My mother’s shoes

Every year, I go to the Coach store and buy my mother a scarf, or a handbag, or a wallet, or a hat, or a pair of shoes — things she likes, but would never buy for herself. She tells me often that the only nice clothes she owns are the ones I bought for her. This isn’t entirely true. My siblings have given her some lovely things or gifted her with money to buy whatever she wants. But it is true that the two of us have gone shopping together the most.

Go Away With … Mayim Bialik

Where would Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler — aka Shamie — go for their honeymoon? I asked Mayim Bialik, the actress who plays one-half of the geeky dream team on “The Big Bang Theory”: “Probably Stockholm, home of the Nobel Prize, maybe, or somewhere with lots of trains, since Sheldon loves trains.”

Go Away With … Nora Kirkpatrick

“I love South America and Mexico City,” says “The Office” actress Nora Kirkpatrick. “I loved Cuzco, Peru. I spent time there before I hiked Machu Picchu. A city that took me by surprise last year when we were on tour, was the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. We played this amazing festival called Noorderzon that combines theater, arts and music around this beautiful lake in the center of town. It was an incredible city, specifically geared for biking. I could have lived there, and I rarely feel that while traveling.”

Asian ≠ disabled

I found this picture of Marlee Matlin and me. I remember it was a fun photo shoot. While she was in hair and makeup, the photographer took a few test shots of me to make sure the lighting etc. was set up properly. He snapped a picture of the two of us before I interviewed her. She had just gotten all made up. Me? As you can see, not so much. But, I still like the photo. And it reminds me that I want to dig out that James Dean shirt for the summer. (I used to collect them. Did you know that?)

Go Away With … Ted Allen

Born in Ohio and raised in Indiana, Ted Allen — the host of “Chopped All-Stars,” currently in its third season on the Food Network — remembers his parents dressing him up in smart pants and a blazer, before boarding a flight to visit his grandparents in Orlando. “This was during a time when everyone dressed up to fly,” says Allen, 47. “I remember getting to go into the cockpit on an Eastern Airlines flight, which was very exciting for me as a little kid. I’ve always loved going to visit different places.” Allen resides in New York City.