MSN's "Living Poor and Loving It " Video

(photo courtesy of MSN.com)

In case there was any doubt, a study has confirmed that Americans have a lot of what economists know, technically, as "stuff."

The computer has surpassed the dishwasher as a standard household appliance. Even the poorest Americans have posted a sharp rise in access to air conditioning. The fact that 95% of them may have a refrigerator tells only part of the story.

(This study may be true for Filipinos, too. As even the poorest Filipino, living under a bridge, always has access to color TV and cable!)

While economists tend to focus on things that can be measured in dollars and cents, the spiritual side of the economy has begun to garner more attention. That's partly because some research has found that once people gain a modest sufficiency in goods, further increases in income don't result in rising happiness.

Meanwhile, Donna Freedman-- a 43-year-old student, freelance writer, baby sitter and handy woman in Washington state, is spending less to have more. See how she's living within her financial boundaries and staying happy.

You must read her article
here and find out why true prosperity is more than just a healthy bottom line.

Also, after watching her video (please be patient, there's a little commercial before the actual video), I was comforted in realizing a kindred frugal spirit at the farther end of the spectrum. Medyo moderate pa pala ako!

Stepping Up and Out

It's been 2 years since we migrated to America and I think, it DOES get better. Well, to give you an example, I feel like I have stepped up from my $3.14 a week day-off to better things.

I think, as immigrants, we have conquered the first step of adjustments. Since I am very protective of my time alone or time for R&R, even at my poorest, I used to eek out money by hook or by crook to have quiet coffee somewhere.

When my husband was still employed (he has been laid off 6 months now), we promised ourselves to make an effort to try a new restaurant every month on a $10 a head budget. What a promotion from 3 to 10 dollars!

We figured that we now live at the outskirts of San Francisco, California--renowned for its melting pot of different cuisines. San Francisco and the Bay Area have been touted to have the best cuisine in the world because this is home to different cultures, its strong agricultural and vineyard industries, and its access to the Pacific Ocean's freshest harvest.

So one culinary adventure a month it is.

With ideas from Bay Area Back Roads and Bay Area Time Out Guide on hand, we set out on our first adventure to Kopitiam.




Since husband Ricky has been a Malaysian resident in the 80's, he was comforted by all the memories the meal brought. We started with the Roti Prata--wheat flour flaky pancake, dipped in curry gravy:



I had the Kopitiam Chicken Rice Plate--steam and deboned chicken with jasmine chicken rice, with ginger and chili sauce on the side.



Ricky had his Mee Goreng--stir-fried noodles with chicken, tofu, veggies, sambal, and shrimp balachan (bagoong).



Ricky has yet to learn how to order just one thing on the menu. So to keep him from feeling deprived, we splurged on their specialty, Silken Cloud--steamed tofu topped with lettuce, cucumber, onions, peanuts, with a delicate sweet-sour sauce.




The Silken Cloud lives true to its name. It was silky, like taho, but firmer. It slides down your tongue like a custard cloud. The different taste sensations came together mildly and pleasantly, in contrast to the stronger flavors of the Mee Goreng.

The Malaysian coffee (called SUSU) with condensed milk was a smooth surprise that kept me less sluggsish from that unexpectedly big lunch.

Going over budget was worth it. We spent $31 dollars for the both of us. But then, Ricky is going home to Manila in 2 weeks. So it will be another 2 months before we can resume out adventures.

Splurging $31 dollars bought Ricky and I quiet time, talking about other things than the kids and whose turn it is to drive. (I asked him who his crush was and he said Jessica Alba--which was pleasantly okay by me!) He asked me when I was blogging this, expressing some interest in my witing when there was not much before. (He didn't ask me who my crush was though I had a ready answer!)



We talked about plans and hopes. We talked like persons with individual fears and dreams versus just plain parents to our kids. I feel we reconnected as individuals, as people without roles to play, and were strengthened before our impending separation (as he attends to his projects in Manila).

Until then, I have learned to input into our frugal budget expenses like these--though frivolous from the outset, are actually necessary for the inner emotional and spiritual survival of our family as immigrants.

Kopitiam is located at 3647 Mount Diablo Bloulevard, Lafayette, CA 94549. Call them at (925) 299-1653 for more details.