The world is your oyster...

My Adventure Traveling to the LA Travel+Adventure Show (aka Homemade Handstamped Business Cards Tutorial)

2012-01-24T23:56:00.001-08:00

I had been driving past this billboard everyday on my way to work.

The words, "travel" and "adventure" called out to me. I like traveling and I like adventure.

Finally I read what the billboard was and turns out it was for a TRAVEL + ADVENTURE show that was coming to LA. In a week!

On a whim, I decided to buy tickets to the show to see what it's about and to hopefully network my way into some press trips. I'd heard stories of a 12-year-old Steven Spielberg sneaking past the Universal lot in a suit and empty briefcase to watch movie shoots and of a 14-year-old Mila Kunis boldly exaggerating her age to land the part in "That 70s Show" and I wanted to do something bold and daring to chase my dreams! My travel blogger friend Brandon had wisely advised that this would be a good way to meet people so I decided I was going to go to the convention show by myself and introduce myself to all the booths, seeing if there were any that may want to invite me out on press trips and in return, I will write and vblog about it. Watch out, Samantha Brown, I'm coming for your job! (Actually, I would never want to take her job, I think she does a very fine...job... of it.)

First up, I needed some business cards. Being on a budget and time crunch, I looked up some nifty how-to guides on making homemade business cards out of handstamps.

All you need is a $40 kit from Staples. (This was generously borrowed from my dear chum, Helen)

I was planning on buying some pretty business card papers from which to stamp my info on but my mom had some leftover cards from back when she made her own business cards and...who can say no to free paper?
After spending over an hour sticking the letters I needed onto the stamp (I have fat fingers), I ended up with a fine, simple collection of cards to hand out!
I then slid the cards into a professional-looking business card holder and was ready to rock and roll!
The cards were passed onto quite a few booths and I'm hoping some of the trips will take place.
Nonetheless, gonna pat myself on the back anyway for trying something out of the ordinary in order to attempt to get closer to my dreams. Hope you will all be inspired to do the same as well!

--

After attending the event, for which Samantha Brown was a guest speaker, I became even more of a fan of the blonde travel host. I can see why she is so good at her job. She's lovable and charming, oozes humility and can describe the heck out of a room. Inspired! (with a hint of a girl-crush)

This was also posted on The Media Maid

Short Arboretum Trip

2012-01-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Though I live in California, there's still a lot of hidden gems I've yet to explore.

Like this Fullerton Arboretum visit my family and I paid one winter afternoon!

Due to that dratted thing called "closing time," our visit was a mere 15 minutes long. It was still fun though! Take a look.

Chow

2011-10-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

After all that walking and more walking around Vancouver, we needed something to fill our bellies.

Luckily, Vancouver is chalk full of great places to dine at.

Unluckily, my aunt really wanted to cook for her daughter that she hadn't seen in half a year and half our meals were eaten at home.

Luckily, they say that having 5 meals a day is healthier for you (what?).

Japadog

I didn't know what all the fuss was but there were plenty of these Japadog stands around Dowtown Vancouver.

I think the novelty lies in the Asian-Western fusion as well as the generous dollops of Japanese mayonaise served on top of these babies.

Average dog: $5 each

Rodney's Oysters

I freakin' love raw oysters. I could slurp these babies up everyday. I was adamant about trying Vancouver's well-known amazing seafood and oysters were at the top of that list.

So after a full dinner at home, my cousin and I treaded out to try some of Rodney's Oysters. I love the ambiance of the restaurant-- something that looks like a house in the Hampton. (And I know what those look like because I've been watching Revenge obsessively.)

Average oysters: $1.95 a piece.

Average wine: $9 a glass.

Public MarketIf only all supermarkets looked like this one, I would go grocery shopping more often. (Ah..who am I kidding, I still wouldn't.)

But I did enjoy looking at all the fresh produce!

Gahhh... blueberries!

Mini-looking grapes!

This is called "Indian Candy" and it's basically smoked salmon jerky.

Poutine
Saving the best for last, I finally got to taste the amazingness that is poutine--which is everything I most love rolled into one. A dish of french fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce.

I loved it so much I recorded my first time trying it.

Praise the Lord for giving us the senses to enjoy food and to try different types of food and the joy of eating with good company.

MMMM!!!

Geekaleeks

2011-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Who knew that science centers would be such a hotspot travel destination?

It sure seems like it by the way my last few trips had been going. I geeked out with Kel B while visiting San Jose late last year and stopped by another science center on the Vancouver trip.

Lucky for me, both times, I had a blast.

No, like literally, it was a blast of electric current

One of the coolest things we did at the science center (I know what you're thinking, "but EVERYTHING you do at the science center is cool, Janice!) was this machine that lets us see how we may look in 50 years.

I look like an older version of my mom. Hot stuff!

This was my favorite picture from the trip. It would make a lot more sense if you could see what we were "running away" from. It's dinosaurs! And not that teeny weeny bird to the right of the picture.

Talking about science and technology got me thinking about Steve Jobs, a man who's made tremendous advancements in both fields in the mere 56 years he'd been alive.

It's been pretty public that Steve passed away yesterday and his death made many people remember, over their Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and Tumblrs of all the great technology that he's given us that have changed our worlds.

As I sit here typing on my Apple laptop, it's hard for me to dispute that fact that Steve has altered my life. However, I think that even if Apple products weren't around, I would probably still be using a laptop and toting around a cell phone. (In fact, this is only the first iPhone I've owned.)

Rather, the bigger impact that he has had on my life is the Essence of Steve Jobs.

It is the main image, the big idea that Steve Jobs represents.

It's an impersonal word, but I think of it in terms of the Steve Jobs Brand. Not necessarily the Apple Brand but the two go hand in hand together. The Steve Jobs Brand is that of the Innovator. The man who dropped out of college to become a Great Success Story. The man who rocked one hell of a Comeback. The man who cared deeply for Customer Satisfaction. The man who envisioned the sleek, clean, minimalistic, futuristic aesthetics that is Apple. The man who famously makes commencement speeches and gives interviews encouraging others to chase after their dreams, to be less fearful, to be your personal best, to live like you were dying. That's the Steve Jobs I will miss and the Steve Jobs I will remember.

Some amazing quotes from an amazing man:

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together, and will continue to do that. There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I’ve ever seen is called television — but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” [Rolling Stone, Dec. 3, 2003]

We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn’t build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren’t going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build. When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. [Wired, February 1996]

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

{Quotes thanks to WSJ}

Ding Ding Ding

2011-10-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

The biggest reason I made the trek up North was this girl:

This is my cousin, Ding.

Ding is one solid lady. (I know that's a really weird description of someone but if you knew my family, you'd know that we can be kind of floaty sometimes) She's mellow and chill, like a cool glass of Cabernet Sauvignon (if you think I know my wine, hah! I just wrote down the first one off the top of my head.)

But she can also be the dorkiest, silliest gal to pal around with.
She played hostess with the mostest during my Vancouver vacay. Just wanted to shout out to her for all the awesomeness that she is.

Thanks for housing, feeding, and nourishing me in all the physical, literal, spiritual, and emotional ways!

Walk the Walk

2011-09-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

When you live somewhere, it's hard for you to really play tourist in your living locale.

Usually, traveling just entails going from one place to the other-- you're not really stopping to stare at the people, observe the local sights, wander aimlessly from place to place.

Because my aunt and I were in town visiting my cousin, Liz, the three of us took a brisk stroll through the little square footage of ALL OF DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER one day. No big deal. (Tell that to my legs.)
That awesome building behind my cousin and auntie is a LIBRARY. Compare with the lovely library in my hometown:

Hmm...

It was nice to spend the day with my aunt and cousin. Liz even got to explore places she doesn't normally visits.

I learned that when I finally toured LA that us locals can really miss out on some real gems.

Gems like this beautiful Vancouver wall with a giant Heineken ad! Truly a treasure.

We really liked that wall. :) It made for great picture-taking.

After miles and miles of walking through downtown Vancouver, we finally hit our destination: the Science World (apparently, I enjoy science centers when I travel)
Post on our fabulous time getting our geek on coming soon!

One Step At A Time...

2011-09-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

One thing I love to do when I'm traveling is go hiking. Indulging in nature is sadly a rare treat in my hometown of Los Angeles, where it's apparently more vital to sit through three hours of traffic than to trek across rolling hills.

I knew the serene Vancouver outdoors would be a perfect place to go hiking and made plans with the Vancouver Native and his bunches of friends to do the deed.

Vancouver Native groaned the first moment he heard I wanted to go hiking. Yet, he suggested the most challenging slope of all-- the Grouse Grind.

Grouse Grind was probably not the best choice for a hike to take when you want to get reconnected with old friends. My conversation with Vancouver Native (aka D), whom I haven't seen in over a year, went something like this:

Janice: huffing and puffing

"Hey (huff) D, so, uh, how ya been?"

D: (silence but not really 'cause he's huffing and puffing)

Janice: D?

D: (nods head, huffing and puffing)

(silence)

...

Eventually, everyone started trekking at their own pace. Sometimes I was in the front, sometimes, I was trailing behind.

I started thinking about my friend Michelle's post from awhile back where she noted the importance of looking at your feet in your walk in an age of looking up.

I'm a dreamer. I imagine big things for myself and for the people around me. I want to reach for the stars.

But at the same time, I need to focus on my own footsteps, one after another, on the steps of life. I need to take in the moment, knowing that sometimes I'm going to be struggling to climb another step, gasping for air. Other times, I could be on a roll, moving as fast as my legs can take me, pushing through the little boy in front of me (just kidding, I would never do that...)

At different points of my trail, I will be in proximity with different people. There were the group of boys blasting rap music on their iPhones that we took a break with at the 3/4 mark. There were the cute Asian family whose littlest boy could just barely climb over one step but was still shuffling through.

After a little over an hour (nearly two hours for *ahem some people), we made it to the top.

Look at that view.

I think only when you get here will you appreciate the entirety of the journey, the ups and the downs, the slippery rocks and the water breaks.

And even all the people who've journeyed with you.

That was a philosophical hike, huh? Don't worry, food and drinking posts coming soon!

Vancouver, Vancouver, Vancouver

2011-09-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

You are one fine beast.

With your moody clouds...

And your quaint streets...
And your cleanliness...
And your lit nights...
And your interesting holidays (the Saturday I was there, it was "Zombie day," where hundreds of people dressed up like zombies and roamed around the streets)...

And your quirky little quirks (and once again, the moody skies)...

And your beautiful beaches (and the people who don't seem to tan)...

And... did I mention the moody skies yet? (I'm kind of in love with moody skies, if you can't tell)

I made the most out of my 3-day jaunt up north. Can't wait to share with you more stories and pictures in the next coming days!

Norcal Pt. 2: San Jose

2011-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

After stopping by one part of Northern California, I made my way by train to another--San Jose, to be exact.
San Jose, woot woot! Though many of my close friends and former roommates were from this part of town, I've actually never been to San Jose before.

