Not A Handy Woman

I love it when I feel useful, and I definitely had to pretend I was handy today. I helped a friend move and furniture shop for her new room. 

We may of went wild at Ikea. I am always surprised how cheap everything is there. I also want to redo my whole entire room or I guess I could just live in an Ikea. Wouldn't that be amazing? (I always think of 500 Days of Summer whenever I lay on their beds)

We found an amazing $15 bookcase. It is beautiful, and we are in love. (I wish I had room in my room so I can justify buying a new bookcase.) Because we are random, we also ended up with wooden spoons, a frying pan, and ice cream cones (they have yummy ice cream).

Putting together the bookcase may of been a trial for us. Apparently it wasn't that easy to put the thing together. We would accidentally bend the nails, chip the bookcase, and one the bookcase's legs may be on backward. I was not as talented at I thought I was. 

Our efforts did not go in vain, and the bookcase turned out wonderful (even with its flaws). I may of even claimed I wanted to be a carpenter after I finished. (I was feeling accomplished. Don't judge.) It actually turned out to be a lot of fun because I got some bonding time. We sat around saying (actually it was only me) we didn't need men, and that we were totally manly enough. 

After all of our hard work (which actually may not have even been a big deal) we rewarded ourselves with food. How food makes any hardship all worth it. 

Addicted to Amazon

I think spend a many hours on Amazon thinking about what I want to buy. The list is endless, and I have an ache in my heart whenever I think about how I cannot afford the DSLR camera, the countless number or books, and cute elephant purses.

Amazon is generally cheaper than a regular store; there is not tax, if you spend over $25 there is no fee for shipping, (I sound like an advertisement, but I am not... I am just merely telling you all why I love Amazon so much.) and I can spend hours reading product reviews. It's important to make informed purchases.

I love how they have a lot of things that you can never find in the stores. Need an elephant tea pot? Would you like funky bento box? Looking for a bunch of green pens? You can find them all with a click of a mouse.

I think my addiction has gone so far that I order something from the site at least once a month. Half of things I own are probably from Amazon (the other half consists of things from Target and Costco), and it is usually the first place I check whenever I want to buy something that isn't food or house supplies.

In the last few months (thanks to birthday giftcards) I bought a flashlight, books, a wallet, and a dvd. I may need counseling.

Some girls are addicted to buying shoes at Nordstrom or purses from Coach, but here I am addicted to buying random things on Amazon. I can only be thankful that I don't watch infomercials. I think that would lead to a lot more impulsive shopping.

Changing Taste Buds

I think my taste buds are changing as I get older. People used to tell me that things will start to taste differently when you age, but I never thought at age 10 that I would someday like mint ice cream or think that coffee is actually yummy. (I've grown a deep love for Vietnamese iced coffee.)

When I was a in elementary school, I thought milk chocolate was the yummiest candy ever. I would look forward to class parties where I knew that there would be candy involved. Valentine's day would be full of milk chocolate shaped hearts, vanilla cupcakes, and brightly colored hard candies.

As I got older (possibly high school), I decided that I loved white chocolate the best. I thought it was incredibly sweet and delicious. This was also the time where I disliked mint ice cream, mushroom, and avocado (I KNOW! What the heck was I thinking?!).

I can no longer eat milk or white chocolate without thinking it's way too sweet. I can no longer eat an enormous pile of Halloween candy. Some candy are much to sweet for me, and I am deeply and profoundly in love with dark chocolate.

Mint ice cream is now among one of my favorite flavors. I like eating mushroom on a lot of things, and I ADORE avocado. I can eat avocado on almost everything (although avocado shake is way too much for me.).

I feel like I am an old lady now. I can't handle things that are to sweet, and I am always in need of a nap. I like to think I am just more sophisticated. :)

Born in the 80s

It dawned on me lately how old I actually am. I am ancient. I am a dinosaur. I am almost elderly. My youth has already passed me, and I am starting to feel my age. (Dramatic much? Maybe just a tad bit.)

I was in a car ride with my brother the other day, and we passed by an elementary school. He then brought up the fact that all of the elementary students there had to have been born in the 2000s, the kids in high school were born in the 90s, and that a lot of college kids are much younger than I am.

