Thanksgiving 2017 Recap

November 16: Cioppino+Beginning of Thanksgiving

Time to head back home for a week long of Thanksgiving break. I brought back some cioppino for my family to try. It is a fish stew that was originated in San Francisco. This was my first time trying this dish (not in the picture was sourdough to eat with the dish) and I loved it. If I remember correctly, I think I even got three bowls of it, hehe. Super delicious.

November 18: Hanashima 

Still love the ramen and teriyaki chicken bowl at Hanashima, but the soup base of the ramen has changed. I'm not sure if it's just me, but the soup base is a bit spicy; maybe more peppery or more seasoned. 

November 19: Pho

As always, I have to stop by a pho place because the noodles are pho-nomenon. I love the noodles. (: My parents and I also got a spring roll appetizer to enjoy.

November 19: Sprinkles Cupcakes

My sister brought home a cupcake from work, a Sprinkles cupcake. Mmm mmm good.

November 20: Delicious Food Corner

Drove a bit today and I felt accomplished parking on the curb. My mom and I went to eat at Delicious Food Corner before I went to my internship site. Congee and fried noodles are the best in the morning for a warm and simple breakfast.

November 21: Udon+Winter Melon Soup

I haven't had udon for a long, long time so my mumsy made me some udon for lunch. A happy camper is moi!

November 22: Simmer Huang+Meet Fresh+Target

My mom, sister, and I tried a new place called Simmer Huang. It was pretty good actually. It was just weird how they didn't let us take the leftover soup with some veggies when they let the other table pack their leftovers to go... Maybe because we said that we wanted to pack the soup to go and not the veggies? Who knows. It was good though.

Then we walked to Meet Fresh (it's in the same plaza) and tried a different dessert, Q Mochi Shaved Ice. It was good! We still liked the Meet signature option best.

With full bellies, we headed to Target, where my sister and I found some really weird games. The board games we grew up with were plain and simple. Now, the games are just plain weird and I don't even know what to say. I'll just let you see the pictures below.

Why would you want to play a game that eats babies...???

November 23: Coco+Sprouts+JJ² Bakery+7 Leaves+Dinner

My dad, sister, and I went to the movie theatres to watch Coco because I get extra credit for watching the movie and answering a writing prompt one of my professors provide. Turns out, we were all very wrong about the movie. It was really, really good. I liked it a lot, and I love how it had a plot twist, just like another Disney movie, Frozen. The movie Coco in my opinion is a convergent media that takes place during Thanksgiving time just like the Disney movie, Frozen. Both have themes on family and being thankful. I can see how the Walt Disney Company has learned from four years ago in making Frozen and transitioned their knowledge into producing Coco this year around.

After the movie credits, we went to get lunch and got take out at JJ² Bakery while getting some snacks at Sprouts and get some drinks at 7 Leaves. All the foods were delicious. I love the little soups and meals because it is like a bento box since it has a little bit of everything for lunch.

Dinner was even better. Homemade food is always the best with some jellyfish we ordered out. Happy to be home to be with family and eat some shrimp!

November 2017 Recap

November 2: Pleasant Mistake

I thought there was a soccer game this day, but there wasn't. However, I saw the beautiful field empty with a lovely puffy clouded sky. It was really pretty. Sometimes it takes a mistake for us to really see the picture clearly and see true beauty.

November 4: Long Xing Ji+Meet Fresh

My mom, sister, and I went out to Long Xing Ji to eat some juicy dumplings and other dishes there. Super good. I love the mixed noodles, where the sauce is on the bottom and you get to mix the noodles with the sauce once it arrives at your table. The dumplings are great; they have soup inside. When you take a bite into it, the juice bursts into your mouth. Be careful though. It can be really hot.

Then off we went to Meet Fresh, the first time I've been there. We shared the Meet Signature choice. It was amazing. I love how it's a herbal dessert, but the herbal flavor is not too strong. The mochi pieces are chewy and delicious as well.