Luckily, I had with me, a most marvelous tour guide, the one and only Kel Banh! I tell you, people lucky enough to be in Kelly's presence, this woman is the best date-planner ever!

When I arrived, our first stop was to The Tech Museum. We unleashed our inner-geeks (which aren't really deeply-hidden) and checked out the many wonders and terrifics the museum had to offer.

This computer drew our face! Amazeballs AND a free souvenir! Can't beat that.

You just knew I had to take a picture of a double helix made out of books. (Though Kelly probably took this one. Note the awesome lighting?)

Being from UCLA's north campus, this freaks the hell out of us.

You can't see it that clearly but the blocks spell "kel & jan forever." Creepy, we know.

Then, Kelly took me jumping!

A great source of endorphins, people.

Of course, no trip to one's hometown would be complete with a jumbo meal.

In this case, a big bowl of some-vietnamese-noodle-that-is-not-pho-but-just-as-yummy!

Much love was had in the cold cold San Jose with this dear one. I really hope to go back soon. Soon! (And update this blog sooner as well. Sheesh, can't believe we're hitting April already!)

Northern Bound

2011-02-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

I took a trip up to Northern California not-so-recently. Needed to scratch a traveling itch (and do some work) so I landed in San Francisco and Emeryville for a bit (San Jose to come later).

In typical Norcal fashion, 'twas gloomy but it surprisingly didn't rain that much while I was up there-- a few sprinkles here and there.

I ate some tasty local favorites...
These here are vegan donuts whose shop is run by some of the nicest tattoo-ed, earring-ed-out hippies I've ever laid eyes on. He even gave us free soy milk! (I know, I'm easy to please).

Yummy big breakfast.
Best part of the trip was the company I kept. Old friends from the north meant lots and lots of catching up to do!

Special thanks to homies JLo and Dat Bui for housing me, feeding me, babysitting me, tour-guiding me.

Up next: San Jose with KelBanh!

Shanghai World Expo

2010-10-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about the World Expo in Shanghai, China this summer?

Neither did I. Not until I met one individual who proceeded to inform me that the World Expo is like the Olympics of the commerce world, where countries meet up in the same place once every four years to kind of revel in their own awesomeness. '

If I know of one country very eager to do that, it's China. So it was very fitting that this year's World Expo took place in the most awesome of cities - Shanghai.

As court, we had VIP privileges to the expo which included no lines! We felt so bougie. I took a really cool video of us heading into the China pavilion but my camera was retarded and fast-forwarded everything so just watch it like you're on speed.

The next pavilion we checked out was the US pavilion. No offense, but isn't the building really ugly and corporate looking? So...American. Haha, but in their defense, one of the girls explained to me that it was because the US pavilion was the only one that was privately funded. As in, our government couldn't really provide money to go into this while other countries had that fund. Tough times.

My friend Mario made a cameo in the video for the US pavilion.

Next we headed off to the Coca Cola pavilion. (My sis, Jessica would have been in heaven here).

We were inundated with tons of cool freebies like these cool souvenir tin coke bottles.
And this seemingly normal bottle of Coke...
...which actually, if opened correctly, chemically transforms into pieces of ice-so it's like you're drinking iced coke-in a bottle! Yes, I know. Minds are being blown right now.

All in all, the Coke pavilion was a whole lotta fun. Though the US pavilion was kind of lame, you have to hand it to US commercial products to do good work in entertaining us.

We next headed off to the Information and Communication pavilion where a whole bunch of my friends showed up on the big screen.

There's Jonathan...

...Nebula (playing a mom!)

and Miss Jani as a lead!

We headed home that rainy evening getting a pretty good feel of what the World Expo is all about. Despite it being incredibly good weather (cause it wasn't stifling hot) and we did not have to wait in line, I don't know if I would make a trip to another world expo in the future. If I wanted to wait in long lines and walk to far places to watch stuff, I'd rather check out Disneyland shows.

Heh, like my meh face in this picture?

Shanghai

2010-10-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gone somewhere and just realized you were...home? You feel an immediate sense of belonging, of fitting in, of comfort.

That's kind of like what Shanghai is for me. Having been brought up by my mom's mom, my Abu, I grew up listening to stories of Shanghai and soaking in the customs of the city while I'm at home, whether it's having a constant craving for eating my rice soaked in soup or being accustomed to making every conversation, whether you're talking about the weather or sharing stories about your kids, sound like a shouting match.

By day we did a lot of city sightseeing and checked out the Expo.

By night we partied like a rockstar. Okay, not really but we danced some and sang some and drank some and chatted some.

Out of the court, three of us are Shanghainese. We had oodles of fun practicing our Shanghainese, eating our Shanghainese food and taking our Shanghainese pictures. (Ok, so all asians pose like this)

The city is so pretty we just had to get pretty ourselves and get all Carrie Bradshaw and co.

Even though we actually really look like this most of the time...

Shanghai, I will be back to conquer you! I will!

HK Remnants

2010-10-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Now that I finally got the rest of my China trip pictures from Tom, I can finish my trip updates!

I also ate a lot in Hong Kong.

Nom nom nom. We didn't eat without purpose. Sometimes we dined with famous actresses for press conferences.

The rest of the Chinatown court and I also finished our China trip with a final visit to the Phoenix TV station in Hong Kong where the president of the company graced us with another one of his presence.

We received a tour of the station. Here I am apparently amazed by whatever the host was saying. Good stuff.

Wish Nebula could have finished the trip with us but what an exciting two weeks. Viva la MLAC 2010!

Taking the Leap

2010-08-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

"I'm going to jump."

Jessica and Irene stare at me like I'm crazy. Darryl gives me an encouraging look.

"Yea. Darryl and I have decided we are going to bungee jump when we get to Macau."

"What?!" My sister exasperates. Her big eyes get even wider.

"What?!" My cousin questions? Her frown lines growing deeper.

This idea stemmed over a conversation Darryl and I had recently, where we decided that the only logical way for me to get more endorphins would be to do something crazy daring like bungee jumping off of the 233 meters Macau Towers. I had suggested just going for a run but bungee jumping of course just makes much more sense.

"You can't jump." My sister says. "You have to get Mama's permission first."

"I am! I am! Watch me!" I crowed to her.

"We'll see." She says. And then we ferried off to Macau. That night, Darryl, Irene, and Jess wreaked havoc in the Wynn casinos. Irene made off like a bandit with the winnings and Jess and Darryl didn't do as well. I tried to keep up with these gambling fiends but by the time the clock struck three, my eyelids shut down and I yawned my way up to make use of our luxe penthouse suite.

I wave goodnight to my loved ones. "Bye, I'm going to sleep in preparation of jumping off a building tomorrow."

"No you're not, don't be stupid. Mama will kill you." My sister says.

"Not if I'm already dead." I har-harred but then, that's not really funny so we let the joke drop.

You could hardly tell we barely slept.

The next morning, I wake up feeling like I just got mowed over by a truck. Don't get me wrong, the Wynn Penthouse Suite king-sized bedroom is amazing to sleep in but I'm a baby and need a certain amount of hours of sleep a day. So I'm woozy and a little disconnected from the world. Probably not a very good time to bungee jump. Or probably the best time.

"You're not going to do it." Jess says. "I won't let you."

"You can't stop me. I'm bigger than you." I say defiantly.

Bigger but not smarter, my sis was probably thinking.

So we head over to the Macau Towers. As I got to the building, my first thought was, "Shit, it's high."

Splat? I'd rather not think about that.

We buy tickets to visit the top floor and once I get there, I think, "Shit, if anything goes wrong, I'm smacking cement and then getting run over by cars and buses. That's not how I wanted to die."

But I had already said I was going to jump. My pride is not going to let me live this down. No, I must persevere on through.

Putting on a brave face while my heart is trying to pop out of my chest.

So we circle the glass building, each time as I stare at the casinos and traffic lights and trees and people below me, a flash of fear races through my heart. The whole time, my head is battling with my gut. I make a list in my head.

JUMP:

I probably wont get hurt.

I probably won't die.

I will be awesome.

I can post it on my blog.

I can brag to my friends.

I can be "that girl who bungee jumped."

I can feel like flying for four whole seconds!

DON'T JUMP:

I might regret it.

I might never get a chance to do something like this again.

I might cower in a cave for the rest of my life afraid to do anything cool or daring or exciting or adventurous forever. FOREVER.

Mama won't kill me.

So, it seems like logically, I should jump. So then why do I feel so scared?

"Why don't we just go to lunch and you can think about this?" My sister says with a smug smirk on her face. This girl knows me too well. She thinks I'm not going to jump. I can't let her win. I'm going to jump.

"Sure." I say, but only because I really was really really hungry.

We go to eat. Darryl seems really calm. His calmness makes me want to jump because it's like, if he's going to do it, I have to do it too right? If he jumps, I jump. What is that saying again how if somebody jumps off a bridge, I have to do it too, right? Oh gosh, I'm really tired. And scared. But excited, right? No, mostly scared. And then I think about my blog. This blog. Man, it'd be really cool to post that I went bungee jumping on my blog. For the sake of my work, my art, alone, I should be jumping, right? I need sleep. Or I need to wake up. You know what will wake me up? If I jumped. Yea, I'll bet that'll wake me up real good.

We finish eating and at this time, I still have not confidently declared my status to jump. My sis and cousin go to the bathroom. They take a long time. "You know they're talking about us, right?" Darryl says.

Yea. I know. Just like my sister knows me, I know her.

Sure enough, they pop out and my cousin says, "Janice. You're taking too long deciding whether to jump or not so I'm going to make the decision for us. You're not going to jump. We're going to get a portuguese egg tart instead."

Every stubborn inch of my body wants to fight back, wants to say, "No way! Let's go! I'm ready! Let's jump!" but instead, I just say, "okay" and walked over to press the elevator button to go down.

Did I feel like a failure? Yes. Did I feel I feel like a wuss? Yep. Did I feel like my actions didn't match my words? Definitely. The old Janice most certainly would have jumped. She was always up for anything and everything, enjoying the here and now and worrying about the consequences later. The old Janice would have wanted to rack up another good story to tell. The old Janice would have looked at the new Janice and been like, "whoa, how boring and safe of you. You are not on my level. I judge you. Judge, judge, judge."

But this new Janice is more careful. This new Janice has learned that racking up good stories is great but following her guts (which was screaming, DON'T JUMP, YOU CRAZY LUNATIC!) is also a good idea. This new Janice is accepting that she probably won't be the most fun, most dynamic, most exciting person all the time and she is okay with that. (As long as she is one for most of the time.) This new Janice knows a thing or two about timing, a thing or two about patience, a thing or two about just letting things go after the moment's passed.

I wish I could tell you that I jumped.

