PRgal

I thought tanning first came into fashion when Coco Chanel went home after vacation with a tan. That would have been in the 20s some time.

When Jessica mentioned the country club, I was thinking the so-called "Five Cs" that some new money/aspirationally wealthy Singaporeans refer to. The 5 Cs are: Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condominium and Country Club membership.

But didn't Eddie want "normal American" food like the other kids? It's very common for children of immigrants - especially those from more traditional food households (i.e. not mine).

Teenage George would be away at boarding school and possibly a teen Sybbie and Marigold as well (this was the generation where transition began - some girls were still taught at home while others went to school), so there would be no kids. Anyway, I really doubt this would happen.

LOL at Mary looking like the undead. Were people still keeping that pale in 1924? When did tanning come into fashion?

Sometimes it's hard to diagnose. I thought I had celiac, but bloodwork indicated otherwise. Doctors now think it's a yeast thing or maybe even certain grains/starchy foods (since I can't really handle potatoes or rice if there's too much of it). I can most definitely do cheese, yogurt and regular milk if it's not too much - probably more than most Asians.

That is so true. My parents are from Hong Kong and they have NOT said "I love you" to me since I was five. It's Just. Not. Done. And it doesn't mean that they DON'T love me. They do! And because of that, I am EXTREMELY uncomfortable with hugging unless I know the person well. Contrast this with my husband's Big Jewish Family. Holidays with his side can be VERY UNCOMFORTABLE for me. That said, I did not find anything awkward about that scene. Donk's moment with Edith is probably more than what A LOT of dads - especially aristocratic dads - would have done at that time. There's a bit of generational change too. Notice that there's more affection between the Mary, Tom and Edith with their kids than Donk/Cora had with Mary, Edith and the late Sybil.

The vibe I got from the old people in the video was that they were trying to be polite rather than stating their mind. They're saying one thing but thinking something else.

I'm not sure where this should go, but I have a question. When did addressing one's parents transition from Mama (or rather, the French Maman as it sounds to my ears)/Papa to Mummy and Daddy in the UK?

Like I said, I never took 100% Chinese style food to school. It was always more western or fusion of some kind. And my parents are immigrants from Hong Kong. Then again, my parents aren't really all that traditional. In fact, many people who came as 20somethings around the time my parents did (early-mid 1970s) - especially well-educated white collar workers - don't care THAT much. Beyond basics like Chinese style roast chicken, steamed foods, stir fries and simple dumplings, I don't think I know how to make anything else. My grandmother didn't even teach me how to cook ("a lady shouldn't be in the kitchen" - she thought that I'd ruin my hands). These days, the meals I make at home are mostly western or fusion-y and my favourite comfort foods are grilled cheese, REAL mac and cheese (not the cr@p from a box. I wasn't even allowed to eat that stuff as a kid) and rice (or these days, quinoa, spelt or polenta) with Bologese sauce (still haven't made my grandmother's recipe...yes, the same grandmother who said that I shouldn't be in the kitchen).

Around here, FOB could also mean "label whore"/OTT designerwear (people who buy luxury brands because it's the brand, not because it's nice-looking). They tend to love monogrammed logos which I avoid like the plague.

Apologies for the shameless self promo: I just wrote another blog post on being a child of immigrants. Thoughts on this? Or am I, as I noted, just an "over-privileged brat?"

That's how The Last Post sounds. You call this "peppy?"

With all the talk about the Dowager and the Prince, I'm surprised nothing has been posted on HER thread! Anyway, if the Prince wanted them to be lovers, I wonder if they ever talked about it back in the day...if they even...kissed.

Today's "person day" according to the Chinese New Year schedule (aka "Humankind's birthday") so I made spaghetti with mushrooms and turkey breast. The long pasta is supposed to symbolize longevity.

My husband is Jewish and it took a while before his mom accepted us. The first time I went to his hometown, I stayed in a hotel and he had to sneak around! His friends knew about us, of course. Note: His sister married a non-Jew and even THEN, there were rabbis who turned them down. They ended up with a country club wedding with a very hippie-looking rabbi (this was 2008 or so. And yes, if you told me that 60-something woman was at Woodstock back in the day, I'd believe you) co-officiating with a minister. I don't know why they just didn't opt for a non-religious officiant.

But many did not have parents who died while the child was still a baby.

Oh I like your story! But how does Larry deal with his stepmom? Guess a-holes will always be a-holes. In my ending, Sybbie is still alive in 2015 and in her 90s (we're looking at 94 or so, right?). She had a full life, working as a nurse during WWII and had three children. Sadly, one was born with special needs and like many SN kids in the 1940s, was institutionalized and died very young. This was heartbreaking for Sybbie. She goes on to have healthy twins, but always acknowledges her first born. Sybbie currently lives in an assisted living home and enjoys visits from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. George dies in the mid 1950s due to the effects of the war (PTSD), but married and had two kids, both boys. Unfortunately, son number one died of a drug overdose shortly after he became of age and the younger son was one of the early victims of AIDS in the 80s. No heir was able to be located and the title is dormant. Marigold moves to California after World War Two. Her husband was a script writer for sitcoms and was never home and had a sketchy past. Think of him as a west coast Don Draper. They had one child. After her divorce, she moves east to New York and was one of the first employees of Helen Gurley Brown's revamped Cosmopolitan. She does not remarry and lives a happy life. She lives long enough to see her grandson marry and the birth of her great-granddaughter in 2009. Marigold died in 2010.

The Hong Kongers in my family (i.e. people who didn't emigrate) abstains from meat on the first day and usually eats jai (here's a post with a picture from a few years ago). Since I just didn't feel like cooking today, I decided to have a salad at lunch (along with a Tall Blossoming Peach tea latte from Starbucks (not sure if US Starbucks is selling this during Chinese New Year, but Canadian ones (at least in certain markets like Toronto and Vancouver) are. It's a little sweet and indulgent, so I went with no whip and half the syrup) and then mac and cheese with broccoli for dinner.

Though I was in high school during that time, I'm actually not 100% familiar with the music so far. During that time, it was either (new) country (and probably the only Chinese person in Toronto to actually enjoy it, like I'm probably (one of) the only Chinese Canadians under 50 (and NOT a tai tai from Hong Kong or Singapore) who reads Town & Country) or artists like Sarah McLachlan (and slightly later, Jewel). Country and Lilith are weird combinations, huh?

Happy New Year! I'm a goat! My mom and I are going to the opera tonight. We aren't going to have any family celebrations until the weekend when we go to a revolving restaurant for our annual "spin of prosperity."

But with the servants becoming rich, who'll help them? They'll probably starve before even making it to the 1950s.

Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday, so I'm making (polenta) pancakes to go with beef stew and broccoli. Looks like I can't truly give up too much over the first few days of Lent, since the Lunar/Chinese New Year starts on Thursday!

I was born in Canada, have immigrant parents (Hong Kong) and people can't seem to place me, either! Guys I've gone out with think I have hints of British (what does that mean? I mean, there are many different British accents) for some weird reason. I did live in Bermuda for a year and sang in choirs during middle school and high school with British choir directors.

Question: Did they really say Kin-NAY-Mah (opposed to sin-nay-mah) back then? That's what I thought I heard.