tiffany's

I'm lovin' this commercial! Its everything I love about weddings. From the setting to the song, wow, I really like it. Another part to like about it...Rob Buckley's in it!

Quote: Time/Life

Life is simply time given to man to learn how to live.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” -Plato

New Camera

So my mother got me a new camera as my belated birthday present. It is due time to get a camera considering my casio is pretty ancient considering the technology nowadays. She got me a Canon G12. Also a baby step into my new revived interest in photography. She couldn't have gotten it for me at a better time since we're heading to Peru in less than 2 weeks. I have decided to get into photography lately . I got into it about 2 years ago when I took a photo class at Choate. Started reading up on it. Lets see how far I could take this. lol (sometimes I'm not so hopefully since I lose interest in things pretty quickly). But, I'm really excited to use it. Hopefully, I'll be able to play with it and post some pictures up soon!

p.s.-Shes planning to get a dslr (the 600D) before so I'm also excited to get to play with that soon. lol hopefully...

Beastly

A couple days ago, I finally decided to watch Beastly. I downloaded it a couple weeks ago but I wasn't desperate at all to get to watching it. When I ran out of things to watch after I finished Raising Hope last week (I was also saving up episodes of Community and Friday Night Lights to watch when I get to Peru), I decided to give Beastly a try. I just like really small bits of it when I skimmed through the file to see if I was a good version but it was one of those movies which was just on my hard drive. I watched the trailer before actually starting the movie and I actually wanted to see more.

Yes, it is one of those sappy and really cheesy (yes, I mean really.) chick flicks but hey, I'm a huge sucker for those. It is based on the storyline of Beauty and the Beast which is set in modern times. Obviously, the acting wasn't great considering Vanessa Hudgens is in it and the male lead isn't too popular. I still really liked it though. I don't care what everyone says but I really liked it. Whatever, it is at least something to keep me from boredom.

pretty royal affair

I keep looking at this picture so many times. I love looking at Kate Middleton's wedding dress over and over the again. And this picture especially I really like. I really like her sense of style and this picture in general. It would be slightly creepy if I printed it out and stuck in on my wall of something though. Yeah, I'm not doing that.

Quote: Stars

Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I know, I know. For those who know me, you'll constantly hear me complaining about my dad, ranting about him or hating on him in general. Yes, I do admit I have daddy issues but thats probably because I'm stubborn and in denial. My father is also an extremely stubborn man so of course, when you put two stubborn people together, something is bound to go wrong. Being quite a sensitive gal and he being an almost emotional-less man, we constantly ended up in arguments. Putting all my repressed feelings of him aside, he really is my hero (though many time I may say it with hesitation).

Throughout my life, my father has provided really well for me because he didn't want me to live a life through the hardships like he did. He provided me to life happily and presented me with some of the best opportunities but he also taught me to survive and fight for the future. The experiences and opportunities he has given me are all in hopes to prepare me for the future when he and my mom are no longer here. One of the most important lessons I have learned from my dad is that we have to fight in order to survive and succeed. With hard work and determination, nothing is impossible. He never had the opportunity to go to college but he showed me that with hard work (and perhaps a bit of luck), you will succeed. He always says, " like salmon, we must always swim against the current." He taught me to keep on swimming and fighting and never give up because tomorrow will always be a better day.

I still remember the time when I had a science project in 4th grade. It was an egg drop and we have to figure out a way and design something to drop an egg down 3 floors without breaking it. I remember the enthusiasm and joy that I had when I told my father and he agreed to help me. Looking back, I felt that it was really one of those bonding moments between a father and daughter that I will never forget. I'll never forget the joy and feeling of success that I had after we built out box and how confident I was when I brought it to school on Monday. I was so excited to show the teacher the design that my father and I built together. Until today, I still remember the exact design for this egg drop.