I was randomly listening Backstreet Boys a few hours ago when I realized that I bought their first album in 1997. That was 13 years ago (which is more than half of my life). They are still popular right?

I then decided to talk a walk down memory lane. I remember how yo-yo, pogs, and Tamagotchi were awesome during my youth . I remember waking up early in the morning and watching Bananas in Pajamas (What one earth was I thinking?!). Remember when Saturday morning cartoons was cool? It was the reason I woke up early on the weekends. My childhood was a time when I could eat a large quantity of candy without getting sick, and when cheeseburgers was my favorite food. I would rollerblade for hours around my neighborhood until I got hungry, and the biggest drama in my life was what I was going to eat for my next meal.

I am feeling a little bit old. People are starting to start their career. People are getting married, and soon they will start popping out babies. People know what they want. They know who they are, and here I am...

I never got the memo about being an adult. I'm still convinced that I'm 12. :)

Feeling on Edge

I don't know what it is, but I've been incredibly busy in the last few weeks. I feel like I've been busy, but when I really think about it... am I? I spend a lot of time working and doing something school related (reading, studying, in class), but I really don't do very much else. I am no longer helping plan wedding showers, I haven't watched any Korean dramas, and I am definitely not partying it up.

So why do I feel like I am always doing something? By the end of my day, I am exhausted. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am stressed. The taxes are almost due, I just got a subpoena to go to court, I have a pile of assignments to grade, and I feel like I am not studying enough.

I think I much rather be busy than doing nothing. I always feel like crap when I don't do anything, but at least this way I know I am being productive. I still feel at edge though, as if something terrible is going to happen.

I'm actually delighted right now. I just found an old electronic stapler! Now I can staple assignments by just waving them in front of the stapler. How amazing is that? It definitely makes my job easier, and that's what I'm all about. See? I appreciate the little things in life. I even had a giant bowl of ramen for dinner, and I didn't have to pay. :)

Japanese Snacks

Note: I am in love with the Pocky for Men. Why do they think only men enjoy dark chocolate?

I am not a regular candy eater, but I have a weakness for almost all Japanese sweets and snacks. It's an addiction that my family apparently cannot kick. We all have a weakness for Japanese food.

At all times in our cupboard there is Pocky, sweet crackers, all different sorts of cookies, and chocolate. The addiction is not a cheap one either. The Japanese store imports a lot of its goods, so we end up paying a hefty price for these treasure, but it's worth every cent.

Japanese food in also another one of my favorite foods. You can find me eating ramen, udon, bento boxes, or sushi every week. Japanese food is part of my diet. (Korean food is starting to take over my life too.) I love it so much that if I had to choice to eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would choose Japanese. I can't help it... I grew up eating Japanese food.

Whenever I eat a box of cookies, I get incredibly homesick for Japan. When I go back to visit, I am going to bring an empty suitcase just so I can bring home a suitcase full of food. Yeah, it's definitely love. I wish I could go already. :)

Wedding Fun Part 2

There were a lot of dancing involved. We (the bridesmaids) took over the dance floor, and danced like no one was watching us. We had no shame, and even pulled out the classic dance moves like the shopping cart, sprinkler, churning the butter, and the robot. You should of seen us go. 

Teresa even sang Tom a love song, and I think everyone in the room teared up a little bit. Of course John Barber (the photographer) took pictures of all of us crying.

The lunch reception ended, and the bridal party went to hang out at the hotel, so that the bride and groom could take pictures at the beach. Let me state that the hotel room was impressive. The closet actually had a light that would turn on every time you opened. When I saw the hot tub, I wanted to declare love to the room and live in it forever.

We had a dinner reception at a Chinese restaurant where we had a 10 course meal, and had amazing cake. Have I ever told you that I love Van's Bakery? The girlfriends of the bride even serenaded the couple. We sang "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". I must add that I am a terrible singer, but I had so much fun.

I woke up the next day sore and extremely tired, but I had a blast, and I don't think I'll ever go to nicer reception (St. Regis) or be with a group of people that I would love more. I spent time with old and new friends (Sandra, you're so cute.), and wouldn't have wanted to share the day with anyone else.

