room, I found the book “Sightings” (by Sam Keen, published by Chronicle Books) peeking out from under my bed. Seated on the floor with my back leaning on the side of the bed, I picked up where I had left off. I came upon a section entitled “Turkey Vultures”. It thrilled me to realize that the illustration and the descriptions of the bird were very familiar to me. Two weeks ago, while hiking around the lake at the Santa Fe Dam and Recreation Area, I saw a large black bird perched on top of a tree. It took to the skies as I crept closer with my camera. “O, so it’s not a crow on steroids,” I mused. Crows are smaller and black all over, but this one had a whitish/gray coloring under its outstretched wings, which contrasted dramatically with its black wing linings. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from its powerful white-tipped pinions. Never before had I seen a bird like that in flight. With its wingspan around five feet in length, it looked majestic up in the sky, almost like a haughty monarch surveying his kingdom. When I had reached the other side of the lake, it glided close enough for me to see that it had a red featherless head, reminding me of a turkey, and a white curved beak. I’ve been wondering, for days, what kind of bird it was. Now I know. Thanks to Sam Keen. I did say that I was going to find more gems in his book, didn’t I?

Vultures are undeniably impressive when they’re soaring effortlessly through the skies, but they are ugly when they’re on the ground. The fact that they feast on decay is another turn-off. Many consider them to be low class birds, their prestige level being the same as that of garbage collectors. Through the years they have been looked upon as harbingers of doom and death. They’re not very well-liked. Interestingly, however, you will notice that the first part of its scientific name (cathartes aura) means “purifier”, a word that is heavy with positive connotation. It bestows upon this hideous, janitor of a bird, an almost godlike status. When people are dirty and full of sin, gods purify them, making them fit for life again. In the same manner, when the environment is littered with decaying animals, the vulture disposes of them efficiently and keeps diseases contained, making the surroundings conducive to life.

I must admit that I felt some disappointment when it dawned on me that the awe-inspiring bird I had been admiring was nothing more than a carrion-eating vulture. But as I reflected on the meaning of ”cathartes”, I felt ashamed of myself. I had allowed popular perceptions to diminish my appreciation of this creature. The lowly vulture was called a “purifier” because it provides the earth with a valuable and noble service. I really should give this reviled buzzard all the respect that it deserves.

Autumn Show

Chiqui — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:24:28 +0000

One more day and it’ll be October. The trees in our neighborhood have lost their glorious flowers. The crape myrtles, summer’s last holdouts, are fading fast. In our neighbor ‘s yard, the pomegranate blooms have given way to heavy red fruits. The limes are looking tempting and within reach. I might need a few to marinate the tuna steaks that my mother gave me. The guavas seem to be late this year.

Doesn’t matter. I just want to see a eucalyptus.

We used to live in a big apartment complex that was planted with many eucalyptus trees. They must be starting to bloom by now. Back in 2009, I was seated at a playground bench when my daughter, who was just three years old at that time, ran to me with panic in her voice. She was happily playing, minding her own business, when a busy bee decided to join her on her favorite twisty slide. She took my hand and dragged me to see the unwanted playmate. “Talk to it, mom. Talk to it”, she urged me. Before I could give the winged creature a sound scolding, it flew away. We followed it until it went up and over the tall fence, straight to a row of eucalyptus trees in bloom. There it got lost among hundreds of its kind. They were having a bee fiesta! I heard several shrill bird calls. The red flowers attracted hummingbirds, too! I counted three of them darting among the leaves. That was the first time I learned that eucalyptus is a flowering tree.

What a treat! I thought that mother nature was winding down in preparation for winter. Just when I concluded that she had nothing more to show, I saw something that made me think it was springtime all over again. It caught me off guard and filled me with delight.

I stood there, gazing upwards, hoping to catch another glimpse of those fascinating birds. The breeze was blowing towards me and I caught a whiff of…. What was that? Oil of Wintergreen? I breathed in an out for several minutes. Slowly. Deeply. Leisurely. It is not everyday that you get to enjoy refreshing, mentholated air in the city. “So this is what it’s like when the eucalyptus is in its full glory”, I thought.

“Mommy, mommy, talk to the bee”, my daughter cried impatiently as she tugged at my arm. “Hey, leave Tina alone”, I warned threateningly. She nodded in satisfaction and left me for the twisty slide. I went back to sniffing the perfumed air.

I wish I could do that again.

Wild parrots in my neighborhood

Chiqui — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:36:30 +0000

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Where could they possibly be? I catch myself asking that question whenever I see that tree in my neighbor’s yard. It must be around three stories high. I’m sure its branches offer a cool refuge from the scorching San Gabriel Valley summers. This spring, when it flaunted multitudes of pale purple flowers, I noticed their absence.