November 5: Noodle Cafe+Dunkin' Donuts+Meet Fresh

It's Sunday, meaning one thing. I must go back to CSUF for the following week. For lunch, my mom, sister, and I went to Noodle Cafe and had noodles. Yum! I love noodles. I love the seaweed and the noodles. The fish balls were okay, but I usually love the noodles more in noodle soup dishes anyways. Still a happy tummy at the end of lunch.

To make it an even better lunch, we went to get some donuts at Dunkin' Donuts. To be honest, we never really bought any donuts here before. First time. The donuts were pretty good I must say. Then we went to Meet Fresh yet again. The herbal desserts are truly spectacular. The proof is in our trip there twice in a row. Then off my parents took me back to CSUF soon after.

November 6: Study Session with Gabi

Yet another study session with Gabi on business law. Technically it is called Business and its Legal Environment, but at the end of the day, it's business law, focusing on civil law. We stayed inside the TSU this time and my friend treated me with hot chocolate from Starbucks. Another great study session with my buddy.

November 9: Before I Die...+Sharetea

Each year, the Business Honors Program hosts an event called Before I Die..., allowing students to write on a wall expressing their wishes they like to do before they die. It's an excellent event because it allows students to get together and write on a wall, giving each other the opportunity to see what other students wishes to accomplish off their bucket lists. It lasts almost a whole week, providing students ample amount of time to write their thoughts at some point in the day.

Lucky for me, I volunteered each of the days and stumbled upon a friend, Melissa. We tried to hang out, but our schedules never collided, until this fortunate day. We met up late at night and got some tea at Sharetea. After the shop closed at 10 PM, we headed back to the TSU to continue with our hangout. It was so, so nice to catch up with Melissa and talk about dreams in the entertainment industry.

November 28: Staffing Agency Info Session

I have heard about staffing agencies but never really knew what it was. Therefore, I decided to attend a staffing agency info session to learn more about it. This type of agency is where the staff helps you (the client) to find jobs. I thought it was really cool how there are actual people who does this for others. On my way there, I saw this scenery. Oh, I am never out so late. Definitely a win-win situation for the night.

October 2017 Recap

October 8: Lady M (in Tan-Cha)

My big sister loves bringing home desserts for the family to try. This chocolate cake from Lady M was quite something. The layers of cake were great like the other cakes there.

October 9: California Wildfires

Awful wildfires raged throughout California in areas such as Sonoma County, Napa region, and Northern California. The smoke from the fires was terrible. I was walking back to the apartments after my last class for the day and saw the huge smoke behind me.

October 10: Continuation of CA Wildfires

Woke up, coughing a little, smelling the smoky air. The air quality worsened, causing difficulty for people to breath. Luckily, the smoke dissipated after a few days and the air smelled less of the wood smoke.

October 12: CAA Info Session

Off to the CAA info session I went to learn more about the agency. Walked back to the apartments and saw the pretty night atmosphere with a few night lights. Never out so late and saw the beauty of the night life on campus.

October 14: Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

My family had Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que for dinner with some home-cooked food. The ribs and mac and cheese were so good! The mac and cheese was not too cheesy, just right. The ribs were savory and scrumptious. I recommend this place to try.

October 15: Han Bat Shul Lung Tang+Cafe Bora+Crafted Donuts (in Koreatown)

My sister and I went on a sister bonding lunch date to three places. First stop was Han Bat Shul Lung Tang for Korean Oxtail soup for lunch. It was amazing! I LOVED it so, so much. The soup was really clear, very filling. There were meats and some noodles inside the soup. Having rice soup is the greatest. I would definitely recommend this place. We finished really fast, less than 20 minutes. It was that good. It's also perfect for the cold weather to have something warm to eat and have the warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It's also an excellent choice just to have rice soup if you like rice soup or would like to try it, the Korean style.