That jumping was a metaphor for me taking the leap into the unknown with my life, just trusting what He has planned for me (which is hopefully a safe landing). But I didn't jump. I still trust that He wanted me to take something away with this (probably to not be a crazy, reckless lunatic) and I don't think this will deter me from taking a leap anywhere else in my life. I think this mostly showed me to distinguish myself from the person I want to be as the person I really am. I see pictures of friends who went skydiving and I think, "I want to do that!" But do I really want to do that or do I want to do that because my friend did it? I think I want to be the girl who bungee jumps but do I really want to bungee jump? Not really, because that day, at that time, I'd rather eat a portuguese egg tart.

Which we did. And then some. Macau and all of its non-casino, Portuguese glory taken by the amazing food blogger and not-so-secret-anymore photographer, Irene Wang.

Thanks Jess and Irene for knowing me so well to push (not really push, more like blow) me away from jumping. Sometimes, I just don't know things for my own good! And Darryl, maybe we will jump together another time- when I'm ready.

Raymond Lam Concert

2010-08-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Look at this stud muffin here. Look at those thick eyebrows, that creamy skin, that sexy stare. What could be better than staring at this glorious creature as he croons and serenades, sweats and gyrates?

Well, it's better when you're very own sister is appearing in his concert!

We checked out the Hong Kong TVB star, Raymond Lam's "Come 2 Me" concert to support Jessica as she debuted as an entertainer for a performance. It was my second night supporting my kin. The first night, I checked it out with my dad and we had some nosebleed seats in the coldest part of the stadium. The second night, my cousin Irene scored up some sweet second row spots.

Before the concert, we had some fun with food...

And some more fun at the local arcade...

Where this cute little girl took home plenty of tickets...playing an old lady game (you know the one where you slide a coin in and you watch more coins waterfall down? That one.)

Then it was time to head into the nearly-packed stadium and support Jessica Jann!

But first, we had to sit through endless bouts of Raymond Lam prancing around and singing while staring at teleprompters. I'm sorry to tell you I am not a big fan of this guy. He kind of oozes douchiness.

Look at that self-righteous smirk.
My favorite part of the night (other than when Jessica appeared on screen, of course) was when Raymond Lam performed with 2004 Miss Hong Kong and actress, Kate Tsui. The girl is hotness. She was so "on" in her dance performance that the camera for the big screen rarely left her face. THAT is what we call stage presence ok, Mr. Smirky Man?

And then Jessica stomped onstage (Actually she was lifted on a bed with four other dancers)

During this sexy song, my sis had to vamp it up. Knowing how UNLIKE that she is in real life, I have to give her props for doing these things without looking uncomfortable or cracking up. 'Cause I know I would! (Well, maybe not if you were paying me and I knew a lot of people were watching.)

Congrats to my sis for her first concert performance! Cheers to many more! (And thanks for the fun times, Irene and Darryl.)

Three's Company (Most of the Time)

2010-08-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have all the pictures ready for my stops in Shanghai and Shantou yet, I'm going to hold off on those updates until later and get to the longest leg of my trip: Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has been written about plenty of times in this blog but each trip to this bustling concrete jungle always brings about different experiences. My big goal this time was really to hang out with my beloved sister and cousin. And I think I really succeeded! We saw each other ALL THE TIME! And by ALL THE TIME, I mean ALL. THE. TIME.

We ate a lot together...

Watched ALOT of movies together...

Practiced our smirks in the car a lot together...

Chilled at bars a bit together...

danced at clubs sometimes together... (yea, we really dance like a clump like that)

And take trips Macau together!

Alas, if only our comforting, amusing and insightful chats could all be documented here. But the thing is, some things are only meant to be kept in the family. :)

I love my precious family bonding time and I wish more cousins can bond with us next time!

But hanging out with my cousins wasn't all I did in Hong Kong. Stay tuned for more!

Ancient History

2010-07-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

I feel like such a baby sometimes.

I am, here I am, complaining that I am sooo old at 23 years of age when this tree pictured below has been planted for over 5,000 years!

Talk about putting things into perspectives, huh?

China's extensive history never fails to bring me to awe. I come from a country that is only 234 years old. To be able to visit another one that has so much culture, traditions and ideals embedded only puts me in my place about how much I still don't know and how much I have yet to find out.

This is Luoyang. It was a previous capital of China before Beijing initiated a hostile takeover on its butt.
Luoyang's history is especially rich. We visited one of the oldest universities in the country (and the world) while here. But it is here at the Longmen Grottoes where, amidst all the intricate stone carvings, I can see the timelessness of man's creativity and craftsmanship.

The two carving figures' names we are mocking ever so enthusiastically are Hmm and Haww. You can tell who is who from the shape of their mouths. (Teehee, we Chinese sure do have a sense of humor.)

This is a giant Buddha. Pictures don't do it justice.

Thanks for a lovely visit, Luoyang! You are so not over the hill. You are the hill! (Do you get it, 'cause the grottoes are like hills... I'll just stop myself now.)

Eat It

2010-07-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

I don't want to sound like a brat but I will.

Sometimes, I am just a little sick of fine dining.

As you roll your eyes, I am going to tell you that sometimes, three nights of abalone and shark fin soup can get a little tiring. Sometimes, you just don't want to have just swallowed the last morsel of your freshly carved Kobe beef only to have the waiter swoop right in and replace your plate with a cup of piping hot chicken broth. *Ho hum. Oh boo hoo me. I could show you all these gorgeous pictures Tom, or Chester, or Nebula took of these fancy 3-hour dinners and lunches but I'm not.

Instead, let me show you how to eat like a monk.

You take two large bowls.

And they come around with food to fill those two bowls.

Here is what we all got for lunch. A bun called a man toe, a bowl of soy milk, and a ton of savory vegetables topped with rice. Don't let this picture above fool you. That was a FULL meal. Jani and I failed and couldn't finish it. But Nebula and Carrie were iron women. Hear them roar!

So after that meal, I felt like I could eat cleaner all the time! I felt like I should make a nice break from my regular diet of meat... and oil... and...

Oh who am I kidding. The next day, this is what I resumed to eating.

And this.
And we ate until we looked like this. Aaaaaaaahhh...

Kicking Through Life

2010-07-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple (Chinese: 少林寺; pinyin: Shàolín Sì) is a Chán Buddhist temple at Song Shan nearZhengzhou City Henan Province in Dengfeng, China. It is led by Venerable abbot Shi Yǒngxìn and martial abbot Shi De Li. Founded in the 5th century, the monastery is long famous for its association with Chinese martial arts and particularly with Shaolin Kung Fu, and it is the Mahayana Buddhist monastery perhaps best known to the Western world.^[1]

(Thank you, WIkipedia)

Our group were granted special access into the elusive Shaolin Temples for a few days.

We gawked at amazing sportsmanship

And two-fingered pushups (!)

Then visited the top Shaolin school in the city filled with many Shaolin schools.

We were greeted with hundreds of students lining our entrance way, enthusiastically clapping for us the entire time we strode onto campus. Talk about a welcome!

We ~~checked out~~ observed these students at work. (Hey, give us a break, four girls have already gone a week without really substantial eye-candy! Momma needs her sugar!)

The school was mostly testosterone-heavy so I had to give some blog love to this cute little girl who was trying so hard to stay in line with the boys. Look at the strength and determination on that face!

We began our own training shortly after, taught by our super awesome (and cute!) shi fu. (I'm telling ya, it's been almost a week by now!)

You'd think we're just doing some stretching exercises from these pictures here but it was hard work learning all those moves! Muscles that I didn't know existed were getting stretched.

I ended up feeling quite sick during one of the afternoon practices so I stayed out of that lesson. But I did get to catch some of it on tape. Apologies for the weird conversation I was having with these two guys who were off-camera. They kept telling me to center the shot and I was like, "no, I'm trying to GET the people in the back!"

Here we are performing our moves to the poor, unassuming visitors of the temple. When we first started, a bunch of people were recording us, thinking we were some hotshots. And then they realized we were just a hot mess and ran away.

Apologies for my performance. I was not feeling well! But I'm a trooper, right? Right.

After that, we grew muscles the size of Popeye's and can kick anyone's butt if need be. The end.

A Simple Kind of Life

2010-07-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Since being in Hong Kong, I recently got internet back and a cell phone where people can reach me on a regular basis. I also started going on Facebook again and found a place where I can veg out and watch TV and movies all day if I choose to.

And I hate it.

As free and full of options all these things give me, I feel trapped sometimes within the confines of technology and choice. I don't HAVE to check my facebook inbox but I somehow have to. I don't have to text 24/7 but I somehow have to.

That's why it was nice to kind of see that you don't HAVE TO live that kind of life. You can live a simpler one.

One morning, we took some time away from the Shaolin temple and went up this mountain.

Beautiful winding trail where butterflies flocked around our hips and the winds blew in the bushes.

Our destination is this cave where a couple of monks sometimes call their homes. Because the cave is relatively isolated and cool, they come here to meditate, practice Shaolin and just enjoy being in the present moment.

We came here to help one of our monk friends with some chores.

The whole lot of us were helping to water the monk's garden, where he grows his own meals.

Then we worked out a bit. Nebula is fierce.

Because our monk friend is relatively clean and simple, there really weren't much to do after gardening so Carrie and Jani decided to sweep his entranceway. Nebula and I supervised.

After proving our spectacular housekeeping skills, we returned to civilization and our store bought meals and our iPods and designer shoes. But it's definitely nice to know that life doesn't have to be so complicated, so fraught with complexities we often bring upon ourselves.

Over the years, this is definitely what my travels have taught me: that it's okay to chill out, to enjoy the present moment, to be a little zen. I'm still not a complete master at it but it's a work in progress.

The Shaolin Scene

2010-07-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

So in Beijing, you saw us in pretty dresses and heels and eyelashes and drinking tea with our pinky fingers lifted up and all that. In Deng Feng, the birthplace of Shaolin martial arts, we were taught to kick ass. And boy did we kick. Over and over again until our knees only felt pain. Half of the people in our group were from the Shaolin temple back in California and they had come to China mainly for the purpose of visiting the original Shaolin temple. We, as beauty pageant girls, seemed a little out of place but we quickly made ourselves at home taking lessons from a very talented (and cute!) Shaolin shifu and mastering this art. We also did some other things:

Like visiting a Shaolin school and interviewing with a local TV station (what can I say, we got paparazzi all over China.)

We checked out this amazing percussionist-based performance in a beautiful outdoor amphitheater. It was this big mountain/cave thing where they built the stage.

Breathtaking.

For half the night, I was like this monk, who was ~~napping~~ meditating throughout the entire show. I didn't regret missing the flying monk part though because a) my cousin-in-law can do that in his sleep and I get to watch him do it all the time and b) the music, the night air, the comfy seats... it was a perfect place to nap!

We also gardened and tidied up a monk's cave home (more on that later)

And of course, we also made our nether regions sore by learning Shaolin martial arts! More on this later as well!

