The Sister Has Arrived!!

I picked up my sister from the airport today (which was a confusing experience but at least it was close in proximity to work) and I am so ready for a very fun two weeks with her!! I can’t wait to take her around and show her all my favorite hangs – of which I have very few but we can explore together! – and just catch up. We never run out of things to talk about and it’s going to be an awesome two weeks!

I apologize in advance if I don’t post as often as I can but it’s probably because I’m having too much fun with my sister! Here’s a video of our dinner:

As you can see, it's going to be a very hot, very fiery two weeks!

Café Gratitude

I am in no way a vegan – I simply love bacon way too much – but today, our office went vegan for lunch and I was very impressed! We ordered online and went on a little field trip to pick up the food and I have to say, Café Gratitude is one of the yummiest places I’ve ever eat from!

Café Gratitude boasts vegan and raw food cuisine (though not all their food is raw) and everything is so so fresh. We decided to order four different things to share together and I was not disappointed. My favorite was probably “Humble,” an Indian inspired dish with curry over quinoa and over roasted potatoes. I was amazed by how flavorful everything is; to be honest, I was expecting bland rabbit food. We also had “Terrific,” which is as terrific as it sounds: marinated kelp noodles tossed with basil hempseed pesto, as well as the “Mucho”: a Mexican inspired dish with black beans, guacamole, sweet corn, and a whole lot of delicious.

I’m putting off my Yelp! Review since I want to actually go to the restaurant and sit down and have everything hot. While it was still delicious, I know it’ll be even better when it’s hot and steaming on the plate in front of me. I absolutely cannot wait to go back and eat there. I want to try everything!! Consider me vegan-educated!

Yelp Review #2!

As promised, here is my second Yelp! Review! It's for the restaurant Blue Plate Oysterette that my coworkers and I went to after the DocStoc Fireside Chat.

Some highlights:

• The most delicious mussels in curry sauce I have ever had!
• Oysters oysters oysters
• Lobster mac & cheese.

Click here to read about my culinary tastebud adventure!

The Problem with Sephora

Is that I can never buy just one thing. I went in on Friday with my coworker to a nearby mall during our lunch break because I needed to pick up eyeliner and ended up getting a face wash too. I don’t normally use face wash, I went through a Burt’s Bee’s face wash phase for a quick minute but I just didn’t really like it. So I grabbed this micropeel face wash since I’ve wanted to try it and I am in love! I used it for the first time during my shower yesterday and my face felt so clean. It melted away blackheads and my nose feels a million times cleaner. I’m almost excited to take a shower and use my new face wash again!

What’s your go-to make up product?

Third Street Promenade and Seeing Joss Whedon!!

Last night I drove up to Santa Monica to visit a college friend since he was down in the area. His work place is right next to the 3rd Street Promenade so we walked along the street and grabbed dinner at a Mexican joint. It wasn’t the best Mexican food I’ve ever had but it was still pretty good. The mango margarita probably helped.

On our way to dinner, I almost ran into someone and when I looked up, right in front of me was Joss Whedon! I was so star struck (Joss Whedon is one of my idols) and I then proceeded to text and tweet everyone I knew. Joss Whedon is the first celebrity I’ve seen in my short three weeks here and I couldn’t have wished for a better first celebrity. Do I sound like an over-crazed fan girl yet?

We spent the rest of the night catching up and walking towards the beach but I didn’t want to drive home too late. The 405 still scares me though it is a lot quieter at night.

Today wasn’t a particularly exciting day. I got out of the house to do laundry and buy some groceries. Other than that, I’ve been binging on “Orange is the New Black.” I definitely want to read the book it’s based off of. Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!

popmatters.com

Speaking of Jason Nazar…

He (his blog here) wrote this great article on Forbes.com about 20 Things 20 Year Olds Don’t Get. I think it’s a really smart article that anyone starting their new job should read and acknowledge and do. Here is my top three from his article:

Social Media is Not a Career – I definitely needed to hear this. While I was in college, I thought I could make a career out of Facebook posts and tweets. WRONG. It’s important to know how to do these things but a job they do not make.

Don’t Wait to Be Told What to do – this was a mistake I made in a past internship. I thought as long as I finished what I was assigned, I was on a good track. WRONG. It’s not enough to do just what you’re told; ask what you can do to help out. Ask if there’s anything else you can learn to do. Ask if you can design the office shot glasses (ok, maybe this is specific to my company).

Read More Books, Fewer Tweets/Texts – I completely agree with this statement. That’s why I’m making it a point to read 20 books by my next birthday. We need to be consuming depth, not just quick headlines. I find it so important that we read. Even if you want to read stuff online, that’s fine! Just make sure you’re learning something. It’s not enough to know a hurricane happened. Know what you can do to help, how many were injured, whether there’s anything that will happen because of it. Learn. Always and often!

What do you wish you could tell 20-year-olds of todhttp://www.jasonnazar.com/ay?

DocStoc Fireside Chats

So onto why I was out so late (it wasn’t even that late, I got home around midnight) and my long work day:

About a week ago, we (at our office) signed up for a DocStoc Fireside chat – they’re these monthly talks put on by DocStoc (an awesome start up company that helps with the legal paperwork that start ups need) and they invite important people in the start up world to come chat with DocStoc’s founder, Jason Nazar. This latest talk was with Wendy Lea, the CEO of Get Satisfaction. I think what was one of the most inspiring things about this talk was that Wendy Lea is a strong female CEO in a world that is predominantly ruled by men. But the best part was that she didn’t address that. She didn’t care about the gender gap and she didn’t care that she was a woman. Through out her talk, she simply said that she was just who she was and she didn’t care to change herself.