Then off we went to Cafe Bora. It is a little dessert place that serves Korean purple sweet potato dessert options. It was originally from Seoul, Korea, hence it is in Koreatown. The purple sweet potato flavor isn't too sweet the way they make it. Really nice and smooth. It's amazing how many options the shop can make with the core idea of incorporating the purple sweet potato in each dessert choice. We ordered the purple sweet potato bingsu and the purple sweet potato tiramisu. They were delightful. The bingsu was similar to ice with a purple sweet potato sauce on top. However, the ice wasn't typical ice. It was soft, smooth, and in a way creamy. The tiramisu was fluffy and just super cute. I love the decor of the shop, from the furniture to the flower displays and wall decorations. The way the dishes were served in small containers were unique and adorable as well.

After that, we headed to Crafted Donuts to get some donuts to bring home for the family to enjoy. Mmm mmm good. We got the lemon poppy seed, banana cream pie, and creme brûlée. They were also delectable. I loved how they tasted like their names genuinely. Really cool and the tastes were spectacular.

October 19: Chick-fil-A Birthday Celebration

It's my friend Gabi's birthday! Josh, Madee, Gabi, and I celebrated her day at Chick-fil-A. It was a small hangout of friends; I thought it was really cute. It was also my first time there (I forgot to show the chicken nuggets when I took my picture; excuse moi), and it was good. It would have been nicer if the portion was bigger, but the service was excellent.

October 25: Sunset

Came back from dinner and saw this beauty on the way back to the apartments. So peaceful and calm.

October 26: Women's Soccer- Titans VS. Hawaii

Another break from studying and homework by supporting the Titans at a sports game. I only stayed for the first half of the game like usual, but I saw two goals made by the wonderful Titan team! Woot woot!

October 28: Family Gathering

A family gathering at my grandma’s house. It was nice to spend some time with family (even though I brought my book to study for my exam). Always nice to see everyone’s faces or majority of the family who attends. We also celebrated my Uncle T’s birthday early. We also had a small slice of cake for just my family to try. Pretty good! 

October 29: Titan Student Union Study Session

Studying in a different environment with my friend Gabi. We did some exploring of the Titan Student Union (TSU) and discovered a room that was huge for meetings and such. I never knew how pretty it looks in the TSU courtyard until this night. The lights were a cool touch and the music choice the TSU plays was pretty good. I heard different songs that I never heard before; I asked Siri on my phone to discover the song titles and screenshot them to listen for later. A really calm and peaceful studying session with my lovely friend Gabi. Great way to end the night. 

Merry Christmas To All

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all were able to spend today with loved ones, whether family members or friends. Watch some classic Christmas movies on television and enjoy food with the people you love.

*Do not read on if you believe in Santa Claus*

I personally love watching The Polar Express. I read the children's book version long ago in the third grade and during that time, my teacher showed us the movie adaptation. It's actually ironic that I love The Polar Express because when I was younger, I did a Santa Claus experiment, to prove he doesn't exist, while the movie is about believing in Santa Claus. It is about a little boy who doesn't believe in Santa Claus and after he boards a magical train called the Polar Express that leads him to the North Pole with other boys and girls, the boy believes in Santa Claus. As a little girl a while ago, I don't recall ever believing in Santa Claus's existence. Then came one Christmas that I decided to write him a letter on what I wanted for Christmas and placed it near our chimney. The next morning the piece of paper was still there, not touched or moved one bit. Despite my beliefs, I still love the movie.

Of course, the movie is much more than just believing in Santa Claus. Its deeper meaning is believing in something that you may not see in person. It only matters if you believe, it does not matter if others don't. Another message of the movie is taking a leap of faith. The little boy (main character whose name was never mentioned) hesitated to broad the train to the North Pole at first but decided to get on soon after. Sometimes it really just matters if you are willing to take the risk to go for it and just see where it leads.

I hope you all will to. Take a chance and go for it. Believe in the impossible and it will be possible.