Because I have had only three hours sleep; because son and friend are arriving tonight from Cal Poly; because I have to teach six hours on Monday, grade papers all weekend, and then rush to Lamon at Bisyo Salon (where am expected to be provocative, raunchy and entertaining) at the Bayanihan Center on Sunday; because I have to pick up Dearest Mum from the airport Monday night after my 6 PM class ends, and then bring her to Fave Tito’s house in Daly City; because I have to pick up Dearest Mum on Tuesday and take her shopping and then bring her back to Fave Tito’s house Tuesday night; because I have to arrange a weekend trip to Carmel for Dearest Mum and niece on Mar. 31-Apr. 1; because I have to be in San Diego for Laurie Okuma Memorial Reading on Apr. 5; because I have to meet friends at Buddhist Temple in San Francisco on Holy Saturday; because Sunday Apr. 8 is Easter Sunday; because Monday, Apr. 9 is start of spring quarter at xxxxx community college and I stupidly agreed to teach two 4-unit classes; because, after meeting said classes once, have to wing it to Hawaii for another reading; because of all the above, I cannot revise my novel.
Think each and any of the above are pretty good reasons for writer’s block, wouldn’t you agree, dear blog reader?
So, since I have been hoarding the below information (on Chinese restaurants in Saginaw, Michigan) for use in a particular chapter of said (as yet purely theoretical) novel, herewith bequeath such information to all and sundry, for your possible use in your own novels (were you to plan to write a novel set in Saginaw, Michigan):
Chinese Restaurant # 1:
Panda House is the upscale Chinese restaurant in Saginaw — run by a Chinese woman and her (Chinese) husband. Interesting: the owners are Asian, but all the waitstaff are blonde waitresses who have been there forever. Great food. The space used to be, I think, some other type of restaurant or club. It’s in the older part of town, right on the Saginaw River (which, I have heard, is the only river besides the Nile that runs north – south), but the river isn’t that pretty (at least at that juncture) so there’s not really a view. Panda House was very nice — antiques, grand piano, pretty nice decor.
Chinese Restaurant # 2:
Forbidden City is in a strip mall. The usual very tacky heavy red and black decorating theme. No natural light (all indirect flourescent). Windows blocked off by heavy red and white curtains. Old wall-to-wall industrial black and red carpeting, wallpaper of Chinese characters, red and black circular booths, room divided into smoking and non-smoking. Old, old menus. Up front at the cash register, where people pick up their take-out orders, a display case with gum and cigarettes and weird knicknacks — dolls, cars, lucky cats, chopsticks. Also has a back room where, presumably, private parties and receptions are held. Some Chinese waiters, some pimply teen-age types. “Red pop” can be obtained there (sickly sweet/ carbonated). Moo Goo Gai Pan is there referred to as “Snow White Chicken.” Hot mustard and sweet-sour sauce on all the tables.
All I ask, dear blog reader, is that if you do end up using the above information on Chinese restaurants in Saginaw, you acknowledge having received such from self, will be of great use — I can’t tell you how much — in upping self’s name recognition factor, which as we all know, dear blog reader, is necessary pre-requisite to fame, fortune, riches, happiness, equilibrium, a steady mental state, and production of books about rich, happy, well-adjusted and forceful Filipinas which will (surely) mark Filipino writers’ (third, after Jessica’s and Tess’s) entry into New York Times bestseller list-dom.
