Year of the Ox

It's the Year of the Ox! For all those who follow the Lunar New Year calendar, this past Monday was probably a night of nine-course suppers, rowdy family gatherings and ingestion of free-flowing amounts of booze.

This year has been a tumultuous one, especially with the recent economic crisis leaving hundreds of thousands unemployed and recent graduates scampering for jobs (yours truly included). On a more upbeat note, the swearing-in of our new President, Barack Obama, has lifted spirits from a black hole gloom that has shadowed the Bush administration over the past eight years. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Obama can fulfill all the promises he made, but he's off to a positive start. However, this blog isn’t about Obama. Or politics, for that matter (unless it involves food and drink).

Today represents my very first Heiwa Peas blog post. Why the name "Heiwa Peas"? Well, heiwa means "peace" in Japanese, and peace is a homonym for the English word "peas" -- so consider it a play on words, combining an abstract ideal (peace) with a more concrete reality (peas = food). More importantly, this is a food blog meant to describe and illustrate all the savory edibles that tickle my palate, emphasizing cultural diversity and risk-taking in matters of the stomach. Although I don't claim to cure world hunger, my hope is to spread peace and multicultural understanding through gastronomy. One post at a time. It might seem simplistic, but everyone's got to eat.

Let the sunshine in!

(Pictures to come, once my blog stops flashing me the "Error" message.)