Oh boy, I haven't even mentioned the Friday Vietnamese Wedding. 

Congrats Anhny and Tom. I know you'll love each other forever.

The Big Day

Now that the wedding (Anh's wedding, not mine) is over I feel like I can finally say I will never wear high heels again. I am still suffering from the effects of wearing them too long. It could also be the fact that I was dancing all over the place. (I went wild with the dancing. I blame it on the champagne even though I only had a sip.) The lesson of the story is never wear high heels for long, and don't dance like a crazy person.

I had a wonderful day filled with so many fond memories. There were even moments when I was crying. (It may have to do with the fact that I'm a big baby.) I even wanted to steal cameras. 

The day started off at church where we had a beautiful ceremony. It was really traditional, and I even got to do a reading. I was extremely nervous about being in front of a crowd, but it wasn't as bad as I imagined. I think the anticipation is always worse than actually talking in front of a crowd.

The reception at St. Regis was astonishing. The resort is so exceptionally pretty. I felt like I was too poor to walk in such a magnificent place. It was so fancy I was afraid to step out of place. There were tall staircases, fountains, and even a botanical garden. I even fell in love with the photographer (the same kind of love I have for all nice people). He took wonderful pictures, and he made me laugh throughout the day.

The food was heavenly. I had this amazing mahi mahi. The portion was almost as large as my face, and I could not even finish it. Food is the way to my heart, and I definitely enjoyed what I had for lunch. The photographer did catch me making a face at my glass of water. There were black specks in it, and I was not a happy camper. There may be some strange pictures of me. I only fear that I will be humiliated for the rest of my life.

(Part 2 of the wedding will be posted on a later date. I am too sleepy to continue with this post.)

Coffee Madness

I've always loved the smell the coffee. I eat coffee ice cream on a regular basis, and I adore coffee candy and cakes. There was even a time in my life where I worked at a coffee shop, and I must say it was one of my better jobs.

But the thing is... I never really liked drinking coffee. It always has a bitter taste that I never really appreciated. I just never understood what the big deal of coffee was. 

Everyone always ask me out to coffee whenever they want to talk, hangout or chat up. It always made me a little bit guilty when I would reply that I don't drink tea or coffee. That would make the other person feel bad, and pick out a new location to hang out.

So I decided to grow to love coffee. I want to be more socially acceptable, and I also wanted to understand what the big deal was. (Just let me have my concept of cool. Haha.)

In the last few days, I've had coffee everyday. A sip here, a sip there, and I think it tastes yummier every time. I adore Vietnamese ice coffee. It's delicious.

I can see myself falling in love with coffee in the future. Don't judge me, and my goals. :)

Wedding Galore!

I remember thinking last year that this wedding was so far into the future. I remember thinking a year was such a long time, and that I couldn't wait for my friend's wedding.

Frances sister is getting married this weekend, and I can feel the excitement. I become giddy from just reading the itinerary, and it's just days away.

The bridal shower last Sunday was so much. We had a picnic at the beach, and the girls got to wade into the tide pools. The weather even cooperated with us. I was worried that the weather would be too cool for the beach, but it was just perfect. We feasted on potato salad, deviled eggs, fried rice, sandwiches, and desert. It was amazing, and I think everyone had a fun time frolicking under the sun. (Except for the carrying a giant cooler for what felt like miles.)

We dropped off a lot of things to the wedding planner, and I have to say that I love the cake topper. Sailor Moon and Chewbacca? Fabulously random. 

The Vietnamese wedding is going to start tomorrow, and I am so excited. I need to get some beauty sleep!

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Remember to wear green, and to be Irish for a day! :)

But also remember to stay safe, and don't do anything that you'll regret.

St. Patrick Day always reminds me of when I used to look for four leaf clovers. I would spend hours on the school's field, and how excited I would be when I found one. I used to wish on them just like how I wish on shooting stars. (Easily amused...)

I'm going to be picking Frances up from the airport. It's just a few more days before her sister is getting married. 

I Like Silly Things

Note: These are made by DeLux, and they have a bunch of other cute animals.

