Books #7-9

I haven’t been keeping up with my blogging lately – in fact I have an IRA post that has been sitting on my Word document that I haven’t finished writing but I have been keeping up with my 22 Before 23 List. In fact, since I’ve had a little time on my hands, I’ve been catching up on reading tons of books. And since I haven’t been keeping up with my blogging, I thought I’d just compile them into one post.

Book #7: Ella Enchanted
Does this count because I’ve read it before in the 6th grade or something? Eh, why not. While I was in Austin for Thanksgiving, Ella Enchanted was on TV and I remembered the movie being way worse than the book. But I couldn’t remember what was different. So I picked up the book and reread it. The book was WAY better.

Book #8: Give and Take
I had to read this book for work as part of our work book club, though we call it “enrichment” instead of book club since that was sort of an old-timey connotation. “Give and Take” is written by Adam Grant, the youngest tenured professor at Wharton. He categorizes people into three types: givers, matchers, and takers. He then goes on to explain why each has its own merits but ultimately those who are “self-focused, otherish givers” are most successful. I think my feelings on the book are somewhat mixed. Some parts I honestly felt like, “Duh, people who give back obviously get more out of life.” And though he does give plenty of examples of givers that have become very successful, it got a little repetitive. I think “Give and Take” probably merits its own blog post but that will have to wait for another day.

Book #9: The Fault in Our Stars
Cue the water works. This book has been on my to-read list for a long, long time. I’ve read “Looking for Alaska” and I do enjoy John Green, but for some reason, I just haven’t gotten around to reading his books. But that’s going to change! “The Fault in Our Stars” is a heart-breaking book, but John Green manages to capture the words of a 16-year-old, cancer-ridden girl so poignantly. He doesn’t set out to write a happy ending YA book, but instead one that’s truthful and has a lot of self-referencing. It makes me wonder, is John Green a mirror of Peter Van Houten, the author in “The Fault in Our Stars?” I haven’t done extensive research on the book, but I think there’s a lot of to be unearthed through his writing. Anyway, I finished this book on Christmas Eve and it made me feel that much more grateful that I had my family around me with everyone happy and healthy.

So there we have it, that’s three books since my last post, which was about three weeks ago. I think that’s pretty good progress on my 20 books before I turn 23. The next few books I’m looking to tackle are going to be doozies. I’m going to read “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King, attempt “The Fellowship of the Ring” (I know, I know, how can I not have read these books already), and “Why We Broke Up), by Lemony Snicket. That last book I started after “The Fault in our Stars” but honestly, I had an emotional night after John Green’s novel so I needed a break from all the waterworks. Anyway, here’s my quick book update, I may try to finish up that IRA post that I’ve had sitting on this document for a while now…

Lessons Candy Crush Has Taught Me

We all have that one friend that whips out her phone during any down time and stares intently at the screen crushing candies until she inevitable runs out of lives and then starts asking you to send them to her. In some circles, it’s two people that send each other lives. In some circles, it’s that one friend that keeps telling you to start playing Candy Crush because it’s “the best game ever! No really, try it!” Some of us might even be that (girl)friend that installed it on her man’s phone just so she could send herself live (may or may not have been guilty of this in the past). But what can we make of this Candy Crush phase? Here are a few lessons this addicting game has taught me?

1) Think ahead – as you progress in the levels, it’s less about just moving around the candies and more about planning ahead. What you do during one move can affect the board later on and come back and bite you. Planning ahead can save you grief later on and thinking about how your actions can affect things down the road.

2) Sometimes you just get lucky – no matter how strategic you are, sometimes you just need a little luck. Sometime the board is stacked in your favor, sometimes you just happen to do the right thing at the right time. Luck isn’t something you should count on but if it plays into your hand, don’t question it. just let it happen.

3) Patience, patience, patience – things don’t always happen on the first try. Or even the fifth try. Or even the 234748365 try. Just be patient. If things were always easy, we would never feel a sense of accomplishment when we finished something hard. Patience helps us learn the ethics of hard work and it keeps us hungry.

4) Take a break – after a week or two of being stuck on the same level, sometimes I feel like throwing my phone (on my bed so it doesn’t break, let’s not get crazy) and screaming at the world. At that point, it’s time to take a break. Like everything else in life (work, relationships, math, cooking), sometimes you just need to step back and take a break from it all. Sometimes we put on our concentration caps so we can focus but sometimes that cap becomes tunnel vision and we’re unable to see past our box. Taking a break and stepping away from it all gives us a chance to regroup and our brains a chance to think about something else. I find that after a break, 15 minutes or a full night’s rest, the level doesn’t seem so challenging anymore.

5) Rely on your friends – Candy Crush is really a social game. Granted it’s not Survivor or anything like that, but it helps to have some friends on your side. Whether it be to ask for extra lives, a little advice on a particularly hard level, or just to provide a little friendly competition, having friends is a plus. Also, you need your friends for support (and tickets). Without them, you’d lead a lonely existence and be a hermit.

6) Sometimes, shit happens – sometimes, no matter what you do, everything explodes and you’re left with shit on the board. It happens. Just like luck happens, shit also happens. There’s nothing to do but shake it off and move on. Those stupid hurricanes wreak havoc on everything and all you can do is grimace, curse a little, and move on.

So there it is: life lessons from Candy Crush. What else has this colorful, addicting game taught you?

Austin Adventures

As my trip in Austin is nearing a close, it’s only appropriate that I take some time to reflect on my trip and everything I’m thankful for this year. Setting aside one day a year to be thankful seems like a nice idea, but I try and remind myself to be thankful everyday.