CRH Graduation '09

What my father has given me doesn't just stop there. He provided me with the one of the best and most unforgettable experiences of my life. I didn't realize this until it all ended. Without my father, I would not have had the opportunity to go to Choate. I remember the first day I went to Choate, standing in my room in Nichols wondering why my father would ship me off to boarding school. I knew it would make me smarter at the time. Even as a senior in Choate, I was still in doubt why this was such a good opportunity for me. It was not until I graduate and left did I realize what it has done for me and how it really changed my life. It was more than just school where I learn as much as possible to go to college. It taught me how to grow up and really "fight" (as my father likes to put it). It prepared me for whats to come in life and really opened me to the world-the things that he always teach me in life. I cannot thank him enough for giving me that opportunity.

Going to college would have seemed like a breeze for me after going to Choate. That was certainly not the case. It was not until recently did my life turn around for me in college. Even though he pestered me and got mad at me, he never stop believing in me. He always believed that I was "swimming against the current" and that one day, things would turn around. There was this time in the past two years that I literally stopped talking to him. I put down the phone on him one night and I did not talk to him for almost 3 months. I even ended up in arguments with my mom because of it. Even through that time, he never gave up on me and hoped that I was a salmon and get through it. Though it was hard for me, he always told me to never look back.

Sometimes he does some of the most annoying things in the world and I constantly get mad and annoyed at him. If you know me well enough, you would probably heard me rant about the countless annoying encounters. But at the end of the day, he wanted to provide me with everything good in life so I could live life easier in the future and keep me from getting lost in the big bad world when he is not around anymore. Everyday I fear that I have let him down but he has never given up on me. And, that means the a whole lot more than anything else. Words cannot describe how much I owe him for all the things that he has given me to make me a happier and more fruitful person. Every day, he swims like a salmon, always against the current. To fight for a better life for me. I cannot be ever more grateful for all of it. I guess thats enough sappiness for now. Happy Birthday, Daddy!

home

I'm home after spending part of my summer taking classes and spending some time with old friends.

Here is what I've been up to since I got home a couple days ago:

Really laid around at home. You would think that I'd be constantly out and about and going kind of crazy but I'm kind of a home body and I really like spending time at home and doing close to nothing. One of the only reasons why I come home is to spend time with my parents, especially my mom. I don't get to see her that often and I love spending time with her even if its just sitting and talking to her over lunch or coffee. Coming home for the summer is really the only time I can really relax. When I relax, I like to do a little bit of roaming and going out but really doing close to nothing. Though I do come home for winter break, the festivities that goes on in the household during Christmas and New Years Eve (my father treats it like his Birthday and Christmas all into one. One of the biggest celebrations every year) we have just doesn't leave me room to do my own thing. Love the holiday festivities and the busy time with family and family friends but i also like time at home doing close to nothing and no one bothering me.

I probably ate like 3 bowls of fish ball noodles over the course of 2 days. Yes, all I need to be satisfied is a bowl of fish ball rice noodles and a cup of milk tea. I'm kind of easy to satisfy when I'm at home.

Spent time with Jean. Didn't get to spend too much time with over since shes leaving for Tibet tomorrow but in those couple of hours I did get to hang out with her, we managed to really reminisce the middle school days ( you'll soon come to realize I like to reminisce about things). We got good laughs out of the time when we went to Outward Bound for a 7th grade trip over lunch at a singaporean place, Asian Twist. It seemed so long ago and seemed so brutal at the time. Now looking back, it is kind of hilarious to think back at all the foolish things we did and all the happenings of it. I wonder how I would have tackled Outward Bound now after growing up a bit.

The one thing that I really don't like about being at home (well being in Hong Kong) is the humidity. It is so humid in this city. To makes things a tad bit brutal is that there isn't air conditioning at home. Yeah, my father believes in green living and I guess this is his way to doing so. When I go out for a walk with my mother in the mornings, it doesn't take long for me to sweat and the sweat just sinks in for hours. Showering twice a day has not been an consideration for me in a while. Oh, and the mosquitos. Even though I did get slightly bitten sitting out on the porch at Sneha's last week, I have already been bitten many times.

I guess that one thing I really need to get on really soon is shopping. When I went to Cotton On with Jean the other day, I saw a couple of things that I liked but didn't get them because I didn't have enough cash with me. Need to get on it real soon.