When I step out in the morning to check on my struggling sunflower seedlings, I always scan the skies hoping to see them. They used to come from the north, everyday at around 8-9 AM. They announced their presence with loud flapping wings and equally loud cries. A large flock of birds, numbering by the hundreds, would fly over our house and head straight to that big tree. There’d be no straggler lingering in nearby rooftops, not even in Jaime’s yard that boasts of pomegranates, guavas, apples, and limes. They’d roost in the branches of that big tree and leave after a while. They’d come back in the evening, around 6-7 PM, flying in from the north, where the mountains are.

I saw one bird up close when I was going down Olive St. in Temple City. It was part of a flock that had the same loud squawks and flapping wings. It was yellow green with a tiny red dot at the bottom part of each wing. I remember a thick, curved beak. Parrots? No. Not in suburban Southern California. Parrots are tropical forest creatures! I searched the internet for information about these birds. I came up with nothing. Finally, desperate for answers, I typed in my initial seemingly far-fetched suspicion: PARROTS IN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. I hit the jackpot. They were indeed parrots!

Urban legends have sprung up around their origins. Stories say there was once an aviary that caught fire and the owners released them in order to save them. Some say it was a really pet store that caught fire. Another website explained that many pet-owners discovered that parrots don’t make good pets so they were let go. It is said that there are as many as 10 species living in the wild and that a breed has emmerged that’s found only in California. What’s really ironic is that these birds, that are endangered in their original home, are fast becoming a pest in Northern America. Interesting turn of events.

They fascinate me. I know many people complain about them, but that doesn’t bother me. I miss looking up when they descend from the skies. I miss that feeling of awe in my heart, that rare look of childlike wonder on my overworked husband’s face when he sees them, and the excitement in my children’s voices when they point at them.

The pale purple flowers have turned even paler. They’ve started falling to the ground. The tree’s teeny tiny fruits, that taste like dates, are starting to shrivel up. The parrots have been away for two seasons. When are they coming back? It’ll be summer soon.

Exploring Santa Fe Dam

Chiqui — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:16:06 +0000

January 6 was a Thursday. The rains have stopped. T’was not too cold. Nice day to be out. I had my money ready for the parking fee at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Center in Irwindale, but when we got to the gate, there was nobody there. We got in for free. Great.They don’t charge on weekdays. No crowds. No car noises. No out of tune big brass bands practising. Just a lot of quacking and honking.

Armed with a few gelatin treats, my kids and I hiked the 6.5 mile perimeter of the man-made lake. As usual, my son did what he does best: whine. I am tired. I am thirsty. I am itchy. Are you sure this place is safe? Why can’t we go somewhere else?

“Do you know how to skip stones on the water?”, I asked. He looked confused. So I told him that it was time for him to learn how to do it. They started hunting for flat stones. The whining subsided.

Handing him a pair of binoculars, I asked him to tell me about the birds on the lake. He liked being in charge of that gadget. He puffed out his chest and peered into those lenses like an explorer. We noticed that the Canada Geese were no longer around. There were new visitors though. They were all assembled far away on the opposite bank, but even then I could tell right away that they were cormorants. These black water fowls like to to stand motionless for long periods of time and stretch their wings while basking in the sun. I wonder if they ever get tired. Last summer I saw a crowd of pristine white herons landing on some bushes. I was intrigued because I always thought of them as solitary creatures. I had hoped to see them up close as a group and find out whether they could also be as boisterous as the geese and the ducks. No luck. On this particular day I only saw one. It was too far and too quick for me to get a decent picture.

The park vegetation was not very pretty. Hopefully it will be when spring comes. Only two colors greeted our eyes: drab browns and tired greens. There was this one and only cluster of vibrant daffodils that broke the monotonous view. Excitedly, I recited a line from a favorite poem: I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high over vales and hills. when all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils.

Somebody must have thrown some bulbs here and the plant must have thickened through the years. These are not a natural part of the chaparral landscape of Southern California. A bright idea popped up in my head….. I will buy some flower seeds, make a seed bomb and scatter them around the park. When the plants grow and blossom, other hikers will feel the same pleasure I felt when I chanced upon these lovely things.

My kids loved this unique playground. It had a large jungle gym made of thick nylon ropes. My little girl scampered up and made her way to its trampoline center . There was also a modified monkey bar where you have to hang on to a handle and glide down.

This was not a nice day for taking photos. The sun was playing hide and seek among the clouds. This picture would have been better if there was more light. I like those blue posts by the water’s edge. They liven up the dull winter scenery. If you study it closely, you will see a seagull perched like a sentry on several posts. I can’t really understand why there’d be seagulls here. We’re too far from the coast. The background is my most favorite part. Snowcapped peaks. We live in the shadow of the San Gabriel mountain range. Everytime I step out of my home it beckons me to look up. Takes my breath away….always. And automatically I murmur a “Thank you” to my creator.