My trip to Austin can really be summarized by one phrase, “Nothing in moderation!” We really went all out: food, lights, dancing, and family. I only wish my dad and brother had made it out to Austin to join us but thanks to technology, we were able to Google Hang out them in Thanksgiving morning and have a nice chat with them.

To be honest, I don’t think words are doing a good job of telling my Austin trip story. Photo journal it is!

Day 2 after my sister arrived, we went to HopDoddy's for lunch. Amazing hamburgers and parmesan truffle fries!

Decorated the cousin's Christmas tree! Thanksgiving means it's the start of the Holiday season!

 Lots of cousin bonding! 

Finally met my cousin's daughter! So adorable! :] 

Thanksgiving cookies and the day after Thanksgiving barbecue!

Friday night we went to Hideout Theater. It's an improv comedy club where the players are all students and they're directed by two directors who lead them in different scenarios. It's also a competition style so players get eliminated as the night goes along and single players are doing solo sketches at the end. It's fantastic! I definitely want to see if theres any improv lessons around in LA. It would be a great way to meet new and funny people!

After Hideout Theater, we went to Mozart's Cafe. It's a lovely outdoor patio coffee bar and every holiday season, they have light shows each hour. I have plenty of videos on my Instagram if you want to check them out!

Time in Austin well spent! It's been a lovely trip and a wonderful five days in the Lone Star State!

Wonder Girl!

This weekend was completely and utterly booked. I originally planned this trip as a sort of secretive, low-key weekend because my friend had written the music for a musical and I wanted to be there to support him. It’s not every day someone you know qualifies for a Richard Rodgers award and his work has the potential for opening on off-Broadway. I won’t pretend I know much about the award but I do know that friends always need support. So I bought a plane ticket to come see his musical and also spend a little time with friends I didn’t get to see last week. It also qualifies for my “Buy an impulse plane ticket” on my 22 Things list.

With the advent of my dance teacher’s memorial, however, I moved the date of my trip a day earlier so that I was able to perform. I’m so lucky to have found a job that lets me have flexible time off and since I can work from almost anywhere with an internet connection, I was able to get my work done while at home. But enough about my personal life, let’s get to the musical! To say I enjoyed it would be a ridiculously sad understatement.

Because my friend wrote and conducted the music, he had to be there a little earlier. I got to tag along and the experience was breathtaking. My heart is beating so fast just thinking about it.

Wonder Girl is put on by BareStage Productions, the oldest student-run theater company at Cal. The cast was small – several actors played multiple roles – but the energy pre-performance was electric. While walking in, I was hit by the full force of “Take Me or Leave Me” being belted by multiple cast members and all I could feel were chills running up and down my arms. They were getting ready, putting on make up, but the energy from them was exhilarating. They cycled through a few famous musical songs and I couldn’t help but join in on the fun, singing along (albeit quieter because my voice is hardly pitch perfect) and just marveling at the sheer passion and energy that revolved around the room.

I sat in the pit for a pre-performance run through of a song and every moment I was thinking, “I can’t believe Stefano made this. I can’t believe this pit is so willing to trust him and trust the trajectory of this show. I can’t believe this is student-run. I can’t believe there is so much talent I never knew about.” As the lights dimmed and I took my seat in the audience, I braced myself for what I knew was going to be an amazing performance. There’s no way a roomful of that much energy was going to churn out something mediocre.

Wonder Girl is a superhero tale, but it’s not just your average superhero tale. There’s humor, there’s pop culture references, there’s puns, and there’s a bit of darkness. I don’t want to give away the plot but there are so many new and fresh ideas that pour from the musical and really give you pause. Weston Scott, the writer, has decided to take a new angle on the ever-loved superhero concept and give his main character, Wendy, much more vulnerability. With a few dark turns, it’s easy to see why Wonder Girl is universally appealing to all, yet specific in its telling. (Does that sound cliché?)

The blocking and directing were equally fantastic. With a small stage space and I’m sure a smaller budget, Wonder Girl managed to use its set to help telling the story without sloppy scenery changes or forcing the audience to imagine the background. With two square revolving doors in its design, the stage was able to transform from bedroom to football field to a clever way of switching and transforming characters. Whoever thought of that is ingenious and deserves some sort of set design award. I’ll award him the “After the Diploma Set Design Award.” Feel free to come claim it whenever.

Lastly, the music. The music was the original reason I came to see (hear?) this musical at all. Music has always been in a permanent fixture in my life – from learning to play the piano to dancing, it’s always there. I could, however, never think of creating music. The concept is absurd to me. It’s absolutely baffling and my pitch is absolutely imperfect. To learn that my friend had composed everything from scratch and watching it all take life was astounding. I think I’m running out of synonyms for amazing but there’s really no way to describe the awe and admiration I have for his talent. The pit was spot on in its delivery and I can’t imagine Wonder Girl sounding any other way. Everything just fit together so perfectly.

If you’re in Berkeley, Wonder Girl is a must. I regret not going to more student performances in my days there. I saw Twelfth Night performed a few years ago, since my acceptance of Shakespeare into my life, and again, I was so impressed by the talent that blossoms at Cal.

I want to say congratulations to all the cast and crew of Wonder Girl. You’ve certainly impressed me and I’m sure you’re going to wow audiences to come. Consider me a walking, talking advertisement for your show and if you need a Wonder Girl groupie, consider me sold! T shirts and swag will be accepted.

