Spring Break with Family

April may have past, but let's stroll back to memory lane shall we? I know, I'm a little late. My apologies as I juggled school, work, and career related matters. Nevertheless, I still love to share my food adventures with you! Be patient with me as it takes some time sifting through pictures to use. Many posts in drafts in the works, so keep a look out for them throughout this summer!

During Spring Break, I was able to have lots of family time. Always good to be able to be home for the break. Home sweet home, am I right?

One of the many food stops was The Congee. Always good to have some congee when I'm back home. Probably one of the many comfort foods for me. The fish balls had a little kick to it, with a spicy sauce it. It was alright. Without the spice would have been better for me, since I don't like spicy foods much. Both congees were delicious. I'm bias but I like preserved egg with shredded pork congee better. The beef congee had a little bit of pepper in it, but overall it was good. The lo mein was great. The noodles were amazing, flavorful and chewy and the stew was excellent, very tender. The pan fried rolls were also delicious and flavorful.

The Congee: House Special Fish Balls 

Ginger and Scallion with Beef Congee 

Preserved egg with shredded pork congee

Two items Lo Mein with Stew and Fish Tofu 

Special Pan Fried Rolls 

Another food stop was Green Earth Vegan Cuisine. My mom and I ordered one starter - Quinoa Sushi and two lunch specials - Chow Mein and Vegetable Teriyaki and Broccoli that came with the soup of the day. I loved the soup. It was so good! The spinach and tofu were a great combination. The quinoa sushi was very light and delicious. The chow mein dish was great. The noodles had a great texture and just the right amount of flavor. The vegetable teriyaki and broccoli also was great.  

Green Earth Vegan Cuisine: The Soup of the Day -Spinach and Tofu Soup 

Quinoa Sushi 

Vegetable Teriyaki and Broccoli 

Chow Mein 

A second mother and daughter day. We went to Pho Hai Kieu. This trip was inspired by June Quan, on her Instagram account, @stirandstyle. She is a food blogger and documents her food adventures on her Instagram. My mom and I both ordered the Pho Ga Boneless Chicken Slices. Amazing!! I loved how it was really clear and the chicken was juicy and tender. 

Pho Hai Kieu: Pho Ga Boneless Chicken Slices 

Always down to eat Japanese food. I found myself with my parents at Mikomi Sushi in West Covina again. Tonkotsu Ramen (in another post as well)  is still one of my favorites. Ramen and California Rolls. A great combination.

Mokomi Sushi: California Rolls

Tonkotsu Ramen

Food adventure with the parentals. We headed to President Thai and it was a really nice experience. First off, the salad was great. The dressing was amazing, not too heavy, just right. The wonton soup was amazing. The wontons were delicious and the meat was tender and juicy. The soup was really good, just the right amount of flavor. The Cashew Delight was simple yet flavorful. Similar to Kung Pao Chicken except a lot clearer. The Chicken Pad Thai was also amazing. Very authentic. 

Salad

Wonton Soup 

Cashew Delight 

Chicken Pad Thai

Next stop, Marugame Udon with the parentals. It is an order what you want and get what you want as you go down the assembly line to the check out. I got udon, beef, onions, and some fried crumblies. Love noodles, so can't go wrong any way. After filling our tummies, we headed to the Americana. We stayed for a while in Barnes & Noble, reading books. Stumbled upon Laduree, a French bakery with lots of sweets including macaroons! I've been to the Aermicana multiple times, but this time was a little different and extra special. Not only did I get a fun packed day with my parents, but I also got to stroll down memory lane and feel like I am back in Paris. I first heard of Laduree when I was in Paris during my study abroad trip in January. Those macaroons were spectacular. So so good! To see it in America was really nice. Definitely missed Paris a little extra that day.

Marugame Udon

The Americana 

Desert X

A little over a month ago, I was very fortunate to join my sister and her two friends to explore the beauty of Desert X in Palm Springs. Surprisingly, it was super windy at the first location we went to, which had Sterling Ruby's orange geometric sculpture called Specter. Hair my my face, sand in my mouth. Yes, you guessed it, I would talk and I can feel myself crunching away. Nevertheless, worth battling the wind and sand to see this orange beauty in person.

Next stop, Superflex, by Rasmus Nielsen. A pink safe haven from everything. A shelter that reminded me of sponges a little. A gem for the ones who need a place to just feel like home.