I realize that I have a strange sense of fashion (we can even say my lack of fashion). I am always drawn to the strangest things, and a lot of people have told me that I am rather childish. It's true. I have to admit that I am drawn to almost anything with animal or dinosaur prints. I can't help it. I am always convinced that it's cute.

It's worse when that something has elephants on it. If there is an elephant, I will automatically want it. I am extremely obsessed about them. It can't be help. There is no cure. I will love them forever.

I just saw these adorable bunny mittens online today, and I felt this urge to buy them. It didn't matter to me that it wouldn't be cold for that much longer or the fact that it probably never gets cold enough in California to ever wear. I just saw them, and had to have them.

But I resisted. I knew that many people would not approve of my purchase, and that it would be a bit silly if I had worn them. I also didn't really have the money for them, so it was pretty easy to convince myself that I was strong, and I didn't need them.

I have resisted so far, but please don't judge me if I end up wearing them one of these days. I realize that I am drawn to silly things, but it can't be helped. I have to be me. :D

Savory Pancakes

Yeah you read that correctly! I sometime surprise myself in making something yummy. I can hear you all gasping, but I think I am the most surprised.

My Dad has been asking for a specific dish lately, and I decided that I was going to learn how to make it. Why not? I have all the time in the world.

Little did I know what I was getting myself into. I was determined make something edible. I was making okonomiyaki. (It's basically a Japanese veggie pancake with meat, and is topped off with seaweed, fish flakes, and sauce.)

After an hour of shredding cabbage, mixing batter, and preparing the sauce, I was ready to call it quits. I was in way over my head, and I didn't know how the dish was going to turn out.

I decided to wing it, and serve it to my family anyway. My mom usually eats anything I make without complaining. (I love my mommy.)

I was pleasantly surprised when my family told me they loved it. I actually did something right, and the okonomiyaki turned out delicious.

I was happy. I think it's because I learned to make something without messing up. It usually takes me many tries. Maybe cooking isn't as bad as I imagined it. :)

Too Much Dramas

Note: Lee Min Ho is beautiful. I may or may not have a major crush on him.

I think I am much too invested in Korean dramas. I have spent countless hours watching it, and it is constantly on my mind.

I recently canceled Netflix (Which I loved. I am a movie lover, and I love that a good movie can always take my mind off of things.), and so I started watching Korean dramas because I had a friend who loved them, and I needed something to watch.

Korean dramas are generally long, they have a lot of dramatic plots, and they are quite addicting.

I also know I'm in deep because I have accepted their clothing to be normal. I used to think their clothes were hideous, and that their hairstyles were emo. How on earth does anyone pull off fur? Apparently they can.

I sometime even understand what they are saying. Yes, I even want to take a Korean class just so I can better understand what the characters are saying. Don't judge me.

You can find me these days watching dramas if I am not doing homework, going to school, hanging out with friends or working.

I may or may not need help. I do know that I need to find a new drama to watch soon or else I will be heartbroken.

My Terrible Study Habits

I should have titled this post, "My Nonexistent Study Habits".

I'm not sure why, but I have lost the will to study nonstop. I can barely look through my notes without wanting to do something else.

The subject isn't that terrible, and I am interested in what I am learning, but for some reason... I can't make myself focus like I have in the last few years.

I hope it's not because I get sad a lot lately or that I am getting lazy. I don't want to be lazy because that would bother me immensely.

I still get good grades, but I know that I can do so much better. Even though I get good grades on my quizzes and test, I know I am not getting as much out of the class as I can.

Does that make any sense? It's like I am only putting enough effort in order to get the A, but no more than that. I used to learn because I wanted to, and I felt so smart when I knew exactly what was going on in my class. I was more passionate, more excited, and generally happier a few months ago.

Now my mind is always elsewhere. I can't concentrate on anything, and it makes me crazy.

Maybe I'll have a cup of tea, and sleep on it. Sounds like a plan.

No Self Control

I think I need help. Whenever I am with the right shopper (Ok I admit it, it's actually with any friend), I end up with a ton of clothing.

I usually avoid shopping in general because I don't want to spend any money that isn't necessary. Well, I actually need a new wardrobe, but waiting for my first paycheck.