I'd definitely say this portion of my trip was the most out-of-the-ordinary and refreshing. I did keep getting nightmares sleeping in the hotel rooms though but praying to Jesus Christ helped snap me out of it! Praise God for new experiences!

To Be Very Important

2010-07-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

There are days when I enjoy just being a regular person.

You know, one of those you see crossing the streets and give nary a glance to. There are times when I just want to be treated like everyone else. Given the same amount of trouble and negligence by staff members, by teachers, by boys.

But then, there are also times when it is really really good to be VIP.

Visiting the stadium built for Beijing's 2008 Olympics, the bird's nest, was one of those times.

It would have been okay catching a taxi or riding the bus like other normal civilians, but it was a little bit better to have a police escort leading our van into the stadium so we would only have to walk the minimum amount of distance to get into the nest.

It would have been nice to just stare at the nest from the outside like all the other tourists were doing but it was just a tad cooler to be able to go into the stadium VIP status for a tour.

And to sit at seats where foreign dignitaries and celebrities and athletes were sitting to watch the opening ceremony at a more comfortable view.

It would have been nice to leave after visiting the bird's nest cause it's like, "cool, we got the inside view" but it was just a smidge better to get another view of the nest from the outside on a VIP rooftop suite.

It would have been nice to just leave you with pretty pictures of us in polite poses but it's just way more fun to be a little goofy and pretend we're on the cover of a Spice Girls album.

China Trip '10 Recap: Beijing: The Great Wall

2010-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

That's the Great Wall. We were quite excited to climbing a portion of it. A smidgen. A little itty bit. Our goal was to reach that fortress at the top over there.

Umbrella in one hand, bottle of water in the other, I was set. I was ready. Let's go!

I did not anticipate being so out of shape (this is a girl who wakes up at 5AM to run some mornings!) but I caught slight heat stroke.

Sweet people started getting worried about me. They told me maybe I should sit it out while they continue up to that fortress. But I said, "NO WAY!" I don't half-ass things.

So I huffed and I puffed and I got myself up to that fortress along with the rest of my court.

I didn't have enough energy to do what shi fu (our Shaolin master on the trip) was doing

But we did get to stare and admire the beautiful view.

Then it was time to head down. One step at a time, down we go.

We were so exhausted afterwards but it wasn't something that ice cream and a massage didn't cure. :) Have you ever been to the Great Wall? What were your experiences like?

China Trip '10 Recap: Beijing

2010-07-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

One trip, two chaperones, three weeks, four Miss LA Chinatown court members, five cities. My head is swimming from the past few weeks of excitement, adventure, companionship, experiences and travel. No time to waste! Must update now!

Let's start with Beijing.

Beijing, the country's capital, was last seen as the world's it-city thanks to the 2008 Olympics. It's got a nice mix of this old and new, from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall to the Bird's Nest. Here are some highlights...

The day we visited the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, it was SOO HOT.

We watched this acrobatics show where SIX-COUNT 'EM-SIX motorcyclists squeezed into this metal ball. It was painful to watch but I couldn't pull my eyes away.

We had a dinner one night where we actually had to order on our own (the rest of the time, the food just magically appears on the table right as we sit down) so I quickly scanned the menu. Seeing a picture of this big red bowl of soup with thingies sticking out of it, I thought it was this dish which had tasty fish soaked in the chili water base. After the dish arrived, it turned out the thingies sticking out of the soup were frogs. Whole pieces of frogs. Feeling responsible for the order, I ate 4 of those frogs. And then I proceeded to have stomach problems for the next 2 days.

We found this girl that looked exactly like Nebula in a magazine ad. Gotta love seeing Asian faces all over the magazines and billboards here in Asia.

Some other spots visited were the Bird's Nest and the Great Wall but they deserve their own posts.

Thanks for some of the pics, Nebula, Jani, Carrie, Tom and Chester!

LAhv LA

2010-06-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, my parents used to come to downtown Los Angeles every Monday to pick up supplies for their shop. I would tag along, fall asleep during the long drive from the suburbs, fill my heart heavy with sympathy pangs as I awoke to find the homeless sleeping on every corner, make nice with the shopkeepers my parents buy supplies from and sleep again on the drive home.

This was before I knew how ginormous and diverse and varied Los Angeles actually is. This was before I chilled out by the soothing beaches of Santa Monica for four years during my stint as a Bruin. This was before I was lured into the seductive, and at times dangerous, dark cove of Hollywood and KTown in the PM. This was before I found the overly-glamorized borough of Beverly Hills to just be stuffy and boring (and overpriced).

So, you can say Downtown and I go way back. I fell in love with the whimsical architecture of the Walt Disney concert hall, the cultural hub of Little Tokyo, Even all the times I have to spend hours twisting and turning my way through the one-way streets, I just shrug my head and smile, "oh Downtown." (Just kidding, I wish I had such a positive attitude about Downtown's roads and parking.)

Here are some shots from recent jaunts through Downtown.

The view atop a gorgeous loft that overlooks the train tracks.

Attended an art walk one Saturday. This was a legit one where the artists who live in the artsy warehouses and lofts opened up their artsy space to let not-so-artsy folks meander through their artsy living rooms and artsy kitchens checking out their artsy art.

I didn't take many pictures of the artsy arts but we did have a lot of fun with this tetris-like lighting wall in which your dark shadows are sensed to stop the blocks from falling. Muy cool!

The cousin came round town for a visit so we decided to spend an afternoon in the Olvera Street/Union Station/Little Tokyo/Chinatown (my turf!) part of the town.

These flowers are called Jacarandas.

We noshed on blissful macarons from lovely (the second most popular restaurant in Downtown according to my well-informed friend, Jess!) Bottega Louie...

Took pictures...

And twirled about the streets...

Artsy

I will be heading to the homeland for the summer. Be expecting (hopefully) regular updates as the hijinks of the 2010 LA Chinatown court gets documented in all its glory! Until then, cheers to more LA adventures!

My NY Weekend

2010-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

New Yaaaaaaawk always conjures up images of the concrete jungle; a city filled with steely high-rises...

cramped apartment spaces...

lotsa people milling about...

and a city filled with cold and shadiness...

You know when you watch movies and TV shows and the character, just getting into the city, spins round and round Time Square, dazed and confused at their surroundings? Kinda like this?

So silly, close-minded me was not really expecting...

The sun! And green stuff! (I think they call them trees and grass?)

But then of course with sunshine and greenery, there are also... allergies.

I don't think Victor was too happy about that.

Nonetheless, we ventured forth the city, enjoying the beautiful weather, attempting to ignore our raw, red, itchy noses and dry eyes.

This here is the high line. It's this really awesome overpass bridge that "enables visitors to learn about horticulture, urban design and New York history," but I think it's mostly for people to eat their lunch while staring at traffic. As you can see, this is a pretty popular past-time.

When we got tired of watching cars zoom by, there were other things to turn our attention to, such as a fashion photoshoot.

Once the gawking got old, we headed on over to the Chelsea Piers.

Though there were quite a few boats docked there, they are famous for their driving range. Apparently, Justin Timberlake is a fan of this golf spot here. Though these two could give Timberlake a run for his money with their golf skills.

Plenty of other activities occupied our time. Like Foosball and Jenga at 675 Bar.

Tallest Jenga game EVERRRRRR. I would tell you that I was the one who ended up losing the game but if you know me, then you know about my clumsiness/bad luck with all games not Cranium, then you would have already deduced my loss.

The Broadway spectacle, "In the Heights" with my favorite Johns. It was really fun trying to get rush tickets. You have to go there two hours before showtime, and place your name on a paper. Then you come back an hour beforehand and they read off people who got drawn to purchase front row theatre tickets for like, $20! As we waited for them to draw out all the names, the suspense would build up so tight that you'd think we were trying to win the million $ lottery or something.

It was also really funny analyzing all the hecklers who were perched right across the street from the Church of Scientology building. It's like, does attracting more attention to something you don't like actually help your cause?

Catching up with old friends also required much of our time.

Besties. So cute together!

Me and my long-lost cousin, Johnny. The man is the epitome of a New Yorker. Hard to believe he's only been there a couple of months!

Me and my other Johnny.

Me and my Annie. (I'm possessive, okay?)

Dude, totally felt a lot of love that weekend. New Yorkers are actually a lot nicer than you think! When I got lost on the Subway (and that was...a lot), people were so willing to help me out. One of my favorite moments was when I was in the middle of this getting-to-know-you with this girl on the train and my stop suddenly popped up and I had to jump off right in the middle of my story. Oh well, it was nice meeting you, Adena!

Oh yea....FOOD.

I actually didn't eat as much as I intended to this trip. And I had a lot more sit-down meals than I intended to. The restaurants were nice but nothing to write home about...

...EXCEPT for these 5 for $1 potstickers!
Maybe it was because it was my first meal at 1:30 in the afternoon. Maybe it was because we rode this train and that train, walked this way and that way to get to the shop. Maybe it was because it was a full meal for only a George Washington. Maybe it was because we enjoyed them sitting at a comfy Chinatown park bench underneath a beautiful blue sky. But these were THE. BEST. POTSTICKERS. I. HAD. EVER. HAD. The crisp green onion pieces, the piping hot sauce dribbling over your mouth as you sink your teeth into them, the crispy sides, hao hao che ah!

Guacamole always conjures up excellent memories. This one was no exception.

I really wanted to try a ton of street food this trip but my stomach failed me. I'm sorry to report that I do not know how a New York street dog tastes. I do not know how Chicken & Rice tastes. I do not know how Momofuku tastes.

But I do know how the Artichoke Pizza tastes!
This is some hefty stuff. It's like artichoke dip on a pizza crust. I did not finish this.

This was not even my breakfast but I wanted to post it because it was so pretty.

I also did not buy any souvenirs this time. I did take these home. If you see something you like, leave me a comment and I will mail a copy to you. (And by copy, I mean a photocopy.)

My trip to New York felt incomplete (of course, what do you expect going there for only 3 days?). I fully intend to tackle it full-on in the near future. Somehow, I think living there for a couple of years could get me well-acquainted with the city. Who knows!

Until next time...

Foodographers

2010-04-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

It first started because of my roommates.

Two of them were excessive bakers. Feeling guilty because I was of no help (except to help them eat), I decided to photograph their edible pursuits. Taking pictures of the deliciouness seemed to have made them last longer and sharing them on Facebook and my blog seemed to have allowed more people to enjoy them (even though most of my viewers seem to hate me for spreading such beauty into the world. I often received comments like,"Ughhhh why did you post this after I just went to the gym?" and "Now I'm hungry, you suck.")

Now I can't seem to stop. No longer are my past roommates baking (at least not for me) but I am still clicking away.

The New York Times wrote a really on-the-spot article about this obsession and burgeoning trend.

Be expecting lots and lots of food pictures as I chomp my way through The Big Apple this weekend!