Hungry bellies called for... FOOD. We stopped at French Corner Cafe. It brought me back to studying abroad in Paris, as it was a little French cafe with servers who had a French accent. The cordon bleu sandwich with fries was good. The meat and sauces were a great combo and the fries were great. The size of the portion was a little lacking as it was a little bit pricey but was satisfying to eat.

Last stop for the day, Pia Camil's Lover's Rainbow. A simple yet creative design, with a shape of a heart when the sun hits it just right, creating a shadow to make the love symbol.

Definitely one for the books to an end of my spring break adventures.

French Corner Cafe: Cordon Bleu Sandwich 

The Long Haul -> Risks. And. Patience.

Eyes wide open. Teeth guard. Check. Boxing gloves. Check. Get in the ring. Check. There's one opponent. Cool, you got this. Blink once. Another appear. Blink twice. A second appear. Blink a third time. There's a total of five opponents in front of you. Wait, where did all these people come from you think to yourself.

That feeling of one obstacle/situation/task you face and four more comes at you. All at once. Do you have time to defend yourself from all the blows at you? It's scary. You think to yourself: "Can I handle all of this?" There are two strong words that suits any difficult position you are in, when you are engulfed in so much to do, obstacles in your path, and tough decisions or conversations must be made: Risk and Patience.

Risks: There are always going to be challenges/situations thrown at you, whether you are ready for it or not. It can be speaking up for an issue that is bothering you with someone. It can be traveling out of state for the first time. It can be asking someone out on a date. You name it. The list goes on. Choose to take the risk. Do what scares you the most. Those gitters, nervous feeling, heart racing. Those are all signs of you being out of your element. Out of your comfort zone. It's exciting yet scary. That is the exact feeling that will push you to grow. It keeps you on your toes and will teach you a lesson or two. By doing things that scare you, you will discover a little more about yourself. What you like. What you dislike. What you want to keep doing. What you don't want to keep doing. It will allow you to get one step closer to become the person you are always meant to be. You might even discover you can take on five people in a sparring ring when you never even thought you can even take on one person. You may be surprised of what you find out about yourself.

Patience: There are going to be times when you feel you can't reach the light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel goes miles and miles and the more land you cover, you find yourself seeing a longer distance ahead, towards the light. Just like seeing all the fists and kicks thrown at you in a sparring ring. You block and duck and you still keep seeing more and more thrown at you. When is eight minutes up? The journey would not be easy. You will feel defeated along the way. You see others winning and you still inching your way through. Don't. Give. Up. Your time is just not now. Your time will come. It just means you have more to learn before reaching your goal/destination. Keep your hopes up, have faith, and know you are on the right track. Your path is just a little longer but don't fright. Your journey will teach you so much and you will come out of it wiser than you ever would have thought.

The journey is a long haul. Take those risks. Challenge yourself to do different tasks and do what makes your heart race a mile a minute. See each blow as a victory as no victory came without many failures before. Get up every time you get beaten down into the ground. There's a beautiful future ahead for you.

Three Days Without Touching Instagram

During the last week of April, I was engulfed with events I wanted to attend, work, group projects, a paper, applications, and everything else in between. As a result, I took three days off of Instagram. The result of that: I can truly be off of social media if I wanted to.

As most of us, we resort to social media to kill time between classes, when we get bored, and to keep up with what's happening with other people's lives. I do that and plus to keep up to date with what's happening on CSUF campus. But after stepping back from using Instagram, I realized how much time I spent on it. I set a time limit to using Instagram, a 50 minutes each daily for a while now, but I must admit, I usually go pass that. However, when I don't and really listen, I feel a sense of victory, a mini victory.

Don't get me wrong, social media platforms are the best. I don't only use it to keep up to date with friends and such, but I also use it to spread awareness such as mental health or spread the word of causes or situations I am wholeheartedly advocating for. It's a great tool to utilize, but at times, I stumble a spiral or only use it just because.

Without Instagram for three days was honestly amazing. I didn't really care about what was going on with other people's lives as I had to focus on my own and get my work done. I felt more focused and more productive and efficient with my time. You may feel the fear of missing out (FOMO) but once you jump off the social media train, you will feel free and more in tune with yourself.