Performing for my Dance Teacher’s Memorial

Today was a bittersweet memory. I flew home this weekend originally to attend my school’s last football game of the season and my trip happened to coincide with a practice for my dance teacher’s memorial and my trip home next week will be her actual memorials. I had originally bought two plane tickets home weeks before her passing and it just so worked out that I would be here in time for the rehearsal and her memorial. Funny how the universe works out, huh?

So today we danced in the new studio and I thought to myself, “How funny that even though I graduated, I still get a chance to dance in the new studio!” I felt extremely lucky. While we were (re)learning the dance, it felt like being in class all over again and I was waiting for Miss Yoko to walk and peer into the window.

It’s the strangest feeling knowing that we’re going to be performing the last dance she ever choreographed and it really felt like she was watching us again. I already know I’m going to be so sore tomorrow (I can already feel it setting in) but it feels great. I don’t know how else to put it other than I feel lucky that I have a chance to do this, pay tribute and do the thing I love and honor my late dance teacher. She’s always going to be my dance teacher and it’s something I’ll never forget.

Ender's Game

I spent half of this weekend in the movie theater down in Riverside. I went down to visit a friend and we’ve always bonded over similarities and overlaps in TV shows and movie so it’s only appropriate that we watched two movies this weekend!

Friday night, we watched Ender’s Game and let me tell you, I had high expectations for this movie. It’s one of my favorite books: I think I’ve read it at least three times that I can remember distinctly. The pictures I imagined in my head about the battle room, Bonzo Madrid, and the buggers were pretty accurately depicted in the movie! Bonzo Madrid really was spot on. I was so stunned when I saw Moises Arias cast because his face was whom I had imagined! Asa Butterfield as Ender was also fantastic. I think he really did a great job with all the acting and his portrayal of Ender was just so good. I can’t stop gushing about the acting in this movie. I just can’t.

I do have a few qualms, but not many, about the plot. I wish they had stayed with the original story more when it came to Bean because I think Bean’s story (Ender’s Shadow) would have been a fantastic movie as well. I also missed all of the Peter and Valentine chat board debates, but I can understand why they had to cut that out. It would’ve made the movie tedious.

Another one of my favorite parts of the book is when they determine the enemy gate is down. I wish there had been more explanation for that since it’s such an integral part of the Salamander Army mentality. But at least they put it in there at all!

I really don’t have many problems with the movie! I really loved it and I would definitely watch it again. I really am praying for a Bean movie but I haven’t heard anything about it yet…

My Favorite Thing on My 22 Things List

I’m happy to say I got to accomplish one of my favorite and most looked forward to things on my 22 Things List: Visit Dawn in Charlotte!! While I’m hoping it isn’t the last time it happens before I turn 23, I’m so glad I had the chance to see my best friend and spend four lovely days with her.

After taking a red eye flight Wednesday and arriving Thursday morning, we both worked from her home for a while. I’ll admit to copping out to a quick nap in between work hours but I told myself the three hours were just making up the time difference. Because most of the jobs I’m recruiting for are on the West Coast, I could get away with a quick catnap and still be right on schedule!

The rest of Thursday we spent doing some work, heading out to a happy hour event and then grabbing some Chinese food for dinner. We were both pretty exhausted by 11:30 so it was off to bed and Friday morning was here in a blink!

We worked a little from home, as promised, and then headed out bowling. Bowling is one of those things I’m either average at or HORRIBLE. My ball pretty much looked like a raging drunk, barreling down the lanes and headed straight for the gutter. I will, however, make the point that I did not end up last in the first game. I was sandwiched between Dawn and her friend, Ivan, with a mediocre score. I also was unable to get a real strike until the last ball of the last game. I did however score three spares where the first ball was a complete gutter and then the second ball managed to hit all the pins. Strange.

Bowling shoes are both the ugliest and cutest shoes in the world.

That night, we headed to a Brazilian steakhouse for dinner. For those of you who don’t know what those are, it’s simply put: a meat buffet. The servers/cooks walk around with these HUGE skewers of meat and come and slice them for you at your table. I think I must’ve eaten a whole cow. I also took it upon myself to ask each server a unique question. Some of my favorites include: “Is that made from baby cows? HOW DID THEY FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL?” and “Have you ever gotten in an accident with a customer and the knife?”

Why are all my photos cropped for Instagram? But I'm too lazy to find the originals.

After dinner, we spent a good amount of time playing Heads Up (BEST game ever) before heading out to a few bars. My favorite was a dueling piano bar where you could request songs from the pianists and if they knew them, they would play them! We of course requested “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” complete with dance team choreography and all.

Saturday I had to spend most of the morning….and afternoon recovering from the festivities of the night before. BUT it was also the night we were going to celebrate Halloween so it was imperative that I recover before 11:00PM. We went to a club and danced the night away. Our costumes as follows:

I tweeted Jeff Probst that night hoping he would put us on Survivor…alas, no response yet.

One of many blurry pictures of the night!

I think this was actually Friday night, but oh well.

New friends, top 40 music, and god awful toasts.

Sunday was bittersweet. We grabbed breakfast and it honestly wasn’t long before I had to head back to the airport. We did mange to squeeze in a showing of the Hunger Games though I’m sad I won’t be able to watch the next one with her.

All in all, a wonderful trip to Charlotte: saw the best friend, danced like there was no tomorrow, and drank every problem away (not in an alcoholic way I promise!). I can’t wait to see her again!!

