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WINTER STORM

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   The snowstorm that started the month of December was a two day maelstrom. The snow swirled in the wind, falling in large clumps and then changing to blowing snow. The blowing snow signals the shifting and mercurial winds, which shake the trees and the garden plants. Winds and the snow are products of a cold temperature usually below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.     As the snow fell, I watched the snow falling on my garden, I saw the wind buffet my garden, and I felt the cold air creeping in through the cracks of my old house. I entered my winter garden room, where I had relocated plants from my garden so that they could avoid the wind and the snow. I looked around the room. In one corner by the heating vent, I had located the two avocado trees. One tree was about 9 feet high, and the other tree was about was about 6 feet high. Next to them was a plant from our friend, Stella, so we called it the Stella. Along the side wall opposite the windows, were pots of mint plants, pepper plants, mon
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FROM KAKI TO PERSIMMON

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         Although the Persimmon is a global fruit, I had never eaten persimmon in my childhood. The first time I recall seeing a persimmon fruit was not in the supermarket but on the ground in Italy, after having fallen off a tree. I was curious what this orange fruit that was rotting on the ground in front of me was: the answer was Kaki.     The Italian word Kaki was derived from the Japanese word Gaki, so that the word itself creates a historical record of the origin of the fruit. However, the Kaki or Persimmon is native to Japan, China, Korea, Burma and Nepal. Yet, somehow the Japanese word is the word that jumped to Italian. Yet, the word Kaki did not jump to English. Instead Kaki becomes Persimmon, which is derived from the Algonquian word for dried fruit, which is derived from the American variety of persimmon.     I learned the word kaki, though I did not eat kaki or persimmon until 15 years later. At that time in Italy, I knew of the kaki as a fruit that grew on a tree in a pub
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TAE BAEK RADISH

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        I first encountered the Korean radish, known as Mu, when I saw this white green radish in a supermarket in New York City. The Korean radish has a sweeter taste than the small red bitter radish, so that it made a great crunchy snack on its own. As a result, I became very passionate about Mu.     While watching EBS TV, I discovered a remote village, Haean Myeon, that is famous in Korea for its radish leaves. Haean Myeon is situated in a high mountain basin located in Gangwon Province, which is considered the navel of Korea. The village of Haean Myeon is surrounded by high barren 1000 meter mountain peaks on all sides, making it resemble a bowl. These 1000 meter mountain peaks are part of the Taebaek mountains, which run along the entire eastern coastline of Korea.     The radish grown by these villagers in the Tae Baek mountains could be the hybrid Tae Baek radish, which was developed for a late summer to early winter growing season. The Tae Baek radish therefore take its name fr
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