I challenge all of you to take some time off of any apps or platforms you use, just for even one day (unless you need it for work or something important then I suggest doing this another time). See how it changes your perspective and your day. It's always nice to take a break, just like taking a break from work or your studies. It's the same thing. Just with social media platforms.

Bloglovin' Platform

Hello everyone! I decided to create a Bloglovin' account again! About 5 years ago when I created one, I rarely used it and later decided to delete it. This time around, I like to really use Bloglovin' to connect with other bloggers, read other bloggers' content, and share my life and adventure stories with more people. I hope I can help others with stories, whether to motivate them, to chase after their dreams, to try new food spots or travel to new places, or just to be inspired. I hope I can someone in some way! If you like to follow me on Bloglovin', please click the link below! I'm excited to try a new platform to share my works with others!


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Month of May

Happy 4th of May! May the FOURTH be with you! (Get it? Star Wars reference) Not only does the month of May encompass Star Wars's day, but the month of May have two very important meanings. Can you guess?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month AND Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Two very big topics that society needs to acknowledge and respect.

Mental health is a struggle for many people in the modern day, but most of us do not talk about it with others. We keep lots of our feelings inside, afraid to discuss our battles, our struggles, about our own thoughts in our minds with others. It's okay to be not okay. Nothing is more scary than to have lots of thoughts racing in one's mind. It is a constant uphill battle. But I like to say to all of you out there that are struggling with mental health, you are NOT alone. I struggle with mental health too. I get panic/anxiety attacks, and they aren't pretty. They terrify me to my core and each time I enter a state of panic/anxiety, I am worried I would not get out of the hole I dug myself into. I like to share some of the things I do to keep myself from spiraling.

1.) Breathe. Take a deep breath and breathe. Take multiple if needed. Know you are still living, you are still breathing, you are still functioning. When I get into one of those mental states, I forget I am capable. Taking a deep breath brings me back to reality, to earth, knowing I am okay.

2.) Write your worries down. A lot of times, I enter a panic/anxiety attack because I have too many things on my plate to do. What I do, I write them all down. I see what I can do now, what I can delay to do, and what I can push to a future date to work on. By writing them down, it allows me to see the big picture and sort out a plan on how to tackle all the tasks I need to do. BUT seeing all of the stuff one needs to do can be frightening. Don't worry, you got this. Know time is just an illusion, and you have the time to do them all. You are capable of managing your time wisely to be efficient and get things done in a timely fashion.

3.) Change your perspective. A lot of times, we see being busy as something overwhelming. Being busy isn't a bad thing. That just means you have things you need to attend to, whether it is schoolwork, work, or events. What should change is how you see it. Instead of painting a bad picture of being busy, paint being busy as a positive thing. You have things you need to do, meaning you have many opportunities out there waiting for you! This can mean to further your career goals, further your relationships with friends and family, or further your studies, knowledge, and personal growth. All good things! Put a positive spin on your tasks at hand.

4.) Self-affirmations-quotes and songs. For me, I love reading quotes that give me empowerment and the strength of encouragement or motivation to help me get through the difficult times. Music is another way for me to help me feel calm and rational and be able to tackle what's ahead of me. It just takes a little bit of stepping back, relaxing, and reassuring oneself that you are capable of handling it all. YOU GOT THIS. The quotes and songs also remind me that I am not alone. Many people struggle with mental health and needs that "pick me up" that will make them feel better. It's a little ray of sunshine, letting you know, everything is going to be okay.

With mental health struggles, there are also struggles for the Asian Americans. Especially in the entertainment industry. It is another constant battle that will be going on for years to come. However, we can try to change it, a little step at a time. I personally am doing a group project on the topic of Asian American representation in the entertainment industry and present some solutions to the issue. Asian Americans are making progress in the entertainment industry, slowly, gradually, but surely. One step to getting closer to representation is to support one another. Watch a movie with an Asian American actor or actress or go to a store that is owned by an Asian American. This support will speak volumes as the unity and number will be the voice for Asian Americans. This isn't only for Asian Americans either, it can go for all the minority groups out there. Support each other, and together, we can be stronger and better, together as one team!

May is full of challenges personally and ethnicity wise, but one this is for sure. May is full of strength and power as long as you see and believe it. Be strong and keep fighting. Always keep going and things will be better. Believe in the month of May. May the fourth be with you.