2019 is My Year

Hello my fellow readers! It is so so nice to have some time to blog again! I truly miss blogging and sharing my adventures, life lessons, food adventures, and stories with y'all!

Again, happy 2019! I hope everyone is having a good start so far. I came back from my study abroad in Europe: London, Paris, and Rome and started my Spring 2019 semester of my third year in college. Lots of jet lag of course and this choking cough that I can't get rid of but all good things. I learned a whole lot during my study abroad trip (a post on that will come) and now this. I accepted by first job on campus. I'm really excited. 2018 was a rough year, but I feel 2019 will be my year and I will make the most of it. I hope you guys will too! I hope 2019 is YOUR year to do amazing things.

Stay tuned for my Europe posts. Those will take a while but they will come for sure. As for now, enjoy some lovely food pictures from my lovely food adventures when I was home last weekend.

Happy Bakery- Chinese Congee with Pork and Century Egg. One of the best comfort food there is coming back from Study Abroad. 

The Pan. First timer. 

The Pan Interior 

The Pan Interior

The Pan Interior

The Classic Breakfast Burrito 

Personally, I thought it was really good. Very filling, not too cheesy, has bacon but still felt healthy with the veggies inside. 

Joy- Slack Season Noodles. I loved the noodles, the texture was different from other noodles I tried. Lots of meat. If there was more noodles that would be great. 

Chiayi Chicken Rice-I liked how this was not too flavorful, just right. Simple, juicy, and tender chicken.

Minced Pork on Rice- I felt this one was okay as long as you mix the rice with the mince pork. The sauce wasn't too overpowering or overload, but mixing the two together created a flavorful meal. 

Sesame Scallion Bread- Very nice texture, soft, warm, and fresh.

Hakka mochi (black sesame and peanut)- The mochi was chewy, just the right amount of chewiness. However, I didn't like how there was a lot of salt on it. This was one of my favorite snacks back in my childhood days and I don't recall as much salt on it or any frankly. Besides that, I liked it. 

First game in the new semester. Attended before heading home. 

As the picture shows, Dan Modern Chinese (another version of Ding Tai Fung).

Dungeness Crab Frid Rice-It was really good. Not greasy, clear. However, after eating more of it, my mom and I did find some crab shells in the rice and after eating more of it, the flavor was too much. It a little less sauce would have been better.  

Pork and Blue Crab Xiao Long Bao- Very juicy and the meats were amazing.

Pork Pan Fried Bun- The buns were a little cold... but the meat inside and the softness of the bun were excellent.  

Luscious Dumplings - Mushroom Meat Sauce Noodles: I really liked the texture of the noodles and the meat was an excellent complement to the noodles.  

Sliced Pork Ears and Bean Curd- It was a little spicy, but it was a good kick to the pork ears and bean curd. It was a little oily, but overall still good. I liked how they sliced the pork ears so nicely too. 

Pan Fried Fish Dumplings- By far, my favorite dish of the place. It wasn't too oily, pretty clear. The fish inside was great. I loved how it was so simple yet so delicious.

Pan Fried Chive Pockets- I liked how it reminded me of this one Dim Sum dish that also had veggies on the inside, the veggie dumplings. It was a little greasy in my opinion. 

Steamed Snow Crab and Pork Dumplings- You can definitely taste the crab and pork and see it too. Very juicy and delicious.

Steamed Fish Dumplings- A little too much pepper in my opinion. Not to my liking. 

Inside of the Pan Fried Fish Dumplings  

Inside of the Pan Fried Chive Pockets

Vege Paradise - Vege sweet and sour chicken (mushroom): Very good. Cute little juicy mushrooms. 

Vege Kung Pao Shrimp without the spiciness- It was one of my favorite dishes. Shrimp has always been my favorite and even in vegetarian/vegan form, I loved it. 

Vege squid, shrimp, bean curd with broccoli- a simple dish yet very good. 

Crispy Shiitake Mushrooms- This was really good, but definitely need rice to go with it. 

Crispy Puff Pastry with Pumpkin Bisque-Very cute I have to say. The pumpkin wasn't too heavy, just right. Pretty light. The pastry was flaky and very crisp. 

Inside of the Crispy Puff Pastry with Pumpkin Bisque

P.S. I decided to create another page for just food places, where you can find all the food spots I have checked out and if you're interested, you can check out as well! It will be under Food Places. It is in renovation at the moment, but feel free to check it out every so often!

Happy New Year 2019

Happy New Year everyone! It's 2019! Crazy how time flies by. I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year's Day with loved ones and staying warm! Any New Year's Resolutions? I think for me would be exercising more, continue working on my acne, go with the flow more than stressing, and go after my dreams.

As we enter the new year, there is a lot that has happened in 2018. Reflection of 2018:

• Lots of art adventures 
• My sister got a new job that she loves
• Turned twenty 
• Interned the second time at Pasadena Media
• Wrote my very own short film and TV pilot 
• Went on another Alaska Cruise
• Moved off campus 
• Survived a grueling Fall semester 
• Worked on my acne problem 
• Discovered many things I still need to work on 
• Grew along the way
• Took more risks and be a self-motivator 
• Applied for study abroad for the winter session 

It has been a crazy year and an even crazier semester. This semester I learned quite a lot about myself. I cannot adult. I have accepted it. I moved off campus for the first time, living with three other girls in the apartments, with one restroom. It has been hard for me to adjust to the semester, with all the changes in my living situation and my class schedule. That does not even include food. Yes, food. I tried meal prepping at first with sandwiches, but I found myself with a hunger feeling in my throat. My family came to the rescue and would restock me with food each week. I felt awful to add to their plates already with so much changes back home, but I could not do it. I had a bad case of anxiety this semester, which added to my stress and adjustment. It took me six weeks to really get use to everything. My anxiety was five times as bad as my anxiety in junior year of high school. I know and acknowledge now that I do have an anxiety problem that I will face from now on. I am still trying to manage it, but it has definitely lessen. It's something I accepted and know I need to go through. Nevertheless, I have been improving in "adulting," and bought more grocery items on my own towards the second half of the semester. Woot woot! Next year I will be even better at that with classes only on Monday through Wednesday. I will continue to work on it! I will also work on blogging more! Here are some places I been to during the month of December 2018. 