Watching the Sunrise While Working Out

Two weeks ago, I took the plunge and tried waking up at 6:00 to take a 6:30AM cardio barre class. I’ve been meaning to do it but I really need my sleep at night so I was postponing doing it. I finally bucked up the courage and got into bed at 9:00PM and waited till the next morning.

I woke up and it was still dark outside. Not a good sign because usually I just want to go back to bed when it’s dark. But I plucked myself out of bed and got dressed (workout clothes are not the warmest) and pulled on my sweats and a jacket. I drove over to the cardio barre studio and got my dance on! It was actually kinda cool to see the sun rise while I was sweating and burning calories. The studio has these big glass windows and we watched the sky change colors while we did plies and torso twists and bar thighs.

After class, I went home to shower and get ready for work. I had plenty of time to get ready but to be honest, I spent most of it sitting in bed debating whether to go back to sleep but instead just scrolled through my Instagram. At work, I was really awake for the first part of the day but the exercise inevitably wiped me out and after lunch, I was a bit sleepy. Ice tea lemonade definitely helped me through the rest of the day but I was exhausted!

I think it’s probably a combination of not used to being up so early and being a bit out of shape but that 6:30AM class was not my favorite. It wasn’t my favorite instructor teaching either. But perhaps if I’m ever motivated again, I might rouse myself at the early hour to work out in the morning!

Another Things Off the 22 Things List

To be honest, I almost forgot that “Tailgating a Football Game” was on my 22 Things list. I just assumed that it was going to happen and didn’t think much of making it this thing that I accomplished!

It’s weird for some people to hear that I’ve never tailgated a football, especially being at a PAC 12, Division I school where football is such a big deal. Here’s my explanation: I was a spring admit at Cal, which means I didn’t officially start there until Spring 2010. My fall semester I spent traveling – I did a month in Boston and then three in Hong Kong where I interned for an outerwear clothing company. So my freshmen year, football was pretty much nonexistent. Then for the next three years of my college career, I was on the dance team so tailgating was pretty much out of the question.

I missed my fellow dance teamers so much!! So excited to be reunited with them this weekend!

After moving down here to LA, I was afraid I’d never get to see my Golden Bears play again! Luckily, there’s at least one LA game every year and a bunch of fans will make the trek down to watch our team. I guess I really had two tailgates for one game. The first was set up by my friends and it was really an all booze, no food tailgate. After that liquid tailgate, we headed over to the alumni tailgate where it was an open bar and buffet style hamburgers and hot dogs. We also watched the band and dance team perform and of course I was overcome with nostalgia but I’m not complaining too much about being on the other side.

I have about 10 different versions of this photo on my phone. The memory of taking it is a bit blurry....

Football games are long when you’re just watching from the stands. I definitely miss being on the field and dancing with the band. I can’t wait to be back home in Memorial Stadium and watch Cal take on U$C! November is only a month away!

PS: I forgot to cross off “Go to a stand up comedy show” off my list. I went to the Comedy and Magic Club with my cousin two weeks ago and saw Joe Rogan. Fantastic show!

Fall Television

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And by that I mean, it’s fall television time! Fall television is the best television season of the year. New shows, returns of favorites. Here are my top ten favorites so far (new and old and in no particular order):

This has pretty much been my bible this season.

1) How I Met Your Mother: Truth be told, just tell me how the mother fits in already!! But with this how being in its final season, I’m sad to see it go. I’ll miss Barney’s Playbook antics and Robin’s Robin Sparkles performances. I’ll even miss Ted’s sappy life philosophies. This show has been one for the ages and when the season ends, I know I’ll go back to the beginning to start all over again.

2) Elementary: I’m a HUGE BBC Sherlock fan. Benedict Cumberbatch is on my list of Top 10 people I wouldn’t mind watching forever. But Jonny Lee Miller does a pretty spectacular job of being a once drug addicted Sherlock and the twist that Watson is Lucy Liu is awesome. Last season’s Moriarty surprise locked in my addiction to this show.

3) Legend of Korra: I’m usually not a big fan of adult cartoons like Family Guy and South Park but Legend of Korra isn’t really an adult cartoon. It’s really meant for preteens I think. So I was pleasantly surprised when I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Airbender and now I’m continuing to watch Korra in its second season.

4) Grey’s Anatomy: I started watching this show thanks to an old ex who’s now in med school. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle the surgeries and blood and guts but the thing I do understand is the that Meredith and Cristina are each other’s “person.” I have my very own “person” in my best friend, who now lives in Charlotte, but I totally get their special bond and it’s part of the reason why I’m so heavily invested in this show. Oh also because Dr. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey, is in it.

5) Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Andy Samberg + making fun of cops? Consider me sold. Even though this series just started, I’m already waiting for the next episodes to air just so I can see Andy Samberg and his gay captain take on some more cases.

6) Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Joss Whedon. Marvel. Need I say more?

7) The Mindy Project: Let’s just all take a moment to appreciate Mindy Kaling for the comedic genius she is. Pair that with a great cast (I LOVE Morgan) and doctor humor and you pretty much have a show set for success!

8) America’s Next Top Model: My not-so-guilty pleasure. I can’t help but watch these vapid human beings claw at each other’s throats in hopes of becoming America’s Next Top Model. I will respect modeling as a career but I cannot accept that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM has to be a gossip-y, egomaniacal individual. Granted it’s probably scripted television, but let’s have more photo shoots and less “WASH YOUR OWN PLATES,” shall we?

