Ask me questions in the comments below. I post the answers here.

What are your favorite workouts?

I like walking and yoga. I’ve also done intenSati, zumba, and other random cardio things.  I’ve been practicing yoga regularly since the summer of 2008, but I’ve practiced off and on since high school.  I used to be a dancer (ballet, jazz, tap). Check out my Free Exercise Suggestions for more ideas. My Yoga Page has a lot of free resources as well. I have also recently become obsessed with BodyRock.

Are you vegetarian?

No.  I have been before, but I like fish and meat too much to give them up. I don’t eat meat with every meal, but I don’t cut it out either. I try to stay organic/free-range, but that’s hard to do when you’re in a restaurant. I have been vegetarian off and on since I was about 13 years old. My brother and my sister are both vegetarian and I grew up eating mostly vegetarian meals, so it was never a major switch for me. In the past I’ve been a pescatarian (seafood OK), a vegetarian (no fish/meat), and a vegan (no animal products; I did eat honey).

How tall are you?

I’m 5’10″ on a tall day.  My immediate family is quite tall! My sister is 5’9″ and she is the shortest; my mom is my height; my dad and brother are both 6’4″. (My husband is 6’1″ but the rest of his family is not as tall.)

Can you give me some good yoga recommendations?

Check out my Yoga page.

Clare asks, “For a person who is terrified of raw fish, what would be the “safest” sashimi for that person to try first?”

I had to consult with Bobby on this one.  We decided that both tuna and salmon are probably the mildest fish to start with.  Another way to start would be to get smoked salmon, which isn’t truly raw.  Unagi (eel), my favorite sushi, is not raw either.  After you tackle tuna and salmon, move onto crazier things!

Sophia asks, “what is your favorite cuisine?”

This is so hard!  I would have to say that in general, I love ALL Asian food… but my favorite is definitely Vietnamese (without MSG), or Thai.  My favorite dish of all time is papaya salad (especially with shrimp) and both of these cuisines have amazing versions of it.  I love Vietnamese food because it’s always light and healthy and I leave the table feeling energized.  Thai food is a bit heavier, but it’s amazingly savory and they have the best stir-frys ever. Other favorites – Korean (bi bim bap), Japanese (sukiyaki), and real Chinese food.  When I first moved to CA I lived with 3 Chinese roommates and they spoiled me by feeding me some amazing dishes.  The Bay Area has so many great Asian restaurants and I’ve even tried Malaysian food (they have papaya salad too). (Note: I currently live in NYC; I lived in CA for 2 years after college.)

What’s your job? What’s your career aspiration/dream?

I am a software engineer (web developer) for an online marketing company and I love it. I really do love my job. Some other random dreams that have nothing to do with my current position:

• Write a book (a cookbook?)
• Open a restaurant or a yoga studio
• I think being a mom could be an amazing job but I think it’s okay to not want to be a mom too.
• I think my main aspiration/dream is to have many aspirations and dreams

Do you have a dream honeymoon?

I think my dream honeymoon would be a 6 month tour of the world. My actual honeymoon was 2 amazing weeks in Maui (Kaanapali, HI). On the topic of traveling – I really want to go to some Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam. I also want to see India.

I want to travel around in Europe more (I’ve been to Italy: 2008 – and France: 1993). Update: I went to France in June 2010. Here are some good references:

• FSI French language course review and link (all levels; free)
• No Checked Bags: 9 days in 1 carryon
• Things to do in France

I speak some Italian, French, and German and I want to learn Spanish. Definitely want to go to Greece (and maybe learn Greek before then) too. I want to go to Japan (half of my husband’s family is there).

What is a kabocha?

Check out these links: “what is kabocha?” and “neon green oat bran“. I love kabocha.

Who’s your best friend?

My husband! My second best friends are my parents. Both of them equally. Speaking of my husband…

How did you and Bobby meet?

(Ithaca, NY – November 2005.  He’s going to kill me for posting this pic.  He needed a haircut. We were 19.)

Bobby and I met in September of 2005. We were both sophomores and lived in the same dorm on the same floor. The first time I saw Bobby I thought he was ridiculously cute. Kind of exotic looking (he’s half Japanese), tall, and lanky. We were playing this terrible card game (Phase 10) and I was so bored that I left after 10 minutes. The only reason I stayed those 10 minutes was because I liked him.

A few weeks later, Bobby and a few friends were going around knocking on doors to see if people wanted to go to a party. So I went. We ended up hanging out together for a few weeks, and developed a close friendship.  We would stay up late in the lounge, just talking and hanging out, and we’d fall asleep out there and wake up the next day sprawled on the couches.

In December 2005 we had our first kiss, and we’ve been together ever since. We lived in the same dorm again as juniors, and then senior year (I graduated early, in December of that year – 07) we shared a teeny 2-room suite in Collegetown.  I moved out to California in February of 2008, and he joined me in June of 2008. We left California in November of 2009 for New York City and we’ve lived here (NYC) ever since.

Do you prefer the West Coast or East Coast?

I think I prefer the East Coast. I loved the weather of California, but I didn’t make many friends! I think that east coast people are friendlier and I connect with them more easily Some people would say that’s crazy, but I disagree… (Also I just love New York.)

Where’s the recipe for butternut squash fries?

Butternut Squash Fries Recipe. It includes a description of how to prepare the squash as well. If you have a microwave (I don’t) you can microwave the squash for 5 minutes, chop it roughly (with or without skin), add spices, and then broil it for 5-10 minutes, mixing it halfway through. This simpler version isn’t quite as good as the long version, but it saves a lot of time and makes for a quick and easy dinner after I’m tired from work.

What are your favorite books/what have you read recently?

• My Book Reviews:  Weekend Link Love (I usually have a book review section – I read a few books every week).
• I read a fantastic nutrition/health book called Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata a while ago.
• I adore French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women For All Seasons (recipes) by the lovely Mireille Guiliano.
• A fun medical book by Atul Gawande is called Complications.  I highly recommend it.
• I have a few other recs that can be found in my Amazon store. Or friend me on GoodReads! I don’t update as much as I should, but I keep track of a lot of books there.