Magic Castle

2010-04-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

A castle fit for a princess.
A castle filled with magic and mystique.
A castle high up in the hills.

This is the Magic Castle. High up in the Hollywood hills, this historic landmark is the favorite hangout to magicians all over the world. Outsiders need to garner an invite in order to just pay the $20 admission fee.

That on top of the pricey fancy meal can make for a steep night but it's rare for one to be able to have an opportunity to doll up in LA in places other than clubs and lounges. Watching magic shows is a refreshing change.

Don't we all look so ravishing? I think so too.

Here I am getting magic'd on. He later set my hand on fire. Just kidding (?)

Sad this blog has not been updated on as much as I'd like to. Been working regularly these days, making it hard to go out for a jaunt of sorts. However, next weekend, I will be visiting another magical place: New York City! Get ready for much updates then (though many may be about food... you don't mind, do you?)

Heading Home

2010-01-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've been up since 4AM thanks to jetlag so I will update.

I'm back in California after having spent the past two weeks in Hong Kong and Beijing!

Hong Kong is such an amazing place. I remember when I first visited my cousins there; amidst the hustle bustle of street vendors selling shoes and egg balls, financial types shuffling to and from work, the winding roads wafting with the essence of traditional China, oldtown Great Britain and the one-of-a kind Hong Kong, I was set on making the city my permanent home. No matter what I did for a living, I wanted to be able to do it in the place where I can hop on the mini-bus and ride to Causeway Bay to do some shopping, or mingle with Stephen Chow in Volar, or drink high tea at 4 in the afternoon.

This time, the visit felt a lot different. Having graduated college for half a year now and getting a slower start on my career and life than I had anticipated (no full-time job, no marriage proposals, no investments in a home), I wasn't able to enjoy Hong Kong as just a vacation anymore. It was more of a wake up call, like, "hey, if you want to make it here, get your ass up and take action!"

The city is constantly moving and the people are constantly talking-about you. You're lucky if they're talking about you. Everyone wants to stand out, make something, make money. Money was never my first ambition but maybe it should be. I want to be able to support and give back to my family as soon as I can. I also want to do what I'm passionate about. I hope I can find a balance with the two wants.

My greatest fear is to have unfulfilled potential. I am dedicating this year to making sure that never happens.

Breaking Beijing Bread

2010-01-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

This is the story about a torrid love affair.

A love affair between three girls.

And their beloved 16th floor. What is 16th floor, you ask?

16th floor is the heavenly executive level of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Beijing, opened from 8-10, serving fine culinary delights that tickle the senses and jiggles the belly.

With a wink of its European-carpeted eye, 16th floor entranced the poor three girls, luring them in at all hours of the day to dine on the fine sweets and salties, including homemade macaroons, wine and cheese, and dim sum. Of note: cheese! for Janice, chips for Jessica and cookies for Irene. Our tastes are fairly simple.

It would have been a dream come true if not for one thing-

These were not the girls' only meals of the day. 16th floor was visited in between lunch and dinner trips to some of the most exquisite restaurants in the city.

Fake duckies and REAL seahorses from the red-lanterned Nineteen Forty Nine - The Hidden City.

Posers.

The real deal.

I dared nosh on a sea horse.

*I mention "wong" in the video, which is basically the inards- or guts - of most seafood you taste - particularly the crab. 'Tis yummO!

Some super-comforting steamed dumplings and pork noodle soup at ubiquitous Din Tai Fung. (I have never even tried the Arcadia one but I'm sure everything's more authentic in Asia.

Some smashing Peking duck and mouthwatering red bean rolls at the homey Xiao Wang's Home Restaurant.

Oh, to watch the our chins disappear and our love handles burst out was hard to bear but when would such culinary delights tickle our taste buds ever again? (With my foodie cravings, most likely sooner than you think.)

Only one restaurant was less than satisfactory this entire trip but even so, the dining experience was so unusual, so different that it garners a whole entry in it of itself. Until next time.

The Look of Brr...

2010-01-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

What is Beijing like around December?

One word:

Cold.

Some more words:

Blistering, knife-cutting-through-your-skin, skull-blasting, can't-think-about-anything-but- making-a-run-for-the-sun coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold.

Like this picture. We were in a warm bus and the three of us ran out only to be pretty much stunned in the face with a blast of frozen air. It took a fair amount of energy to summon up the smiles for this shot. However in the world does the guard in the back stand like that through the entire day?

She may look warm but she is not.

On the first day, we ventured out to try and shop. Hah! What a joke that was. All us Hong Kongians and Los Angelesians accustomed to warmth couldn't stand 15 minutes out in the streets.

We sought the nearest warm shop to huddle in.

Despite the cold, Beijing is sure quaint. This street, known as the outdoor silk street, has kept its traditional Chinese exterior but has all these little shops inside. We saw many a quirky things but these Chinese are smart (or stingy) and wouldn't let us photograph.

Cold.

So cold.

So cold the Christmas trees turned gray.

So coolness, I had really wanted to see snow this holiday season. We were hoping that Beijing would grant us our wishes but the entire we were there, we faced the unbearable cold but no snow!

That is...until the last day...

The whole city was blanketed with a light layer of white. Haha, "Federico" down there got a little happy writing in the snow.

Jessica and I are Californians so snow is not a regular occurrence for us. We were delighted!

Our cousin, Irene, not so much... (she's from Toronto)

The weather kept us from being outdoors the majority of the time so we had to resort to our most favorite (and most hated) hobby. What is it? I'll let you know at next post. (Which I hope will be updated at a much faster rate than I have been updating these past few weeks.)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely day where you gorged on food, gave thanks to the day baby Jesus was born, relaxed to the max and spent an insufferable amount of time with the loved ones. That's how my Christmas went, anyway. I guess my family didn't get my bulletin announcement of how I didn't want anything for Christmas. They went and bought me some lovely knicknacks and pattywacks, for which I'm really appreciative of, thanks! Nevertheless, my favorite Christmas gift would have to be this:

When I first saw it in its comatose state of propped to one side and lying in the storage room, I thought it was either a big screen TV or a robot. But as you can obviously see, this is a mahjong table. A top of the line mahjong table that shuffles and sorts the cards by itself. All you have to do is press a button. Excessive? Not for our family.

Our family love ourselves a little gambling. They can spend all week on the casino floor of Vegas (and have). My young sister has an annual pass to Morongo. And our favorite way to spend away a rainy afternoon would have to be playing mahjong. And because we have a large family with many members itching to get in on the game, we're not content with just one table. We play with two.

Even though I'm not the biggest gambler in my family, I love playing mahjong because it is the one event (other than eating) in which our entire family can interact and hang out together. Our entire family - the grandpas and grandmas, nieces and cousins. Around the mahjong table is where we can spend some quality time laughing and playing, sharing stories and trying to gyp each other off (in a fun, family-friendly way, of course). And the money? It makes no difference who wins or loses. Okay, so yea, my cousin, Irene wins far too much, she has to have cheated, but whatever. No biggie. I'm no sore loser. So she took 5 HK dollars from me the other day. Whatever. Jk. Irene wins fair and square and I just have to suck it up.

The other big thing our family does together is eat. Post to come shortly. Enjoy the holidays, y'all! I'll be spending the New Year in BEIJING! 好好玩！

Yea, We Hit That

2009-10-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

That being the LA County Fair.
Thanks to KKuo's keen fiscal ways, we were able to score ourselves a night out on the town courtesy of some super-saving tickets purchased with a coupon from Von's.

We got our game on trying to toss a ring around the duckies. FAIL.
We devoured a juxtaposical frozen deep-fried banana. WIN.
We posed for silly pictures (KKuo wasn't really posing)

Highlight of the evening would definitely have to be riding Speed, the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on! And as a roller coaster connoisseur, I've gone through my share of loops and drops. We didn't get a picture on the ride since, well, the camera probably would have whipped off my face, smashed on the ground and broken into a million pieces but this shot of us in front of the ride will have to suffice.
Fairs are fun in all their hokey animal petting, fried-food eating, shaky ride riding ways. But they're definitely a semblance of summer and now that winter time has come, I'm ready to embrace all that the cold weather (which I looove) has to offer! Bring it!

Love/Hate LA

2009-08-08T02:12:00.000-07:00

After a fantastic evening with Bon-Bon and the Winner, watching one of the silliest, perverse, random, British and uproariously hilarious Tony Award-winning musicals ever, Monty Python's Spamalot, I was walking out of the Ahmanson Theatre to my car, still humming the tunes to "Find Your Grail," when I stopped dead in my tracks to find an absolutely beautiful view of LA's finest nightline. I immediately took out my camera and snapped the shot above.

As much as I know my heart belongs in another location, another city, as much as I wish to be anywhere but here right now, I also know that God has placed me around southern California for a reason. I'm just a little anxious to find out what that reason is. Just a little.

Just something to make taking ballroom dancing classes, driving a minimum of an hour whenever I want to go anywhere worthwhile, overhearing pampered twenty-somethings complain that the apartment their parents bought for them at the luxurious Villas near the Miracle Mile is too small, and being the only person to long for an umbrella when the sun is beaming worthwhile.

That gorgeous view of Downtown LA helps.

Ephesians 5:15 - 17

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Flying Fish!

2009-07-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

After puttering around Portland, we took a lovely train ride to Seattle, home of the first Starbucks, Nirvana and Grey's Anatomy.
Our abode, the conveniently-located Green Tortoise Hostel, provided us plenty of local sights and sounds to meander around.

We first dined at the Three Girls Bakery, a quaint diner where I had the best.meatloaf.sandwich.ever! For some reason, I am a very big fan of meatloaf. It gave me comfort in a time where I had some serious orthodontic discomfort (namely, adult braces).

When traveling with my vintage-loving friend, antique shopping is a must.

Also: funny side story, my sister often loves the finds I pick up in various thrift and antique shops. So she'll borrow it, not knowing its origin and when I tell her where it's from, she'll drop it like it's hot. One day, I will sway her into loving vintage!
Other sites of Seattle...
The first Starbucks ever! Caffeine addicts everywhere have this little joint to blame.

The space needle!
Apple dumplings! Okay, so Seattle isn't famous for apple dumplings or anything but us being country bumpkins thought they were so we purchased it to taste. It was aitte.

The gorgeous Purple wine bar.

A lovely time had with lovely friends. :) Highly recommended to check out when in the city.

Of course, Pike Place Market: home of the flying fishes. When you order a fish, these burly fishing men would toss the fishes around to each other. Each person one tosses it to would perform a step in cutting, cleaning and wrapping it up until it is all ready for you to take home and devour.

Pretty. :) I like pretty things.

'Twas a lovely vacation and the last one I'll probably have for awhile. (I'm a working girl now.) While I'm on hiatus, why don't you check out my talented photojournalist bud's beautiful, The World Less Traveled blog. He should be an okay replacement for me for now, I guess (keke).

