This past weekend my friend Steph and I visited our college friend Becky in Seattle. On Saturday after a six-mile hike at Squak Mountain State Park, we decided to have Vietnamese for lunch back in the city. Becky took us the International District where there is strip mall after strip mall of Asian restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores. I thought we were going to a casual café; however, we ended up at one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the city, Tamarind Tree. Entering the restaurant, I noticed that the patrons were mostly Vietnamese, a sign to me that the food must be good and authentic. We were seated on the outside patio, which looked like a hidden oasis. It was sheltered by bamboo trees and decorated in an Asian motif.

For lunch, we started with spring rolls that were filled with steamed prawns, fresh herbs and rice noodles and served with a side of peanut sauce. To drink I had kumquat soda with fresh kumquats, a very refreshing beverage. For my main dish, I ordered Bun Bo Hue, a spicy noodle soup with large round rice noodle in anchovy broth with seafood and pork slices served with fresh bean sprouts, shredded morning glory and banana blossoms. At first I was a little reluctant because the seafood and pork slices reminded me of sliced spam. However, I focused on the taste, not the look, which helped me enjoy my meal. I found the dish to be very flavorful and not too light or heavy, which was perfect after a nice workout. This was probably my third time eating Vietnamese food. I have yet to be disappointed and want to continue to explore new dishes.

Throughout my trip, we sampled other great ethnic cuisines, including Mexican fish tacos and Japanese sushi, and explored fun local neighborhoods, from Queen Anne to Pike Market. There is so much to do and see in Seattle. I can’t wait to go back to eat at more local restaurants, sample more Washington wines, visit more areas, and catch up with good friends.

On Friday evening, I attended Lina and Paul’s fusion wedding that blended East and West spirituality: Hindu, Native American, Unitarian and Earth-blessings. Why so much diversity? Well, Paul, a Caucasian, lived in New Mexico and learned to appreciate Native American culture, as did Lina through a trip last fall. In addition, Lina and Paul, members of All Souls Church (Unitarian), met through the Green Souls program, which focuses on environmental issues. Therefore, their ceremony truly reflected the combination of their spiritual beliefs and their passions.

The wedding celebration took place at Woodend Nature Sanctuary – Audubon Naturalist Society, a symbolic location for the bride and groom. The evening started in a small garden with a concert of Native American music. By 7PM, all guests arrived, and the wedding began on time. Throughout the entire ceremony, explanations were given for each ritual, which gave me a better understanding and a sense of engagement.

Processional and Opening – the wedding started off like most Christian weddings where the groom came in first to wait on his bride’s arrival. However, the bride’s entrance was completely different than what I expected. Lina did not come in after a procession of bridesmaids; instead, the women in her family surrounded her and led her into the garden area. If you recall, I was with Lina a month ago when she selected her dress. I cried then but was way more emotional this time. Lina looked stunning and so in the moment; I was incredibly happy for her.

Once the bride and groom were together, their mothers welcomed their child’s future spouse. Lina’s mom presented Paul a candle on a decorated copper tray, and Paul’s mom placed her hands on Lina’s face and whispered something personal in her ear. Reverend Green of All Souls Church welcomed everyone, which was followed by the fathers giving garlands to their child’s future spouse to signify two souls proclaiming their love and acceptance of each other.

Prayer, Reflections and Pledge – a moving poem written by Paul was read; a reading and reflections were provided; and family and friends gave a pledge of support.

Hindu Ceremonial Rituals & Wedding Vows – the wedding continued with spiritual rituals that I had never seen before:

Hasta Melap (Blissful Union) – friends of the couple tied Lina and Paul’s right hands together with a shear white scarf to symbol eternal love.

Mengal Fera (Holy Circumambulation) – while the scarf was still tied to them, a small fire on the ground was made in front of them. Depending on the faith, the fire can signify spark of life, Universal witness, Earth symbol, sustenance, Spirit and the presence of God. At that time, Lina’s parents made offerings to sustain the fire, and then Lina and Paul walked around it in commitment to the four sacred Hindu wedding vows:

Dharma – walking in the highest path of good, towards each other, their families, society and the Universe

Artha – generating and receiving with joy the abundance of the Universe.

Karma – celebrating life, love respect and passion in life.

Moksha – taking the journey of spiritual growth and evolution.

