My first blog entry will be to tell you about a cross culture learning experience I had when I was only 10 years old.

I spent the first 10 years of my life in Taiwan, a country I still fondly remember as home. Growing up in Taiwan I learned Chinese manners. I learned that if you are visiting someone and they offer you something you should always refuse. In fact you should refuse at least two or three times before reluctantly accepting what is offered.

I was visiting my grandmother in America. I had newly arrived in the country from Taiwan. My grandmother produced the biggest box of assorted chocolates I had ever seen in my life. My eyes got big. My stomach began immediately anticipating the delicacy. My grandmother approached me with the box. Dutifully, like the good Chinese (on the inside) that I was, I politely refused.

I was absolutely horrified when she quietly turned away and put the box on the shelf. I struggled to not burst into tears. She never asked me a second time!!!!!! How could that be?!?!?!? Why????? Was it that she really didn't want me to have the chocolate???? Was she just trying to be polite offering me just once???? My child's mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it all. My devastation knew no bounds.

It was not until much later that I learned that in America they have a different culture, a different way of expressing manners. In America people never refuse.....even once....when they are offered something, if they truly want it. They say, "Yes, thank you."

That was a lesson I will remember until the day I die. My grandmother is no longer alive. She never knew how devastated I was. She probably never even remembered the incident......the incident that is tatooed into my memory forever.

Ethnic Recipes

I love ethnic foods. I love to try to make them....to say nothing of eating them. Here is one of my favorite recipes.

Please add yours.

Pulla (Finnish sweet bread)

1 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
2-2 1/3 cup flour

Cool scalded milk until it is warm. Dissolve yeast in it. Beat the eggs lightly, add to the milk. Add salt and 1 cup flour. Beat the dough well.

Add melted butter and 1 cup flour. Beat well. Add sugar, cardamom, and raisins, if used. Knead in the flour. Use 2 cups at first, and add more flour in very small portions, if necessary. The dough should feel soft and elastic to the hand, and never be too hard. Knead well until the dough makes smacking sounds when you pull out your knuckles, about 20 minutes.

On baking board, divide the dough into two parts. You may use one part for making small, round rolls. Divide the rest of the dough into three equal parts, roll them into long strips, and make a braid. Put the rolls adn the braidon lightly floured baking sheets. Cover with towels, and let rise in a warm place until well doubled in size. Since the bread is allowed to rise only once it should be done well, about 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the breads with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake rolls 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden. The braid will take 15 to 20 minutes. Take out from the oven, cover with a towel to let them soften, and cool.

Serve warm for breakfast with jam, or with coffee or for dessert with dessert soups. Freeze what you don't eat immediately, because it will dry up quickly, if not frozen. Warm the frozen pulla, wrapped in foil, in the oven.

Yield: 10 rolls and 1 braid

I collect languages.
Here are the numbers one to ten in a variety of languages.

Please add yours.

Note: With some languages I used approximate Americanized spelling. Also I don't have umlauts or other markings on my keyboard. I apologize. Feel free to correct me.

Finnish: yksi, kaksi, kolme, nelja, viisi, kuusi, seitsaman, kahdeksan, yhdeksan, kymmenen

Mandarin Chinese: ee, are, san, se, wo, liu, chee, ba, joe, sure

Toisanese Chinese: yut, nee, thlam, thlee, luk, tut, bot, ngiu, sup

Japanese: ichi, nee, san, she, go, loku, shichi, hatchi, ku, chu

German: eins, zwei, drei, vier, funf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn

Spanish: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez

Hmong: ee, aw, bei, blau, chee, chao, shia, yi, chua, kau

Swedish: ett, tva, tre, fyra, fem, sex, sju, atta, nio, tio