I really like floral patterns, so maybe it’s just me, but isn’t this pair of chopsticks pretty? I bought them at the same Japanese supermarket as the ox.

Despite being proficient at eating with chopsticks, I prefer using forks. They make more sense to me sometimes. Take, for instance, fried rice. Eating it with chopsticks baffles me. When I’m dining at an Asian restaurant and been given a pair of chopsticks, I’ll usually ask a server for a fork. Sacrilege, I know! What do you prefer using at Asian restaurants?

Red envelopes/lucky envelopes (lai see) filled with money are traditionally given to children and unmarried adults on Chinese New Year (and special occasions). Although what’s inside the envelopes is always great, the envelopes themselves can be attractive with their festive colors and designs.

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The red color of the seeds symbolizes good luck, and the seeds mean fertility. I hulled some seeds since I’m a little superstitious. However, I stopped after a few. I know that technically, the seeds are real food. But they’re not my definition of real food.

Chinese New Year falls on January 26, 2009, and it’s the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. As the date approaches, I enjoy visiting Asian stores to see the various decorations, gifts, and food for sale to celebrate the holiday. Although I’m not an ox, that didn’t stop me from buying this item at a Japanese supermarket. It may be the start of a collection; one animal down, eleven to go. Uh, maybe I’d better rethink that collection.

I say Pocky, you say Poki. I’ve heard from some Japanese friends that this snack is pronounced Poki (po-kee) in Japan. See, I’ve been calling it Pocky (paw-kee). And I’m going to continue doing that. (I’m a rebel. Not really.)

Along with its fun name, Pocky is also quite fun to eat, at least for me. My amusement beings when, after taking a few deep chocolate-scented sniffs from a freshly opened pack, I grasp one of the sticks on its biscuit end, and bite into its chocolate-covered end. I chew quickly, because it’s just that good, and move onto the next stick. And the next one. And the next one. I dare you to stop at only one stick. But I rarely finish the pack, preferring to save some chocolate-and-biscuit goodness for another day. (Okay, sometimes my willpower doesn’t last that long.) Have fun.