*Once again, the breathtaking pictures are courtesy of Helen Wong.

I Love Art

2009-07-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Gallery Row, Culver City

and

LACMA

and

Liz

and

cheap beer

and

amazing Californian weather

and

eye candy galore.

Pretty Portland

2009-06-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Portland may not be the number one spot for a vacation but it was the perfect place for a weekend getaway for four overworked, over-schooled young ladies. The scenic routes, the fresh air, the abundant bicycles, ahhhhh...

We frequented many a shops but my favorite was poking through the ones of the antique variety. My family doesn't really like old things so I hardly ever get to play with 1950's cameras or don 1930's hats in their presence. Luckily, my kindred spirit doth favor the aged goods so we made many a trips to antique shops.

Favorite spot: The infamous Powell's Books. Picture this:

A gigantic treasure trove filled with books of all ages, sizes and races. Some at discounted prices, some just off the presses, new, old, fancy, simple, I WAS IN HEAVEN!

aaaaahhh....

Portland: definitely good for one or two days. Any more and...you just may want to fall asleep in the grass with a book.

*the gorgeous snapshots are courtesy of the one and only Helen!

Dear Helen

2009-06-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Helen and I were meant to be friends. Everyone who knows the two of us knows and says so. From our outlandish laughs to our love of all things colorful, musical and quaint, our two quirky souls were meant to align.

She's also a passionate traveler, so it was inevitable that we would embark on a journey together.

Before we traveled, Helen did the MOST AMAZING thing. She itinerar-ized our entire trip and made us handy dandy schedules containing all the useful information that one might need while traveling. I still have that guide and friends are still calling me asking to borrow it to use as a model for when they're planning their trips.

Oh and what a journey we had! Read on for deets (and pretty pictures!)

Meant to Be

2009-06-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

"Janice, I'm Annie and I'm here to take you to the airport."

I blearily peek out under fatigue soaked lashes and stare up to see this blurred figure of a girl sitting at the end of my bed, staring down at me. Beside her is a young chap, worriedly pacing my tiny bedroom. I have no idea who both these people are.

"That's my boyfriend, James." Annie gestures at the boy.

"James?" I grumble, "but isn't your boyfriend's name Jerry?"

"What? No!" Annie exclaims. She then pulls out her phone and whispers, "Helen, I think she's...drunk!"

Helen, over the phone, adamantly states, "What? Just get her out of there. We have a plane to catch!"

I suppose I should back up and explain what happened. Run through the events that occurred hours before this bizarre exchange took place.

I am, by no means, an easy person to travel with.

You remember those terrible times in Thailand...or how about my little mishap in France...

But this time, I should be punished for my actions. I should be hit. I should be knocked out.

Oh wait. I was.

Knocked out, that is.

On Thursday, May 21, the night before I had to board a plane at 7:40 in the morning to fly to Portland for a fun rendezvous weekend with the girlfriends, I accidently celebrated my last LCC cast party a little too hard. I ended up back at my apartment at 5 in the morning and listened to some ill-advice about taking a one hour nap. I never woke up.

Well, I eventually did, to Annie's poking and shaking.

Annie and I have never met. We were going on this trip together through our mutual friend Helen. Because Helen doesn't live around LA, Annie and I decided to carpool to the airport together. She and her boyfriend (tried to) pick me up around 6 that morning but because I was KO'd, they ran through flames and knocked down walls to get to my bedroom and tried to forcibly, in person, get me into their car.

I did eventually hop in to the car but only after two annoying times of, "wait, I think I forgot my contact lenses."

We ran into the airport but that morning, fate just did not want us to get on the plane. Through various technicalities, we ended up at our terminal four minutes late. But those four minutes were enough to cause us to miss our flight.

Saddened by her unfortunate luck to be stuck with me, Annie broke down in tears. I felt so bad. I started working to find a solution to our problem and was soon informed of two options. 1) We could buy tickets from another airline for about $500 for the both of us. 2) Be on standby for the next flight.

I calmly approached this poor girl that I had unsettled so seriously and explained to her our choices. I told her I was willing to front the tickets for the other airline. It is a lot of money but I felt so bad for my drunken behavior to cause us to miss the flight that I was willing to pay for both our tickets.

Annie (KINDLY) said that she was willing to be on standby for the next flight. She knew $500 was a lot of money as well and didn't want to see me have to pay for that.

So we had a couple of hours to kill, which we efficiently did, telling each other all about our lives.

To our good fortune, we clicked! She overlooked my faulty ways and the beginning of a beautiful friendship stemmed.

I truly believe everything happens for a reason and this story is proof. So I missed a couple hours of Portland. Big deal, getting to know Annie on a one-on-one basis was a lot more worth it.

DCA

2009-05-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

I love random trips to Disneyland...

Especially when they're free! (thanks sis)

And with new friends!

DCA (Disney's California Adventure) is even cooler

Because it's more growned up (yea, you heard me. I said growned up.)

Which is more fitting for a bunch of early-twenties professionals, grad students, recent grads (oh yea, and me...)

Wish I could have gone to the real Disneyland as well but alas, work beckoned (read in Media Maid post.)

*Thanks for your photo contributions, Sharon and Wes!

Sin City!

2009-04-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

It is the duty of every Californian who has turned twenty one years of age to take a pilgrimage to the city of sin-lights-that never sleeps-what happens here stays here-etc.

As of last week, I have yet to pay my homage to old age.

Yes, I've been all around Europe and Asia, been to the Macau, the Vegas of the East, been to Queen, the hottest club in Paris, been to this, been to that, but I had not stepped foot into Nevada since turning the big 2-1.

But that was as of last week.

As a bon voyage to my final spring break, HK Krew ventured forth to Vegas where bright lights awaited our arrival...

Located in the center of the strip, we were blessed with complimentary rooms (the only way you can drag me to Vegas) at the Planet Hollywood Hotel, fitting since the Planet Hollywood restaurants (do you remember them?) always gypped my family with their $20 burgers and spaghetti dinners. Thanks Will! Thank your uncle for us, please!

We spent our day at the shooting range poppin' some bullets into the ol' AK-47 and then some into my most dreaded enemy: an illustrated profile of a zombie.

Such a bad-ass, huh?

I was actually very, very nervous as we got to the shooting range. When I had enthusiastically suggested the idea at the beginning of our trip, it had not dawn on me that we would actually be using guns, loathsome weapons that have killed many and injured many more. The Gun Store turned out to be a very safe place and the man assured us that bigger guns were actually easier to use than small pistols. Here are our results.

Lol, when my friend Jenn (far right) asked for her target, she said, "Can I get Obama, please" and the man corrected her, "You mean Osama, right?" I surely hope she means the latter because that girl tore into her target like no other.

My friends (with the exception of Will and Jenn) aren't big gamblers so I wasn't as tempted to throw all my money away onto the green table as I normally would be if I were around other company--namely my family. Instead, we threw our money away at the arcades of Circus Circus. Jeff was adamant about winning a stuffed animal so he played all the games of our glory years. He played...

and played...
and FINALLY won a miniature cow at the chicken pounding booth!
...which he promptly gifted to me (most likely because I teased him so badly for not winning anything for the longest time). I named the cow Lucky because I like to name things. (see: Oliver MacArthur)

Eating was a pleasure (but also a pain) because...look at the size of this thing! It's just asking for a heart attack.

Our dinner was comp'd (these things happen when you're VIP) but none of us truly enjoyed it to the fullest extent because we were all still full from lunch. Darn you, un-expandable stomach!

We also wanted to save room to consume other things. Namely, the giant yard long drinks that seems to be a must-tote around Vegas.

A Vegas trip isn't complete without a night out at the clubs. We were offered entrance to most of the hot spots around town; Prive, Tao, but we wanted to check out the newest, hence most elusive, XS.

For the longest time, things looked hopeless. The line at XS stretched farther than Margarita Mondays at Acupulco and my leopard-printed 4-inch pumps were killing me. But eventually, we got in because we're...well, girls and pretty attractive. (And my friend finally got ahold of the promoter that unlocked the velvet ropes)

When we got in the club, the first thing I noticed was how not packed it was. I hate it when people throw that exclusivity thing around to build more hype. When you have the goods, share it! But that's how the game is played, I suppose.

The gals with Jeff, who bought my first drink of the night. Thanks friend!

Finally, the drive home. I would have to say, I actually enjoy our long drives to and from Vegas. That's the time when we bond the most, share the most, laugh the most. I'll cherish these moments when I'm old and rich and don't drive anymore because I'll own a private jet. =)

Vegas trip was definitely a success! Except for one thing: why do guys always feel that the best pick-up line for me is, "What ethnicity are you?" or "Wow, you're really tall." Do you really think that demonstrating a confusion to my "exotic" looks or commenting on my towering state of presence is going to get you anywhere? Sometimes the best opening is just a simple, "Hello." *swoon.

*muchos gracias to Jenn and Jeff for letting me steal their pictures to tell parts of my story.

2009-02-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

Oh my pretty little blog, how I've missed updating on you!

The economy's been kind of a bummer lately and I am trying hard not to indulge myself by going on trips and journeys. That means no Vegas trips (unless all expense-paid), no NYC visits (on again, all expense-paid. Any takers?), no spontaneous jaunts to Mexico (I'm still waiting on that all expense-paid) for awhile.

But I'll have plenty to keep me busy. One of them is this new blog that I've started called "Media Maid." You can visit it at www.mediamaid.blogspot.com. I haven't gotten very far with it but hopefully, I'll be updating more regularly in the near future. This new blog will probably chronicle me as I navigate my way through the media world, whether it's hanging out with Al Pacino (you know, Michael Corleone) for the afternoon or just flipping through the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. We'll see how this goes!

Once again, thanks for reading, readers. I've cherished every verbal and typed comments I've received about this blog but the more comments the better! It's always great to hear feedback because that's what helps me as a writer and blogger.

I suppose I shall leave you with a very beautiful picture reflecting on California's unusually sunny outlook to these otherwise gloomy economic times.

Photo taken by dear Clark. Snazzy, wouldn't you say?

2009-01-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

"Travel isn't always pretty, it isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But thats okay, the journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you and hopefully you leave something good behind. "

Anthony Bourdain

Adieu

2008-12-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

Zhoi Gin, Hong Kong! This is not goodbye, just see ya later.

This semester abroad has definitely been a mixed bag of emotions. There were severe highs and outrageous lows. There were tragic tears but also unbelievable joys. But the best thing that I walked away from the last half year was learning. Learning from my mistakes, learning from my experiences, learning from what I saw, what I tried, who I met.

Here are some special folks that I want to shout out to. Those that have made my semester at Hong Kong so unbelievably memorable.