9) The Big Bang Theory: I will never stop having nerd-gasms over this show. I love all things nerdy and even Penny is getting a little nerdy. Also, Raj is my absolute favorite – whether he can talk to girls or not.

10) The Crazy Ones: Robin Williams is back on television and he’s just as funny as ever! And Sarah Michelle Gellar is in a comedy that doesn’t involve her staking people. I have to say, the first episode surprised me with its humor and though the plot of the season hasn’t developed much yet, I’m excited to see where it’s going to go. It’s like a funny version of Mad Men. And much more gender equality.

Well there you have it, my top ten picks of the Fall TV schedule. What’s on your must watch list?

Book #6: Fangirl

Well that was fast: another blog post, another book review. I hope you aren’t too put off by my intermittent blog posts but working full time and tutoring on the side leaves me exhausted most days and I’m just dying to crawl into bed by the end of the day.

So for my sixth book this year, I read “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell. It’s the first book in the official Tumblr book club and though I didn’t follow the chapter guidelines exactly, I read the book in my own time and just finished it this afternoon.

I think I’m most impressed by Rainbow Rowell’s ability to write like a college freshman. She captures the anxiety of moving into a new dorm and the insecurities of reaching past what you’re comfortable with. Cath is a reliable narrator, unlike the character in the stories she writes, and her being a twin, adds a new layer to a character that is already so unique.

“Fangirl” is an easy read thought I didn’t love the interjections of fanfiction and the real “Gemma T. Leslie” text. Mostly because I have an incessant need to know the entire story and not just parts. I think the book would be able to stand on its own without those intercalary chapters. To me, they don’t add that much to the story other than proving that Rainbow Rowell is able to switch penning characters with believable skill.

All in all, a fast and easy read. I completely relate to Cath as being part of a fandom though my experiences with fanfiction are not nearly as extensive as hers. My favorite fanfic is easily the The ShoeBox Project.

What about you? What are your favorite fanfics?

Book #5: Orange is the New Black

So I know I said I was reading “A Beautiful Mind,” but the book is close to 700 pages long and though it’s an interesting book, I found my mind wandering because I liked consuming different kinds of literature. It’s hard for me keep focus on just one thing. So while I was reading “A Beautiful Mind,” I also picked up “Orange is the New Black” and started reading that as well. It was a quick read and before I knew it, I had finished it!

I chose the book, of course, after binge watching the entire season of the show on Netflix. After learning that it was based on a true story, I was curious to see how much of it is true and how much was fictionalized. The truth is, most of the show is fictionalized to dramatize it all and the names are quite different too. Though there are definitely parallels between the two, the book offers a lot more of the emotion that happens while living in a women’s prison. Piper on Netflix seems to really have it all together while Piper in the book is much more relatable and has moments of weakness and depression and doesn’t really know if she’s going to make it through. Book Piper is also a lot less resourceful than Netflix Piper – I think mostly because you just can’t do everything Netflix shows with the limited supply of materials in prison.

It was a fantastic read and I enjoyed it immensely. It’s not too long and could easily be read in a few two-hour sittings. Next on my list is “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell. It’s the first book in Tumblr’s official book club and it seems to be all the rage of the Tumblr book club right now. I’ve just started but when I finish, I’ll back with another book review!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

My cousin from Austin landed today and so I took a half-day from work and went to pick him up. This weekend is going to be filled with tons of fun because I have quite the itinerary planned! First on our list was to go see the live taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live in Hollywood.

I signed up for tickets a few weeks ago when I found out my cousin was visiting. It was the easiest thing ever: head over to 1iota.com and just look for the show you want to see! Though it’s not guaranteed you’ll get a ticket, you have a pretty good shot if you put your name down early enough. We grabbed a quick bite to eat before driving over because our check-in time for 4:30 and arrived at the theater at about 4:15. Parking isn’t that awful but we didn’t park at the place where you could get your parking verified but no worries, the parking wasn’t that bad.

Once we got into the theater (maybe thirty minutes later), the staff was really nice about bathroom breaks and how the show would run. Link (?), our pre-show host, was 1) super hot, and 2) super helpful. He was this nice guy originally from the South (he described himself that way, I’m not making assumptions) who was clearly hired because he’s probably very good at this job, and very good-looking. But enough swooning from me, good-looking man aside, the warm up act, Don, kept us entertained, let us know how the show was going to run and made us practice applauding.

Once Jimmy Kimmel actually came on, I was just too excited. I don’t think I’ve ever been in such close proximity to a celebrity and boy, is he attractive. I don’t say this in any sort of a patronizing way but the camera really does add ten pounds. Seeing him live, he’s really a fit sort of guy and on TV, he looks a little chunkier. Not fat, mind you, but bigger. It was cool to see what happened during commercial breaks: his makeup artist who dab on some powder, the crew would set up his couch and desk set, the band would play and Don would get us all riled up and excited again.

Tonight’s guest stars were Rebel Wilson and Anthony Bourdaine. It was awesome seeing someone I’ve watched and admired being interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel. He’s a great host and lets the guests speak more for themselves than trying to force answers out of them.

Being in the audience surprisingly didn’t take away any of the magic of the show for me. Usually being in the audience will kind of “sober” the experience for me, so to speak: the magic disappears because you know all the behind the scenes stuff. One experience I had with this phenomenon was when my dance team auditioned for America’s Got Talent. More on that at another time but watching Jimmy Kimmel Live didn’t take any of that away at all. If anything, I was impressed by his ability to deliver and not stumble and though it was a short experience, it was one worth having and perhaps going to again! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go look for myself on TV as I watch the rerun of the taping!

