Kim Plemons, who is Chinese, met her husband, Dave Plemons, when he was in the Peace Corps in Malaysia in the 1960s. She's been fixing New Year's dinners for more than three decades now and she has it down to a science



Kim Plemons, who is Chinese, met her husband, Dave Plemons, when he was in the Peace Corps in Malaysia in the 1960s. She's been fixing New Year's dinners for more than three decades now and she has it down to a science

Year of the cook; Joan Medina mixes tradition, multicourse feasts when her family commemorates the Chinese New Year

[Excerpt]

The 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year begins today. Many families commemorate the holiday with at least a couple of major, multi-course feasts.

"Chinese New Year is always a big thing because this is a time when families get together, just like Christmas and Thanksgiving," says Kim Plemons, a third-grade teacher at Grant Elementary School in Spokane.

Plemons, who is Chinese, met her husband, Dave Plemons, when he was in the Peace Corps in Malaysia in the 1960s. She's been fixing New Year's dinners for more than three decades now and she has it down to a science.

"My mom, she's one of those amazing people," Medina says. "She doesn't plan a menu. She never uses recipes. She'll cook it all an hour or two before it's time."

Plemons says she cooks at least 10 dishes for her celebration.

"Usually we use every meat except lamb, which I don't like," she says. "And there are a lot of vegetable dishes."

She simplifies things by using some prepared items. She asks her son or sister, who live in Seattle, to bring a roast duck. And she picks up barbecued pork from Costco.

She makes sure to stop at Spokane's Bay Oriental Market to stock up on fresh produce she can't find at a traditional supermarket, things like Asian eggplant, bitter melon and Chinese broccoli.

Plemons always serves soup, either hot-and-sour or a light, tofu- accented broth. There's always a whole fish, a tradition because the Chinese word for fish rhymes with "good wish." There's always a noodle dish since noodles represent longevity. (The noodles must be eaten whole, tradition says; cutting them could shorten your lifespan.)

Family favorites make up the rest of the line-up.

"We kind of ask everyone, 'What dish would you like to have?' Plemons says. "When the meal comes out, somebody's favorite is there."

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

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February 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peter McPherson keeping busy in DC 12 Feb Martha Ryan wins Award for pre-natal program 12 Feb John Perkins reveals dark side of U.S. aid 10 Feb Kathleen DeBold involved in lesbian activism 10 Feb Jim Doyle to fix Wisconsin deficit without raising taxes 10 Feb Chris Dodd proposes Class Action Fairness Act 10 Feb RPCVs create Tsunami Assistance Project for India 9 Feb Donna Shalala talks about her Peace Corps days 8 Feb Senator Frist proposes Global Health Corps 8 Feb Bush's budget to end Perkins loan forgiveness for PCVs 8 Feb Tom Petri's Direct Loan Reward Act to save $18 billion 8 Feb Izaak Edvalson helps educate a Doctor 7 Feb Carol Bellamy condemns Female genital mutilation 7 Feb Carl Pope criticizes Bush environmental priorities 7 Feb Mike Tidwell defends wind farms 6 Feb Kinky Friedman for real? Voters may not care 5 Feb Bruce Anderson's Newspaper folds amid money woes 5 Feb

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Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

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