Also excited for my upcoming trip to Peru. I really need to get up on reading about it so I don't feel completely uninformed on the history and culture when I get there.

I promise I'll update again soon (perhaps in the next 2 days or so).

one complete post

So here is what I have been up to since I last updated (I feel like I haven't posted a descent blog in quite some time):
After july 4th weekend up in New Hampshire with some of the most awesomest people in the world (really, it was great), I drove back to Connecticut with Sneha. It is always good to be back in the town that I spent 4 years in. We drove back to Choate only to have a couple of awkward moments. It is good to see that most things stayed the same with some minor renovations. Driving by memorial and hill house circle just bring back lots of great (and also some not so great) memories of high school. Thinking back, it was actually some pretty great 4 years of my life (though at the time all I wanted to do was get out of the "slums"). Even just chilling at Sneha's place just brings back a ton of memories.

Got to hang out with Shoshi. We went to a Thai and Pho place that used to be Ann's Diner. I missed the many breakfast sandwich places around Wallingford. Well obviously, the food at this Thai place does not compare to all the Thai food I have ever eaten (come on, its a small town in CT) but it was not terrible or anything. We ordered us some drunken noodles and Massaman Curry. The lady who worked there was really nice. She even thought we went to Choate. haha

Made a day trip into the city with Sneha and Shoshi. We went to the Chinese embassy and checked it out (no, my friend had to turn in her visa application). Checked out the New School only to find that the information center is closed on Friday (really, who does that? lol). But the buildings are incredible. They are so nicely designed and it just looks amazing on the inside. I told Shoshi that I wouldn't leave the city this time without going to Serendipity. This is like probably my 3rd attempt and still haven't tried it (and I have gone to the city countless times). Its starting to get a little embarrassing. Made up for the failed attempt to Serendipity (yet again) by checking out sprinkles. The red velvet was really good. Also tried the Chai Latte (special flavor). It was really good. Personally, I think its better than Crumbs and some of the other cupcake places I have tried. Though I'm not quite sure if it beats Magnolia. Well, obviously had to do some shopping. Who leaves the city with their hands empty?

Successfully made it back to the Bay Area without any delays. This is certainly the FIRST in history. Had dinner with my roommates for one last time all together. We went to Trattoria La Sicilicana. The pulled pork stew pasta was really good. It was their Boss of Sauce dish. They also had homemade tiramisu to end the meal. I'm not sure whether I like my tiramisu drenched in rum which makes it very soggy.

Before heading over to my aunts the next day, we headed to TapEx for snow bubble and crispy chicken. I ordered the grape snow bubble which probably wasn't the best idea (it wasn't disgusting or anything). I'm probably going to try Matcha next time.

Flight home got delayed but it was only an hour wait. Catched up on some of the movies and tv shows. Got started on watching Raising Hope. Always wanted to get into it and I finally did. It is pretty hilarious and somewhat realistic at the same time. I got the rest of the season and hopefully I'll finish it in the next week or so.

Coming up: another post on what I have been up to since I got home.

m.i.a

been kind of busy traveling back and forth lately but i'm on my way home. i shall update a lot more once i return home.

until then,
j

pooh bear

call me childish but i don't care. i really want to watch this. the graphics so much prettier in this one!

Great 4th of July Weekend

this post doesn't really do my weekend justice. there are so many things to rave about but here are some of the highlights:

this picture certainly doesn't do lake winnipesaukee justice. but look at the beautiful weather!

Saturday

sneha and sarah at the house. and pickle in the back (creepy) but all having a good time!

after much stress and frustration, i finally made my way to ct. the drive up to new hampshire from ct was definitely not bad at all. got to catch up with one of my best friend, sneha. got there, hopped onto a boat with my other best friend and her family. had a blast just chilling on the lake and catching up.