Going to Visit my Best Friend!!

Three months. It’s the most my best friend and I have ever been apart since we became friends our freshmen year of college. Whenever someone asks me when we became so close, I can never quite pinpoint it. It was somewhere in between running our audition pieces in our dorm hallway and getting into all sorts of trouble after hours that we became the best of pals. Sometimes your soul mate is just down the hall!

After discussing when we would see each other next, I finally looked up some flights and decided to take the plunge and buy a ticket. Next month, my best friend and I will be reunited for 4 days!! I’m just so excited to see her and see what she’s been up to: her new place, her new friends, her new work life. It’s difficult for me to really write about how excited I am to see her but I’m sure you’ll get plenty of updates!

Plus, it's one more thing off my 22 Things list!

SO EXCITED TO BE REUNITED!

Do it because you want to, not because you have to

Today my boss handed me a gift card to J. Crew as a thanks for staying late on Friday night to help out with her computer. I’ve become somewhat of a resident tech support at my office, mostly because I love computers and all things electronic so when someone has a problem with their computer, I’m usually the first to volunteer to help out. Last week, we were getting ready for a new employee to come into the office so we had to buy a new computer and dual monitors and get them all set up. We had originally scheduled an appointment with Geek Squad to help us with it, but when I saw all the boxes for the computers and monitors, I volunteered myself to set it up instead. It felt like Christmas morning and I unwrapped all of those shiny new things and put them all together.

This was all Thursday and by the end of Thursday, everything seemed to be up and running. Come Friday, my boss brought in her computer and her e-mail wasn’t working. Blame the slow Internet connection or the Microsoft Exchange server, something just wasn’t clicking. I spent most of the day reinstalling programs and trying everything I could so that the computer would run again but by 6:30, things were still sluggish and I had still had a computer to wipe and set up for our new employee! But honestly, time wasn’t an issue to me. I persuaded my boss to go home since her husband had been out of town for the week and she had a three-year-old waiting for her at home! I, on the other hand, am fresh out of college and living on my own so I don’t have anyone waiting for me. I stayed late to figure out what the problem was and eventually, with a little help from my friends overseas, I figured it out and it was up and running! I even offered to drop it off at her house after I got done. It was a little “The Devil Wears Prada” moment but my boss is nowhere as cold as Miranda Priestly.

Fast forward to Monday Morning, my boss gave me a heartfelt shout out during our team meeting and thanked me for staying late on Friday night. I was really touched that she would mention it to the team since it really wasn’t a big deal for me. I saw a problem that I could help with and I genuinely wanted to help out! It was something I thought I could tackle and it was something I was interested in. It made me feel extra good inside to know that it was so appreciated.

My office started an unofficial book club (though we refuse to call it that) where we’re going to try and read a book a month. Last month it was Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell (one of my favorites) and I had suggested it because I felt that it was pertinent to our world of recruiting. I guess I could add it to my list of 20 books to read this year but I’m going to leave it of because it feels like a bit of a cop out since I’ve read it before. This month, we’re going to read Give and Take, by Adam Grant. He’s the youngest tenured professor at UPenn and his book describes three types of people: givers, takers, and matchers. Takers try to get as much out of others as possible while matchers try to trade evenly. Givers give and contribute and expect nothing in return and surprisingly, it’s these types of people who are most successful. I’m excited to start this book but more importantly, I strive to be more of a giver. I think, innately, I already am a giver. I really try to help others without thinking of myself just so I can get that feel good feeling. This really reminds me of that episode in Friends where Phoebe tries to find a truly selfless act.

This has turned out to be quite the long post. Thanks for sticking with it till the end! I know I haven’t been the best at updating but I do try to post something insightful when I get the chance. On another note, I have a student to tutor in SAT II Bio this weekend so I’m spending most of my nights reviewing cellular respiration (I never really understood that) and DNA replication (much more manageable).

BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge

I was scrolling on my dashboard on Tumblr today (surprise surprise) and came across the most amazing YouTube Channel: BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. I am such a huge sucker for a well-covered song (see Young the Giant’s cover of R. Kelly’s Ignition swoon) so stumbling on this channel was basically a god sent gold mine.

And naturally because I become obsessive about things very quickly, I needed to make a YouTube Playlist of every song that’s ever been covered on Live Lounge. Luckily for me, Wikipedia has done most of the work for me so I just have to go through YouTube and search for the covers I want to listen to.

If you want to jam to these AMAZING covers, click here!

Spending Sunday with Myself

This long weekend I finally made it down to the beach after nearly a month and a half of moving down here and it was lovely! Three-day weekends mean plenty of sleep and catching up on reading and just general lazing about. Over the last two days, I walked down to the beach and had myself a little picnic while indulging in some magazines that I’ve been meaning to read but just haven’t had the chance to. I guess I can cross “Have an ocean side picnic” off my 22 Things list!

Such blue skies. Sorry random people that are in my photo.

One of the downsides of living so close to a beach during Labor Day is that everyone and their mother is at the beach for the holiday. Luckily, I was by myself and I don’t take up too much space so I was able to find myself a little spot by the lifeguard station. You can never be too careful. Unluckily, a middle aged man came to sit by me, which is totally fine – that’s not the part that creeped me out. It was the part where it needed to borrow some suntan lotion and me being generous, I lent him some (for keeps of course), and then he told me he had a present for me and tried to put it on me. At which point I said, “NO I’M GOOD.” We have literally been talk to each other for a total for thirty seconds, why would you think it’s ok to do that?