I tried to remember that I wanted to save money when I walked into Hollister today. I really tried. I don't usually buy clothes from there so I thought I was safe, and my friend just wanted to check the store to see if they were having any sales.

Something amazing happened while we were there. There were sweaters and cardigans that only cost $3.75 with tax. How was I suppose to pass that up? I couldn't, and so I ended up with a bunch of random things.

I can't help it. If I see a bargain, I must have it.

I think I can forgive myself though. I spent nearly nothing, and my wardrobe can use a little sprucing.

Yeah, I have to tell myself this to make myself feel better. :D

The Sweetest Thing

I received the sweetest gift today from two of my favorite people. I think I was a little shocked, and for sure I was surprised. It only reassured me the power of friendship. I realize this may sound extremely cheesy, but I know I have friends who care, and that means more to me than anything else.

I got a fancy new camera which means I can go back to taking tons of pictures (The coolest gift ever!), a bunch of new clothing (From my favorite store!), and a gift card to Target (Only the most awesome store on the planet.)

I'm so touched that they were sweet enough to replace the camera that was stolen from me. I love pictures, and now I can go back to taking more. I'm so happy I am giddy.

Thanks for thinking of me, and making my terrible situation a little bit better. I love you, Frances and Anh. :)

What Fun!

I had the best birthday yesterday, and I received so much love that it makes my heart sing. I really appreciate all the texts, calls, messages, and e-mails people sent. It's nice to feel like people care.

I didn't do anything big or dramatic for my birthday, but instead had a mellow, relaxing day. It was perfect.

I spent the morning with some friends eating dim sum, and hanging out. It was nice to have someone bring breakfast/lunch to me. I felt totally spoiled.

I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Korean dramas (Which owns my soul. I need to discuss this on a later post.), and eating leftovers.

The evening was spent eating a large amount of breakfast food, and watching Johnny Depp on the large screen. What can I say? My heart was swooning the whole time. (I may be a bit boy crazy.)

I may or may not even had a midnight snack.

I have the sweetest people in my life, and I'm so glad that there are people who care enough to make me feel loved. There are so many important people in my life, and I was reminded on how much impact they have in my life. :)

Working Girl

I finally have officially gone back to being employed. I actually have spent a lot of time in the last year trying to concentrate on school, and doing my best. I did do really well in school, but at the same time I was running out of money.

Having no money is a slight problem when you want practically everything. Yes, I do want a lot of things.

I started my first day today, and I actually had a really good time. I haven't done much yet, but I've did enough to know that I will love this job. I'm so tired of doing retail jobs or a job where you have to focus a lot of your attention to customer service. I want to work with nice people, and have flexible hours.

I'm just so happy to finally do something I enjoy. Did I mention I love my job? :)

It's Been a Year!

I can't believe it's officially been a year since I've decided to give up eating mammals! Can it be this long already? I feel like it's been a blink of an eye.

I have to admit that I sometimes miss a good cheeseburger or a large piece of steak, but I resist. It does get easier with time, but the craving makes an appearance once in awhile. I've grown a great appreciation for tofu. It's highly underrated.

I am so proud of myself for doing for so long. When I started I had no idea how long I was going to do it, but I definitely did not think I would last this long. (I tried doing this a few years ago, and failed after two months.)

Yay for my willpower!

I wonder if I'm going to crack anytime soon... haha.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mariana! You're seriously the sweetest girl I know. :)

I Will Be Fine

Through all of the last few horrible events, I have realized that I am a generally optimistic person. I think that although bad things frequently happen to me, I am actually very hopeful about my future.

There are times when I just want to stay in bed all day, and not do anything, but then I just try to force myself to do more. I know that if I let myself do nothing because I will only dwell in my sorrows.

I am so glad that I have my friends to pick me up when I need it, and the most understanding family. People are the most important to me, and I am always so surprised how well they take care of me. I feel loved each and everyday.

Although things don't always go my way, I believe that everything will work out the way they're suppose to. I only have to trust and believe that everything will be ok, and I do believe it.

I'm just glad that I feel this way because if I didn't... I'd probably be so glum and depressing. I definitely don't need to participate in a pity party because I have so many other things to do. :)