Sunday

the awesome shooting game i played. it was pretty cool though i was pretty bad at it.

our awesome sailor hats! you can guess what i'll be for Halloween this year!

the sun wasn't out. starting raining but we still made use of the day. went to visit a friend at work and checked out the arcade. played my first motorcycle game. it surprisingly easier than driving games in my opinion. oh, i played this shooting game where you shoot at things and it moves or makes noise. it was really traditional and cool. we played skee ball and a bunch of other traditional arcade games. with the level of our skills, we didn't get to redeem much with our tickets. we only got 32 tickets combined and considering each ticket is 1/2 a point, we didnt get much. lol we redeemed outselves some tacky butterflies stickers, a small parachute guy and a blue asian looking fan. all of which can probably be bought with less than 3 bucks at a store. but hey, at least we had fun! we also bought matching sailor hats from the mount washington gift store. we just had too.

Monday

(top to bottom: all from july 4 fireworks on the boat. with pickle and sneha!)

the sun finally decided to show up! i was ready to soak it all it! sarah decided to head out early to return to school, which sucked because i wanted to spend more time with her. we got up, headed to brunch at a diner called george's. that breakfast sandwich i had was great! probably one of the best i had. i ordered a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. it was really good! then, we headed out to the outlets in tilton for a bit of shopping with the girls. hit up all the shops. considered getting a feather extention (i'll talk about that a bit later). surprisingly didn't go a splurge. headed back to the house and got onto the boat. we spent the rest of the afternoon on the lake. chilled and went swimming as usual. and of course, sitting out in the sun with good company! had a traditional july 4th meal-burgers and hot dogs. after dinner, we got back onto the boat and watched the fireworks in meredith. usually i think fireworks are overplayed (considering i live in hong kong and they have fireworks for almost every holiday they celebrate) but this was pretty cool and enjoyable. the glow sticks we had made it better. started some chanting game with some 8 year olds in the boat next to us. certainly was ridiculous but hey, at least we're having a good time and it never hurts to teach kids about american history in a fun way on an important day in american history!

and now, i'm here. already missing the great weekend i had. definitely one of the best times in the year where i get to hang out with my best friends and their family by the lake and getting away from all stuff i have to deal with in the real world. simply just chilling and enjoying the beautiful weather and the lake! one of the best summer activities every year and probably one of the best weekends i have had (the past two july 4ths were bomb).

all the photos from sneha's camera and there are ton more! definitely some great pictures to look back on of some great-ass (yes, i had to put the ass in for better effect) memories! certainly memories of a life time!

so in sum (if you don't want to read all the blabbering i made earlier), this weekend was filled with:
sun
beautiful weather
fun
the lake and the boat
beer and other refreshing drinks
good company
uno attack
movies
shopping
good times
and good memories!

yeah, i know. all i have done raving about my awesome weekend. i still can't get over it! and a blog post simply can't do it justice and how i feel about it.

definitely an excellent start to my summer (despite the traumatic experience i had earlier)! now back to ct to spend more time with my bestie and catch up with old friends (its been too long)! in less than 2 weeks, i'll be heading home. no school and no homeworks and no stress is just the summer i like!

emergency landing?

so my summer isn't off to a very good start. well fine, yesterday i went to grab a free dinner with my roommates before i headed out to the airport. after that, everything went down hill from there.

Let me tell you. this ad is completely b.s. because not once have I travelled with united over the past 3 years domestically have I ever arrived on time.

i always tell myself, do not ever take united ever again. well, i guess i'm one who doesn't listen because i foolishly decided to get a ticket off united again for this weekend.

and who would have guessed? my flight got delayed again. because of what? weather? no. mechanical issues? yes. it always happens. why are united planes all so faulty that they always have mechanical issues? i don't think i've ever gotten somewhere on time when traveling with united.

and each time it gets worse. just when you can't get worse than a 3 hour delay because of mechanical problems, the captain tells everyone to prepare for an emergency descend and carefully read the safety manual on the brace position and know where the exits to evacuate are. after spending 3 hours fixing the problem and a thoroughly safety check, why would the computer system suddenly shut down just when we're about to land? i don't know.

everything from the operations to the customer service is extremely flawed with united, the ground staff is rude, the customer service kiosk are also long and take forever, mechanical problems, countless delays.

whether this is karma or not? i still don't know.

but i now know...do not every travel with united ever again.

get me to CT already. well, i guess it can only go up from here.