Anyway, barring that encounter, my time on the beach was nice. Despite the crowd, it was still sort of quiet. The kind of quiet where there’s a lot of chatter but it just kind of mellows out to a humming din and you’re able to concentrate on whatever it is you want to concentrate on. In my case, some Entertainment Weekly, a little Cosmo and a healthy dose of Glamour.

So many umbrellas!

I hope all your three-day weekends were just as relaxing! Tomorrow it’s back to the work world!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Weekend means this is the first time since I’ve started work that I’ve gotten to leave early. I mean, I’ve left early before to get to my tutoring training and interviews, but I don’t really count that since it was technically going to more work. Leaving early definitely has its perks – especially on Friday!

I had a chance to venture to my city’s Farmers Market for the first time. I’ve been dying to go and pick out some fresh fruit but because the Market only runs from 3-7PM, I haven’t had the chance to go just yet. I had anticipated a much larger market so I overpaid a bit on the meter but hopefully that’ll make someone happy if they took my parking spot afterward… I grabbed three boxes of berries and $2.50 got me two and a half pounds of red potatoes! Usually at Trader Joe’s I buy the little premade bags and that in itself is about $2 for some pretty dinky potatoes. Potatoes are basically a staple of my diet (I’m not sure how healthy that is….) so I always have them around.

Getting off a bit early from work is certainly relaxing. I have the rest of the day to hang out and relax and get ready for tomorrow’s KICK OFF!! This is the first game that I won’t be on the field for. What a strange feeling. I hope everyone has an awesome Labor Day weekend! And if you’re from other countries, have a Happy September 2nd!

My Glasses Are Here!!

One day earlier than anticipated! What’s better than getting a package one day earlier than you anticipated? Here are some pictures of my new glasses. I can’t wait to start wearing them around the office and just every day in general! My eyes need a rest from contacts all the time anyway.

Jobs: The Movie

I had high hopes for this movie. I really did. And despite all the bad hype it was getting, I still wanted it to be good. I wanted some semblance of the Walter Isaacson’s biography that I read twice before seeing this movie and it had none of that.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t because the acting wasn’t stellar or that the actors was wrongly casted – in fact, the acting was pretty stellar, and the actors all looked like their counterparts but the script, character portrayals, and the format of the movie wasn’t my favorite.

Ashton Kutcher did a great job of embodying Jobs from the hunched over posture to the hand gestures while he talks. Kutcher is more of an extrovert so for him to play an introvert was certainly interesting.

My biggest complaint is with the format of the movie. I felt like the entire thing was a movie trailer for a longer, future Steve Jobs movie. It was overall disjointed, skipped over some pretty substantial parts of his life, and didn’t even cover up some of the most recent events up until his recent passing. While half of Jobs’ story is his building up one of the largest companies in the world, the other half is his arrival back at Apple and how he disrupted the industry AGAIN. Additionally, the movie touches and skips over his familial relations, particularly with Lisa and introduce Jobs’ wife randomly during the second half of the movie without any explanation.

If you’re not an avid Jobs fan or didn’t bother to read up on his biography ahead of time, I’m guessing this movie would have left you very confused. Even with all my reading, I was still confused at the timeline and the parts of his life they chose to showcase. I really wished they had done a better job of capturing Jobs’ life. The casting was spot on, but the story was not.

If I had my way, Steve Jobs’ life would be a mini series on TV and each week, they would cover another chronological portion of his life. Think like the BBC Sherlock series. Two hours just isn’t enough to Jobs’ justice! The audiobook of his biography is more than 24 hours long. Even taking out the author’s commentary and the parts about his adoption process and parents (both biological and adoptive), you’ve still got a pretty hefty amount of material to work with.

Well on the bright side, there’s another Steve Jobs movie coming out by Aaron Sorkin with Steve Wozniak as a consultant. Side note: Steve Wozniak’s character was horrible misrepresented in the movie. He’s more of an introvert and much more shy than portrayed. So I’m going to pin my hopes on that instead.

Yelp Review #3: Standing Room

Are you ready for another Yelp! Review? This one is definitely one of the most unconventional food spots I’ve ever been to but also one of the most delicious! Here’s my The Standing Room review:

When I first walked into the liquor store that houses The Standing Room, it reminded me a bit of a scene from a movie where the liquor store is cover for an undercover operation. It’s a little liquor store that you might drive by regularly and the kitchen is in the back. But once you go inside and order, it’s clear that this little business is a huge hit.

We got there around 1:00PM or so and because we’ve never been there before, we had to take a little time looking at the menu. The Standing Room serves burgers and fries with an Asian twist. For about four dollars, you get a huge order of parmesan truffle fries that I’m still working on today (crisp them up in a pan real fast and they’re good as new!). I also ordered the Hapa Burger – ½ pound pattie, spring mix, onion, sesame leaf, scallion, fried egg, gouchu-q & Korean aioli. I love a fried egg on top of all my burgers and this was no exception. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, I’d go for the Napolean burger - ½ pound pattie, bacon, smoked gouda, cheddar, caramelized onion, spring mix topped with braised short rib, fried egg, &truffle parmesan fries. The fries are actually inside the burger!

The Napolean Burger - fried egg and fries. There's a burger bun under all that somewhere...