Next, Lina’s brother reads Saptapadi, which are the seven steps the couple will take to symbolize the seven pillars of marriage: receiving abundance; physical health; spiritual growth; love, gratitude and support; service; intellectual and personal growth; and truth and loyalty.

Afterwards, Paul presented Lina with a Mangual Sutra, a sacred necklace, to symbolize his love for her.

Personal Vows and Pronouncement – Lina and Paul read emotional and loving vows to one another before they exchanged rings. They were pronounced husband and wife, which was followed by a passionate kiss and a blessing by the parents.

Afterwards, another blessing was made though a circle of love by family and friends. This is where the parents circled Lina and Paul and placed one hand their shoulders. Next, their immediate family placed their hands on the shoulders of the parents, followed by the rest of us circling the family and placing our hands on the shoulders of the family. This powerful and energizing gesture showed Lina and Paul that we support and love them. What an incredible and spiritual moment.

After the ceremony, we partied all night long. There was a cocktail hour, a dinner with both American and Indian food and dancing to American and Bollywood music. I had a blast and enjoyed the friendly group of family and friends. Lina and Paul perfectly fused together their cultures for this special occasion. Their spirit and love for the earth and one another is so incredible that I have no doubt that there love is everlasting.

Congratulations to you both!

After more than a year, we finally got our weekly yoga session at work back up and running. Some may think that yoga is not a cultural experience; however, it originated in ancient India and focuses on the physical, mental and spiritual well being. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “Yuj,” which means to yoke, join or unite. While yoga is not a religious activity, it is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Yoga comes in many forms and is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures and meditation. For our lunch session, we watched a beginner Gaiam DVD featuring Robert Yee, a well-known yoga instructor. Instructor Yee took us through a 50-minute workout where we held several poses, including the Namaste position. As a reminder, Namaste translates to  “I greet the god within you” or “I bow (respectfully) to you” and is said during a customary greeting by pressing your palms together close to your chest. The music on the DVD is new age, a form of music influenced by Indian, Tibetan and Native American cultures. It’s the sort of music one would hear at a spa or mediation retreat.

By the end of this session, we all felt relaxed and ready for a nap, but projects and meetings were calling our names. Luckily, this session reenergized us to power through the rest of the day and allowed us to better focus on the tasks at hand.

If you want to try this ancient Indian ritual, I encourage you to take a yoga class at your local gym or use a DVD at home. And if you want to try yoga right now, watch this online video.

A few months ago, after lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, a colleague told me about other local Asian restaurants for my blog. In particular, she pointed out Jumbo Jumbo Bubble Express, a Chinese restaurant that sells bubble tea. To her surprise, I had never heard of bubble tea so I promised to add it to my list of cultural things to try.

Well, it’s 95 degrees outside so I thought today was a good day to drink bubble tea. As I looked at the menu, I noticed a selection of iced flavored tea and milk tea that came in twenty varieties, including honey, mango, sour apple, peach, honeydew and blueberry. I was a little overwhelmed with the selection, plus there was no heading for bubble tea. I really needed help so I asked the server several questions. She informed me that all of the teas listed were bubble tea and that the milk flavor was more popular. Therefore, I decided on the passion fruit milk tea.

Another person behind the counter heard my order, shook something up and presented my tea in a clear cup with a sealed top. The chilled tea was a caramel color with a bunch of brown little balls on the bottom. They told me to take one of the large straws, punch it in the top and drink. As I drank the tea, the small balls came through the straw. They tried to explain that the balls were made of caramel and had a consistency of gummy bears. At every sip, I was forced to chew on these gummy balls, which tasted like Mascoto grapes, not my favorite. I tried to drink only the liquid, but the flavor of the caramel balls kept coming through.

While I did not love the drink, I was still curious about the tea so I went online. On bubbletea.com and Wikipedia, I learned that bubble tea is also called boba tea and originated in Taiwan. The drink has five components: a flavor (syrup or powder), creamer (milk, creamer or half & half), sweetener (sugar or honey), liquid (black or green tea) and tapioca pearls (the balls). The Tapioca pearls are jelly like and consist of caramel, starch and chamomile root extract or sweet potato, cassava root and brown sugar. The popularity of bubble tea in Taiwan and Hong Kong are just as big as soda and coffee in the U.S.

So do I recommend you try bubble tea too? Most definitely! It’s an interesting drink and worth the cultural experience.