3 AM Food Thoughts

Chiqui — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:53:58 +0000

3 AM. I am cooking. Crazy day ahead. I look up and see this can of wasabi and soy sauce almonds on the kitchen shelf. I know I bought it for my husband to snack on while at work, but I wonder what it tastes like. Like sushi maybe. So I open it up. Not bad. I can’t stop eating, in fact. The wasabi kick, which makes sushi-eating such an adventure, is there. Enuff to sting your nasal passages, but not potent enuff to burn your sinuses and make you want to bang your head. Which reminds me…..

Wasabi mango is one chocolate concoction I can’t get off my mind. See that chocolate-filled plate above? The square one with the green and yellow stripes – that’s the wasabi mango chocolate. My god! Who would have thought that the perfect accompaniment to raw fish would taste just as good with chocolate and a fruit. Another knockout flavor is the chili apricot. It’s the one with the orange square design on it. A year ago I tasted the Lindt Cherry Chili chocolate bar. It was okey, but the chili was almost imperceptible. If you eat it like a pig, you would hardly notice its presence. But this one… Whew! When you bite into it, the first thing you notice is the sweetness of the apricot. And just right after you say “So where’s the chili?”, you feel its unmistakable warmth spreading down your throat.

And the best thing about my newly discovered gustatory pleasure is that it’s being made just a block away from where I live. They come from a store called L’ Artisan de Chocolat. What a surprise! Our area is not exactly the best piece of real estate around. Just yesterday the police had closed off several streets because of a robbery that took place two blocks away. Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace. Two police helicopters were circling close to our apartment. Black and white cars are a common sight here. You’d never, for a moment, think that this could be a place for an award-winning chocolatier. Beverly Hills maybe, but not Koreatown.

I feel like giving myself a knock on the head. This place has been around for six years and I learned about it only last month. First week of November – the kids and I drove beyond First and Virgil. Just a few feet away from that intersection, maybe five to ten feet away from that Korean nightclub that we see all the time, was a small brick storefront. French flag hanging above the doorway. ”L Artisan De Chocolat” , I read the sign in my best french-sounding voice. I pointed it out to my son and suggested that we check it out the following week.

The store is actually bigger inside. There’s a small area for displaying their wares. Most of the space is used as a workshop. When we came in, a friendly gentleman with a french accent greeted us. He was making chocolates with a Korean lady. I learned, when I visited their website, that they are a husband and wife team, trained in a French culinary school. Their work has earned them many awards. Mostly they supply restaurants and hotels. Hotel Sofitel of Beverly Hills is just one of their famous clients.

ginger, korean garlic, and olive

Since this discovery I know I won’t be stopping by the Godiva chocolate store anymore. These candies are just as expensive as Godiva, but not as sweet. Their flavors are extremely adventurous. First time I was in the store, my heart was racing and I couldn’t stop grinning. Inside their display case was a wealth of chocolate combinations I’ve never even thought possible. Hibiscus (Gumamela), rose, bacon, kumquat, tomato, pumpkin, rosemary. OMG! I remembered Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Jelly Beans in the Harry Potter novel. What are they gonna come up with next? Booger and pencil shavings flavor? My son and my mother rave about the Korean Garlic. I haven’t tasted it, but it’s next on my list.

hibiscus, melon, and tomato

Grandpa and Baby Girl

Chiqui — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:01:38 +0000

Took these pictures of an old Korean shopkeeper and a little girl that he was probably babysitting for the day. Couldn’t resist it. They gave me an early morning laugh. I went into his store on the corner of Third and Vermont streets to have a key duplicated. I also wanted an adjustment on my watch bracelet. While the laconic old man went behind the counter , the little girl went around the store like a tornado in pink and stripes, opening shelves and turning on musical toys. Seeing her grandfather working on my watch , she also got some tools and started pounding away on a low bench, glancing at him from time to time just to make sure she was doing it right. Funny girl! When it was time for me to go, she hurriedly snatched a few of her grandpa’s merchandise and gave them to me. This girl enjoys playing shop just as much as I did when I was small.

Flashback: 1975-1979, Riverside Bakery. Me, Bambi, Ritchie, Michi, Rikki. Tearing up bags of candies being sold by my Lola – Love, Snow Bear, Kendi Mint, White Rabbit. Setting up shop by the fence just a few feet away from my Lola’s bakery. Calling out to passersby to come and buy our purloined candies. My poor grandmother never complained. How could she have been so tolerant?