The perk of having the burger shop inside the liquor store is that you can grab a drink (non-alcoholic too!) since you just pay at the front anyway. Be forewarned, grab extra napkins! My Hapa burger was bursting with flavor and with flavor comes lots of liquids: the aioli, the gouchu-q, the fried egg – all of that makes for some drips while eating. You can ask for cutlery but when it comes to burger, I find that devouring it like a savage makes it all the more tasty!

My Hapa Burger

There are still a bunch of menu items that I want to go back and try: the pan fried edamame, Danger Burger, Bully Sammy, and even the Portobello Mushroom Sammie. Parking is a little tight since it’s a tiny store and there are some posts in the ground that could potentially wreak havoc on your car if you’re not careful but there is plenty of street parking as well. This little hole in the wall joint is definitely worth a second visit, and third…and fourth!

Parmesan truffle fries. SO delicious and SO many of them!

The League

At the suggestion of my bosses, I started watching “The League.” It’s about a group of friends that play in a Fantasy Football league. I am hooked.

I’m not a huge fan of the NFL and opt to watch college football any day (Go Bears!) but I have to say, “The League” is definitely piquing my interest in the NFL. I’m recognizing some Cal alums on the draft boards and that always gets me excited.

After doing a little research on “The League (read: looked it up on Wiki), I found out that the show is semi-improvised! That is amazing to me. I’ve watched several seasons of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and am always so impressed by their ability to make up something from nothing. To find out that this show is semi-improvised is kind of amazing.

While I was looking for a photo for this post, I came across this article on mint.com. Mint is the app I use to keep track of my budget and it’s super useful. But anyway, it’s an article that uses “The League” to teach financial responsibility. It’s a little generic and some of the analogies are a bit of a stretch but it’s still a fun read!

Happy Saturday Night!

22 Things List Update

Just thought I’d give you guys a quick update on how I’m doing with my 22 Things list. I’m close to two months in and have a few things checked off. I hope I keep up the progress!

1. Run another half marathon
2. Visit Dawn in Charlotte
3. Visit JHU to see my sister
4. Run 100 miles
5. Write 5 Yelp! reviews

• Joan’s On Third
• Blue Plate Oysterette

6. (re)Learn HTML and redo my blog theme
7. Save one entire pay stub
8. Meet a blogging friend in the offline world
9. Have and ocean side picnic
10. Try a fad diet
11. Read 20 books

• Flowers for Algernon
• The Storyteller
• And the Mountains Echoed
• Ready Player One

12. Get a Sprinkles cupcake
13. Send 50 letters &/or postcards (I think I've sent 3 so far?)
14. Donate blood (again)
15. Take a yoga class/spin class/dance class at least one a month
16. Buy an impulse plane ticket
17. Tailgate a football game
18. Try a barre class
19. Try an aerial silks class
20. Try a salsa class
21. Attend a stand up comedy show
22. Learn to make 5 drinks

Cardio Barre Revisited

As of two nights ago, my Groupon for my cardio barre classes was used up and I've been dying to go back. I thought I could be sneaky and buy the 10 class Groupon but the lady at the desk said that you could only use the Groupon if you were a new client. So now I'll have to start paying the actual prices and let me tell you, cardio barre isn't exactly the most affordable class to take. Single classes at $16 each and you can save a bit if you stock up but it's a lot of money to forgo in one sitting.

So I'm stuck dealing with this dilemma of whether to keep paying for classes or not. I really do love it and I'm positive I'll be able to push myself through however many classes I buy, and I need to make a decision soon since class prices are going to go up next month. I'm thinking of maybe buying 20 classes and that'll last me at least two months if I go twice a week. Maybe even longer since I start tutoring soon, if I pass my teach back tomorrow, and that'll cut down on my times to go to cardio barre class.

I've already gone to class twice this week and I'm thinking of maybe trying and advanced class soon. Maybe not...But I do know I want to go to class this weekend if only to swoon at the adorable instructor. *sigh*

How many classes do I have to go to to look like this?

Consuming Pop Culture

I’m a self-proclaimed pop culture fanatic. I get obsessive about TV shows and movies and certain celebrities and I need to know everything and anything about them. I’m sure I’m not the only one (I am well aware of all the fandoms that exist) but sometimes I find it exhausting to keep up with it all! I follow 146 blogs on Tumblr and almost another 20 on Feedly. But I cannot stop!

I think it’s part of my curiosity that I need to know everything about certain things. I love reading Wiki and those “20 Things You Didn’t Know About _____” on BuzzFeed. I love reading and reading about pop culture is so easy for me. It’s almost brainless – except for the fact that I seem to remember all the miscellaneous details about all these strange TV shows: NPH from HIMYM is married to Scooter (David Burtka). Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) is married to Giles from Buffy. Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) is actually Canadian and married to Taram Kilan from SNL who also plays Sandy in some episodes of HIMYM. I think it’s partially because I’m fascinated by the 6 degrees of separation between celebrities. It really seems like everyone knows everyone.

I’m debating seeing a movie by myself today. I feel like it’s a bit of a lonely person thing to do but it’s a movie, you’re supposed to be sitting still and watching it anyway. Not gabbing away (like I normally do). I have a ton of movies on my “To Watch” list: The Wolverine, We're The Millers, Kick-Ass 2, Jobs, just to name a few so perhaps I’ll go cross some off and treat myself to a movie today!

Though I did hear this story on a radio the other day that there was a woman who decided to go watch We're the Millers and was sitting by herself in the back row and during the Jennifer Aniston strip tease scene, the guy sitting a few seats away from her was doing things to himself that are not supposed to be done in public... So I'll have to be wary about that...