I come from a family of 26 cousins spread out across 3 continents, and we hold two things to the highest importance: reunions, and food. "Dumpling Night" is a must at family get-togethers, and we crowd around the island counter in my eldest aunt's kitchen and make hundreds and hundreds little meat-and-vegetable filled dough pockets, called "jiao zi" (when boiled) or "guotie" (when panfried). I've been making these beauties, my favorite food, since I was five, and if there is anything that sums up family into one neat package, it's fried in oil and filled with pork and cabbage.
My One True Home will always be in a small, backwoods town in northern Vermont on the 50 acres of fields dotted with a classic red barn and white saltbox house my aunt owns. There's not much else to say here-- I grew up spending the whole summer there, and I love the wide open spaces and endless outdoors activity (no wifi, no cable, and cell phone reception only in one particular corner of one particular window in the living room). I mean, look at the picture. You can't beat that view-- and it isn't even the best one.
Three years ago, my family moved to Dunedin, New Zealand. Talk about "identity shaping experiences". It is an amazing country, and I often wish I had retained enough of my accent to claim ownership to it. If you ever have the opportunity to visit-- do!!
Great to learn more about you. I'm so curious--why did your family move all the way out to New Zealand? Do you stay with other family now?
ReplyDeleteKelley, thanks for sharing! The photo of the dumplings made me hungry :) I loved viewing your photos of home, too. They were beautiful. Like Brian, I'm curious about your family's move to New Zealand. Where did you live before you moved there?
ReplyDeleteMegan and Brian-- my father is a professor and so we were only there temporarily, about 8 months, for his work. I am (actually) from Columbus, and my whole family lives here.
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