CSUF Homecoming Game Free In and Out If the Homecoming T-Shirt is On 

Capital Noodle Bar-Do not recommend, the service was terrible. The food took forever to get to our table because the waiter forgot to put our order in... 

Again Cafe X Chibiscus Ramen- Tonkotsu Ramen 

Again Cafe X Chibiscus Ramen-Bread Pudding

Midori Matcha-Black Sesame Soft Serve

Yard House- Black Truffle Cheeseburger and Truffle Fries

Downtown Brea 

Disney On Ice at Honda Center

Simply Home Cafe- Simply Home Chicken Noodle Soup

Hug Life-Taro, Earl Grey, and Strawberry Shortcake 

Tang and Noodle (TNN): Beef Brisket Tang Noodle Soup- Loved. the soup base was amazing, the noodle texture was on point, and the beef was tender.

Alta Dena Christmas Lights 

Vege Paradise: Vege Squid, Shrimp, and Bean Curd with Broccoli-Simple dish, really clear.

Bean Curd Skin and Spinach-Loved the skin, the veggies were just right complement to it. 

Pepper Lunch- Classic Beef: Sizzling and toasty for a cold day. 

Tan Cha- Tiramisu Milk Tea: A nice tea to have. 

As of tomorrow, I will be on a flight to London for my study abroad. Stay tuned to more in 2019! I will do my best to post more! Another item on my New Year's Resolution list. Take care and stay warm and cozy everyone! May 2019 bring you all joy, good health, and wonderful memories to come! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am thankful for so so much, but most importantly I am thankful for my family for sticking by me through thick and thin and giving me immense support for everything I do. My family is everything to me and they understand me when I don't even know myself at times. I love my family with all my heart! I hope everyone is having a lovely Thanksgiving!

P.S. I am so so sorry for not updating my blog in so so long. After my Alaska Cruise, I had to deal with apartment and school stuff, and when junior year started, I practically am glued to my desk chair 25/7. Literally eat, sleep, work, repeat. I won't be updating here much until possibly mid-December. Lots of adventures (especially with food) to update you guys with! Sorry for the late notice! Thank you all for reading! I am thankful for all of you!

Friday the 13th = Power of Women

Today marks Friday the 13th. Many, if not most, believe this day is associated with "bad luck." I recently discovered that Friday the 13th is COMPLETELY NOT. It was a special day for women, at least not until our patriarchal society and religion had something to do with it...

Turns out, Friday the 13th is actually devoted to celebrating the feminine side that everyone embodies, in both women AND men. It was a day to honor women and creation. The 13 had a female connotation behind it. According to James Like Hale, in his article, "How Did Friday The 13th Start? It Used To Be A Celebration Of All Things Feminine, But Patriarchy Ruins Everything, the number symbolized the mean of a woman's cycle annually and the number of cycles of the moon annually, which was seen as female based on religions worshipping nature. Friday the 13th got its bad rap beginning with religion in the Middle Ages. Christians believed Jesus died on a Friday, therefore, causing them to view each Friday negatively. With this idea already in people's mind, add in the event of Apollo 13. On this third mission to land on the Moon, an explosion occurred, where an oxygen tank was ruptured and depleted oxygen rapidly. Together, they created the bad rap of Friday the 13th we hear so often.

It sickens me to know that there was a day for women, yet none of us know it. After a while, what people hear becomes the reality of what people know. I never really questioned why Friday the 13th was unlucky. I just heard it was. Unlucky, scary, and bloody were the words that popped into my head whenever the day shows up in a month of the year. Never have I ever wanted or asked why.

Now, I'm going to turn over a new leaf and see this day for the better. For us, women. A day for women remains a day for women. No matter how much society alters our views. I know it is not easy to see this day as something other than unlucky, but with some time, it will be seen for women.

To add to the positivity of this day and to female power, Sarah Oh, a Korean-Canadian actress, was the first Asian to be nominated for an Emmy. This sheds a new break in the entertainment industry, as few women gain recognition and lead roles in the entertainment industry, let alone Asians. To hear about this nomination truly is a beautiful accomplishment for women and Asians. Women and Asians are not given enough credit. It is time to recognize the women in this world who do selfless acts, no matter how small or big, and the Asians who have lots to say but little platforms to be heard. Acknowledge them. See them without prejudice.

P.S. If you like to read the article, here is the link. Enjoy!

A Super First Day of July

Happy first day of July! To start off the week right, my family and I went to the movie theatre to watch Incredibles 2. It was so good! Worth the wait of fourteen years to come out! Love Edna Mode and Jack Jack. So cute! Nom nom cookie! Adorable. *Spoil alert ahead. If you haven't watched it, please do not read further!* I also really liked how the movie made women the protagonist and the antagonist. Usually, movies always go with the men as the center of the feature. Not this time. There was a change in that, and I like it. It gives us females a chance to showcase our abilities and talent in the entertainment industry. Big cheer for the females! Go us! After the movie, we ate at Phoenix and ordered Shrimp and Egg Flat Rice Noodle, Spanish Style Seafood Fried Rice, and Black Sticky Rice and Young Coconut (cold version). Happy tummies all around. Definitely a super, incredible family day to begin the week.