EAP Group

I've never really had a group before. Never felt the need to tie myself down with one group of friends. I've always been more of a nomad, a wanderer. But I have to say, I definitely had so much fun with these guys in Hong Kong this year. Partying, cheering eachother on at basketball games, 10PM sushi dinners, traveling. You guys were a barrel of laughs, a bucket of fun and a truckload of love. Thanks for all the good times guys! Let's hang out when we get backkkkk!! I better see you all on Bruinwalk!

As much as I loved hanging out with a group, my nomad tendencies still pluck at my heartstrings. These are some one on oners that I also enjoyed spending my time with.

Annie

Girlfriend, this is going to sound soooo cheesy but I knew since the first day that I saw you at R.C. Lee when I was moving in that we were going to be great friends. It was confirmed when we went out that first night and we made that special...revelation. There's no one else I like to go clubbing with better and no one else I like to chat until the wee hours of mornings with. You call me on my shit and I am so grateful for your no-nonsense New York honesty. I can't wait to visit you in the East Coast someday (soon) and you better come over to Cali! I just realized we never went traveling together. Put that on your to-do list, okay? Okay.

Will

BF! Who would have known when we first met eachother at Jono's birthday dinner that we would end up exploring Hong Kong (and then some) together? Thanks for bursting my bubble on boys and helping me with everything, from spotting me 8 bucks to shopping with me to being my "Russell." You know way too much about me so I need to stay on your good side! Or else I'm afraid all our mutual friends-and boy, do we have a lot of mutual friends-will probably get an earful of humiliating Janice stories. Team Dynasty FTW!

Valerie

Oh my twinsie. You've been such a blast to get to know this semester. Who knew I would find my other half in a Caucasian girl from Sheboygan? I'm so sad we didn't get a chance to say a proper farewell but I'll definitely be seeing you around ol' City of Industry soon right? I mean, we lived through Thailand together! We can make it through America! I hope you're having a blast with your family and friends back home. 30 Rock update soon!

Sara

Oh girly, class with you has been so fun this semester. Hopefully, we'll have more! I loved scarf shopping with you and talking about the sweet life in Switzerland. I know we'll have more of these moments back in LA and I can't wait.

Jeff and Jenn

Oh you two. I've never shared more laughs or developed more insights to the world and the people living in it than when I'm with you two. You're both always down for anything and everything, not like some party poopers that we know (speaking of poopers.....) I love our laughs and our goofy dorkiness. BRUINWALK REUNION PLEASE!

The Family

One of the main reasons I chose to stay in Hong Kong this semester was so I could spend more time with my cousins, Cissy and Irene. As usual, you gals were the most gracious hostesses and provided me with everything I could ever hope for and more. I hope you had as much fun being entertained by my awkward, clumsy, general Janice-ness as I was with your amazing Wang sister beauty, presence, charm and success. I love you guys and can't wait until we next see each other!

I'll probably be staying put around LA for the next couple of months but that doesn't mean I won't be updating! (After all, a trip to Vegas is still traveling, right?) And also, be prepared for another blog I'm brewing up soon...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be jolly!

Christmas Eve this year was a tad bit different, more high class, more glamorous, more glitzy. We dined at the elusive H-1 Italian restaurant.

My family loves pictures. We love it even more when we're all decked out and in a pretty place.

After dinner, we sang our hearts out. It wasn't really Christmas carols but it'll do.

Morning after, we all woke up extra early to open presents!!! Despite the current state of the economy, we still managed to make the Christmas tree look cheery and bright.

Jasmine's been a good girl this year. =)

And December 26th meant...BOXING DAY! AFTER-CHRISTMAS SALES!! Jessica and I dressed alike so we can spot each other out on the crowds. You bet we got called twins a lot.
Happy holidays everyone! I'll see you soon!

Family Matters

2008-12-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

With pesky school out of the way, I was able to finally spend some quality time with the familia. My cousin Cissy's kids are growing up so fast! I remember it was just yesterday when she announced she was pregnant.

So much time has passed, so much has changed and yet...sometimes I feel like I haven't progressed as much as the kids. I mean, Jasmine can spell! She knows the entire Camp Rock by heart and can perform it with the right dance moves, facial expressions and everything! What have I accomplished over the past four years?

I love my family. We're a crazy bunch but close as heck. When I'm with them, I get fully absorbed into their world, which is why I've been MIA so often with my school friends at HKU. If I had the time (or enough drive), I would so write a sitcom based on my family. And you would so watch it.

Janice's Untitled Sitcom Project (let's call it The Family for now)

The thinking baby would act as the narrator, voicing the ongoings of the family in his gentle yet objective point of view.

The Family does normal everyday things! Like bake gingerbread men!

Of course half the gingerbread ends up burnt. Chaos and hilarity ensues.

Baby makes cute funny faces! Hilarity ensues!

The Family has photogenic Faces! Great for placing on billboards and in magazine ads.

The Family does impersonation of Sarah Palin! Cheaper version of Tina Fey!
The Family is dysfunctional. But cute.

The Family does normal things! Like go on their Apple laptops...which every single member of The Family owns. Every single one.

I love The Family. Coming soon to a television set near you.

I Flung the Fling

2008-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

This entry was going to come sooner or later.

At first, I thought it was going to be one on how I can't do flings because I'm the type of girl that falls too hard, too fast and is more cautious when treading relationship waters. I'm more of an all-talk, less action sort of gal. Sure, I'll squeal about marrying this boy or gush over how cute that one is but I don't actually do anything about it!

I had been planning on writing an entry on overseas romance. But only from a bystander's point of view because it was not something I had actually personally experienced. Sure, there were a couple of kisses, numbers, and texts exchanged but everything was fleeting. I was too busy traveling, taking pictures, playing with friends, exploring, meeting new people for anything more!

It's a romantic concept. While abroad, you're alone in this new world, away from your closest family and friends. You meet a beautiful stranger and you two only have a limited time together. How can one not succumb to finding a love while studying abroad? All those love stories must have some legs behind them.

I've had many a friends fallen into this spell while abroad. Some came home with new lovers. Some left their old ones for a foreign fling. Some married. Some broke up. I'm sure everyone has stories.

But not me. I never did. I don't do flings. I'm not a fling sort of girl.

Until three weeks ago.

I fell. I fell hard and fast. Our beginning came straight out of a Korean drama (except, you know, neither he nor I were Korean.) For those first couple of weeks, I was living out a fairy tale. So long I have been kissing frogs, have I finally found my prince?

Then I realized that I'm not a princess. (Not yet, anyway) and we live in the 21st century Hong Kong, not Neverland.

He did everything right... and if I were a girl ready to find "The One," I would have been done and over with. But I wasn't and the "thing" became a "fling" which resulted in me finding out that I can't do flings. I have much better things to do with my time. (Like HIMYM waiting for me to watch)

The experience was terribly fun, I must say. I have plenty of stories now! (And you know me, I love stories) I wouldn't take back anything that happened because after all, everything happens for a reason, right? And at least I got a guy to play piano and serenade me out of it. (Just practice for my married life with Wang Lee Hom, I guess)

I'm so glad I didn't put him before Him.

Ahh...to be young and in love...what a wonderful feeling! But to be young and aware of the world and living each moment by being most true to yourself and learning and growing from every experience, even better.

P.S. It's amazing that a single song, (Taylor Swift's "Love Story") can symbolize an entire relationship from beginning to end.

*edit: scratch that. Swift's "Forever and Always" has replaced "Love Story." Actually, Taylor Swift's entire album is super rockin'. I wonder, can you be a Chinese Californian country singer? (Time to start considering future career choices...)

It's Gettin' Hot in Hurr...

2008-12-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

How can a simple boiling pot of vegetables, meats and fish balls taste so divine?

BECAUSE OF THIS~!!

HK hot pot has this assortment of sauces and spices that tickles the taste buds to no end.

Look at all these hungry hands digging in!

Yes, we were full to the max after it all...

But we still made room for birthday cake! Happy Birthday Laura!

I don't normally like hot pot but ever since I had this a week ago, I can't seem to get it out of my mind... I'm definitely taking mama here!!

Wanna Get Away?

2008-11-25T02:01:00.000-08:00

In the midst of studying for finals, writing papers and preparing presentations, some friends and I found a little time to visit Cheung Chau Island for a morning. Having been stuck in the city for so many months, it's a much needed study break.

We first boarded a ship and sailed with produce and meet...

...definitely not a usual traveling companion. But rocking by the dock and catching the Hong Kong skyline from a distance was a welcomed sight.

Once we arrived, we borrowed some bikes (only 20HKD for an entire afternoon!) and explored the little fishing village/island.

The vibe of Cheung Chau is definitely a lot more different than Hong Kong island. Since it is mostly a fishing village, seafood filled the streets...

...finally ending up on our plates

We ordered twelve mostly seafood dishes and 12 bowls of rice for only $538HKD. (that's less than $5USD per person) Food in America will never taste the same again.

T.G.I.F.

2008-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Thank God in Facebook.

This little cyber-wonder has been such an integral part of my college career. It's been my procrastinator, my story-teller, my ad machine, my stalker device, my keeper-in-toucher, my network. There's been times where I'd hate the thing and just want to deactivate and live a completely Facebook-free life. But then I think about how bored I'd be, how many events, news, gossip I would miss and I get sucked right back in. It's not a bad thing as long as it's taken in moderate doses. And once I graduate, I'll eventually wean off of it, right? (So why do my cousins still check it first thing in the morning??!)

One of the best things about Facebook is that it is the ultimate invitation. Got a party? Notify everyone on your friends list and viola, you got yourself a party. Events, meetings, even brainstorming sessions have been done via Facebook.

Which was how we got to ice-skating.

I sent a Facebook message out asking people to... watch a movie. Somehow, we college students with A.D.D. changed the subject which eventually led to ice skating. So off we went on Friday night to Elements to ice skate!

Elements is one of the newest fabulous shopping malls that caters to Hong Kong's rich and famous. But one of their food courts and their skating rink fit within our budgets and made for a delightful Friday evening of burgers and skating on ice.

Now, if only I actually knew how to ice skate. Or to even roller skate for that matter. For some reason, in my happy childhood, somehow anything on skates or wheels skidded blissfully by. I do know how to ride a mean bike so that's some consolation but hobbling around on ice skates when you're 21 and there's 8 year olds whizzing by you in the rink, it can be somewhat of a stressful thing.

I had fun though. With my delightful teachers Alice and Xixi and Luis and Jesse and Janice and whomever else that had the courage to hold my hand, I was able to stand by myself on the ice, walk a little on the ice and even skate alittle . I feel accomplished!

I love the holidays. I love the chunky scarves and long coats. I love the lights and the Christmas cheer. I love the families, the smiles and the long-standing traditions. We had also intended to have a little holiday photo-taking session that day but when you're traveling with 20 people, it gets kinda hard to move around. But trust that we'll be saving that for next time!

The next morning, I awoke with my whole body sore from tensing up on the ice but this little pain was worth it for all the fun and love I had that night. All the more reason I'll miss Hong Kong!

Ocean Park

2008-11-19T06:38:00.000-08:00

My dream date is to spend a day at Disneyland.

Yet, in my twenty one years of life, I have yet to do that. There was the boy that was planning on asking me to be his girlfriend at Disneyland underneath the fireworks but I broke up with him a week before he could do it. There was the boy who promised to take me to Disneyland but broke up with me before he would do it. There was the boy who was too sick to even ride passenger seat in a car, let alone handle Disneyland's Spinning Tea-cups.

So, I did the next best thing.

I went to Ocean Park with a significant other (but not The significant other) and had a beautifully swell Sunday afternoon.

With Annie's student pass and my cousin's maid's SmartPass (I had a dark enough complexion to look like Lynn from the Philippines), we were able to get in free of charge. Kind of like being treated on a date, if you think about it!

We rode the two big kid rides first, a roller coaster and a water rafting one. After being sufficiently pumped and running into my cousin, who just stopped by to...grab a bite to eat with her daughter and then drive back...we headed off to the Headlands rides. This portion of Ocean Park resembles Santa Monica Pier, complete with ferris wheel and everything.

We jived there the rest of the afternoon, conversing about boys and musing about how romantic this date would have been if we were both lesbians. Sigh...if only.

Wouldn't we make such an attractive couple? Her with her New York sophistication and me with my...Californian tourism?

I really shouldn't joke about my sexual orientation. As much as I am for gay rights, (Down with Prop 8!) I get mistaken enough for a lesbian as it is. Wouldn't want to put off potential suitors now, would we?

I know one of these days, my Disneyland fantasy will be fulfilled. Prince Charming, I'm waiting for you!

Ok, so moving on, Christmas is coming up! I may possibly be spending the holidays with my family (ma, pa, sis and all) so I'm really, really excited! Plus, Hong Kong really gets into the Christmas spirit and I've already been asked to sing carols for my halls. Yippy! I've always wanted to sing carols!

*Edit: I did end up going to Disneyland with someone who, at the time, was considered special. It was aitte.

Animal Cruelty

2008-11-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

I was just informed by a concerned citizen for the welfare of wild animals that the tiger temple we visited in Kanchanaburi is under heavy scrutiny for their poor treatment of tigers. The temple claims to have rescued orphan tigers but investigation have revealed that these animals may have been illegally bred and traded with the owner of a tiger farm in Laos. New tigers would come into the temple and old ones would be traded out.

In addition to this disturbing news, it is claimed that the tigers are also being heavily mistreated at the temple. They are often beaten into compliance and though the temple claims that the cats are not drugged, investigations have uncovered that they are sprayed with tiger urine to obey. In the wild, tiger urine is a territorial and aggressive signal so the staff is demonstrating extreme aggression when conducting this.

Though I did not see any of this while I was at the temple, I would believe it. How else can you get the king of the jungle to lounge around like a helpless pussy and have strange hands touching it all day long? I am very sad that Thailand is condoning this kind of behavior and tricking tourists into believing that the tigers are being kept in a safe and healthy environment. Though I did get an awfully cool picture out of it, I am urging that any of you who are planning on going to Thailand in the future to not take part in this. Save your 300 baht and go to a ping pong show or something. (I'm just kidding, don't. Those shows degrade human beings.)

Here are a few more links for more information on yet another THAILAND SCAM:

http://www.careforthewild.com/files/tt_news_release%2020-06-08.pdf

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080620-tiger-temple.html

http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/thailand/616_Tiger-Temple/0

Thanks for the heads up, Jane!

Fate

2008-11-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's funny how things work out sometime.

With only one and a half months left in Hong Kong, I had been planning a last AWESOME trip to Korea to end my half year of travels. This was going to be the creme de la crop. All my closest friends know I have not-so-secret ambitions of becoming a korean pop-star and this trip was going to help me make it. (Or at least give me some eye candy for a couple of days).

But then Thailand happened. I became wary of traveling and I was/am really disappointed in myself for being so naive and gullible. I became scared of parting with hard-earned dollars. I became guilty for playing so much and not being productive enough.

So though my friends tried their darned hardest to convince me to go, using lines like, "we'll never hang out like this back in LA" and "money you can always earn back but memories are priceless" (and it worked, I swear I was swayed for a good long time!), in the end, I decided not to purchase my plane ticket.

I was still debating over this up until about an hour ago when I received a phone call from my mama. She sounded tired. We exchanged the usual pleasantries and then she casually dropped in the fact that she was going to have surgery a couple of weeks from now.

Um..say what?

Ok, so the surgery is not that serious but surgery is surgery. (unless if it is, say, bunion surgery or eyelid surgery then maybe it's not that serious but even then, you'd have my utmost support.) So when I heard that she'll have to stick around Shanghai for at least another couple of weeks, I immediately told her I can fly to Shanghai and visit her for a couple of days. Normally, my mom would decline saying she'll see me in just a month but this time, she immediately said yes. So it is definitely the right thing to do. AND I GET TO SEE MY MOMMY BEFORE JANUARY!

The irony in all this is definitely not lost on me. For the Korea trip, even though my friends were using all these convincing and appealing points to tell me why I should go and even though I really really do want to go, something in my gut held me back. I know everything happens for a reason and now, I think I see what that reason was for.

Oh God, you are so wise. I thank you for your endless guidance and aide in times of hardship and unhappiness. You have only shown me once again that everything has a purpose and only time will reveal what that purpose is. I know I am impatient in so many ways but once again, you have taught me that immediate gratification will never fill the longing in my soul. I need so much more. I need You.

I Lost Weight from Thailand...

2008-11-18T08:36:00.002-08:00

...and I didn't like it.

Ok, sure I like how the top looks a little better on me now or that I don't have that muffin top popping out of my jeans but I went to Bangkok expecting, at best, to get fat and happy! Or at worst, to get sick from gorging on good (but sanitarily-wary) grub! Though neither happened, I did enjoy a couple of Thai delectables. Some still don't beat the homely comforts of Banana Bay in Rowland Heights, California, (I mean, I grew up on the "Bay" for chrissakes. It's where we spent after-dances and birthday parties, late night snacks or group meetings. As they say, an important aspect of food is the memories they conjure up.) but they'll do.

Tom Yum Vermicelli noodles. I wanted the red soup-based one and I even pointed to the picture but the lady at the airport employee's food court didn't understand and provided me with this instead. OOh how it hit the spot! Spicy but tangy and vibrant with flavor. This was a good start to our food adventures.

Shaved ice must be an Asian thing because there are variations of this in at least four different countries.

But I think it may be only in Thailand where you can select from such colorful toppings as potatoes or corn.

This is a famous Thai dessert: sweet purple rice with coconut gelatin on top wrapped in banana leaves. I engulfed it for breakfast one morning.

Fried bananas! Don't let my delectable picture fool you. The actual snack was placed on an open grill in the middle of the day, where tons of flies were gnawing away on it. I was really fearful of ordering it but I thought, "heck, what's the worst that can happen to me? I live in the bathroom for a couple of days? Bring it on!" I didn't have to live in the bathroom but the thought that flies got to my food before I did kind of affect my liking for the snack.

Seafood Tom Yum noodle soup. This was ordered at a very touristy restaurant in Khao Sun area but it nonetheless was a delicious meal. The soup really hits the spot with all its spiciness and flavoring! I can see why it is the most craved Thai dish of all. It truly deserves that title!

What's Thailand without a little Thai iced tea? Ordered at the Platinum mall, I suspect Thai iced tea may just be a concoction to lure tourists but it's still cold and refreshing nonetheless.

Fried everything! I love my grease and crunchy chip-munching as much as the next girl so it was quite a delight to be able to taste a bunch of more innovative ways to make chips. My favorite was the fried taro slices though I went home with a bag of fried bananas. I'm sorry, I didn't know where my loyalty lies.

In what I didn't know would be my last Thai meal on the trip, (the next day, we woke up late and had to rush to the airport so no yummy Thai lunch for us) I ordered a supremely spicy papaya sliced shrimp salad. It was really really good but I couldn't get halfway into it because I was dying! I went through two glasses of water and two glasses of iced coffee but I still couldn't take on the chili-monster. I've failed but there will be a next time. I'll practice my spicy-resistance and come back for you!

I suppose I really should be glad that my waistline didn't expand on this trip. I have a goal to lose a couple of pounds by the end of this year and this trip was supposed to have been a setback (a setback I gladly would have taken, mind you). But this is good because now I can continue on my healthy streak and hopefully, have a slimmer, svelter body to look at by the new year!

Kanchanaburi: The Wild Wild East

2008-11-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

FINALLY, after the whole thai mafia gem scandal fiasco, we had one last day to do things right. Sick of Bangkok (literally, we were getting sick. Val had a fever), we decided to go on a tour sold to us by our friend Urth to Kanchanaburi, a little place two hours away from the city.

First stop on the tour was a little morose.

The next stop didn't get any better. This is the the Bridge on the River Kwai. Thousands of WW2 soldiers were help captive here and died building this bridge.

I always wondered how one should pose when standing in front of a tragic monument or historical site. It seems kind of strange to me that thousands of tourists smile at places (like this bridge) when historically, this was a place of deaths and sorrows. But what can I say, I'm a tourist. Until I can find a better expression for grim historical locations, cheese!

Below are some bikes that Japanese troops rode on while in Kanchanaburi. I can't help but think that they're so cute! They're super retro and easy on the eyes. Now that I'm counting down to the days when I get home, I can't wait to start looking for a bike of my own. =)

Gruesome right? I don't think this is a very family-friendly tour.

The bridge.

Next, we went elephant riding! I was feeling bad for the elephants because they have to carry heavy ol' us on their backs all day long but then figured that we're kind of their livelihood. If tourists like us don't ride them, they probably won't get fed as well. And we're not THAT heavy, are we? I really wanted to get lifted by the trunk of the elephant but this was a place that didn't do that. Darn. Maybe next time.

After elephant riding came elephant feeding! Poor Sara looks a little fearful of the hungry elephant.

In the afternoon, we frequented a very pretty waterfall. Tons of Thais were vacationing, taking a dip in the pool and having picnics. I miss picnics-haven't had one since Paris-picnic HK-style, anyone?

Haha, this baby sure knows how to live huh? She was knocked out in a crowded, hot, food vendor area.

We also ventured into a tiger temple and petted some tigers!

I don't know if pet is the correct word since the poor kittens were all drugged up and I was too scared that I merely stiffly placed my hand as far away from the tigers' mouths as I can. The lady who was leading me to get my pictures taken took me to so many tigers! I guess they don't want anyone complaining about any of the shots so they try to get you to take as many pictures as you can with as many tigers. Which is good, but sometimes leads to photos like this...

and this...

I was so weirded out by the drugged up tigers!

The trip ended with a train ride back to civilization.

Thailand's beauty is abundant but sometimes you have to search a little harder to find it.