It was inspiring to see her thirst for knowledge continue to grow and her enthusiasm for her work is so encouraging! She jumps out of bed every morning excited to work and interact with her team and the customers. I feel like I’m gushing but it was so SO SO motivational! If you want to see some past DocStoc fireside chats, click here! Unfortunately, Wendy Lea’s talk isn’t up yet but it will be soon!

After the chat, we headed off to dinner. We started with a drink and a small appetizer at Sushi Roku and then onto our main dinner at Blue Plate Oysterette. Blue Plate Oysterette is one of the best places I’ve eaten at, hands down. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and I was stuffed at the end of it but it was totally and completely worth it. I definitely need to write a Yelp! Review about the place so I can relive all the dishes again. It’s not a cheap place to eat but for the occasional celebration and special event, definitely.

I feel like there’s just so much happening in my life right now, it’s hard to find time to slow down and just relax for a little bit. It’s really exciting, fast paced, and some days, it just feels like things are going at lighting pace! I can’t believe I just finished my second week at work but every day continues to be a new day and I haven’t found a single slow moment. Now that it’s the weekend, I’m going to definitely take some time to recuperate and catch up on blogging so you guys have something to read! Happy Friday (or well whatever’s left of it)!

Some Overdue Posts: Book #4: Ready Player One

I am late on posting and I apologize! I had a crazy (but fun) long day at work yesterday and when I got home, I was completely exhausted. So thanks for reading and get ready for a lot of updates!

I finished book 4 out of 20 for my 22 Things list! I read “Ready Player One” and I really loved it. I got the suggestion from Lara’s Book Club (I mean Lara is only one letter away from Clara) because the summary just sounded so interesting. I'm a huge fan of science fiction and Ender's Game is one of my favorite books to read over and over again.

“Ready Player One” is set in the future where global warming has melted the polar ice caps and earth has pretty much become a wasteland. As respite from the depression that is around them, populations around the world check into OASIS – a virtual reality where you can be anything you want to be and it’s accessible for free! In the beginning of the novel, the creator of OASIS, James Halliday, passes away and in his will, he declares a contest. Hidden within the many worlds of OASIS is a hidden egg and whoever finds it wins ownership of OASIS and all of Halliday’s fortune.

Pitted against each other are “gunters” (the shortened version of “egg hunters”) and the Sixers, members of a huge corporation who wants to take over OASIS and charge people for it. Our protagonist is Wade Watts, an orphaned student who lives with his aunt and escapes daily into OASIS where his friends are.

As the story progresses, Halliday’s obsession with 80’s pop culture permeates the novel as the characters study his life and his favorite decade in order to solve the puzzles that lead to the hidden egg. One can’t help but geek out and reminisce about all the great stuff the 1980s gave us: Pac Man, Monty Python, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, just to name a few. My favorite parts of the book were the intricate details that Ernest Cline uses to describe the OASIS and how players can completely immerse themselves in the game. I almost wish the description was even more languid and expanded upon because the technology he describes is so cool. Google Glass looks like a pair of hipster lenses compared to the visor and haptic gloves used in the OASIS.

www.experiencepoints.net

My next book is “A Beautiful Mind” by Sylvia Nasar. I’ll admit to never have seen the movie but I’m certainly curious about it and having studied a little game theory in college and the subject really fascinated me. I’m hoping reading the book first and then watching the movie (which is the reverse order since the movie was released first but who cares) will give me better insight into this profoundly interesting professor and individual, John Nash of the Nash equilibrium.

Just a Brief Update Today

I didn’t hit my target goal today so I’m a bit bummed about that but some days are better than others. Not an overly exciting day but I did get lunch at the café on the lots today and the cashier was pretty cute! Tomorrow night we’re going to a DocStoc talk after work so it’ll be a shorter day. I’ll be sure to give you updates but tonight is going to be an early night for me. Sweet dreams!

The Secret Sauce of Great Recruiters

I came across this article on LinkedIn today and I found it highly relevant to what I’m doing and applicable to other jobs as well. Recruiters should be compassionate, intuitive data smarts, a great salesman, and, in my opinion, amazing communicators. But not just recruiters, everyone should have these skills!

With an ever present emphasis in “well-roundedness” and being an “all-around” candidate, I think it’s important that every person, whether you’re recruiting or being recruited, work on this skill set. It’s not just the secret sauce of great recruiters, but the secret sauce of a great human being!

LinkedIn articles are great and they really put into perspective the hiring process, from all ends. It's becoming some of my favorite reading material. What are some of your work reads?

Caffeine Pick Me Ups

Now that I’ve started work, I’ve been trying to get plenty of sleep each night. But some nights I can’t get to sleep no matter how many minutes of my audiobook I listen to. Luckily, my office is right next to a Coffee Bean so caffeine is just a short walk away.

I can’t do coffee – I can’t stand the taste (though I do love the smell) and there’s way too much caffeine in a single serving for me. One day I had a large iced tea lemonade and I was SO jittery. So I turned to tea. Not a large one, but maybe a small or a medium will do.

Coffee Bean does a wonderful lemonade iced tea. It’s perfect for a sweet treat in the middle of the day and definitely gives me the pick me up I need. Today I had a passion fruit black tea. I think I’m a little more accustomed to the really sweet syrup-y passion fruit teas from boba places but it was still refreshing.

I really want to start bringing my own tea in mason jars to work. Maybe even put some boba in it! But that is an adventure for another day. A day with more money hopefully….

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Sweet-Dessert-House/121342731211837

Orange is the New Black

Today was a bit of a gloomy day. It rained a little and I didn’t want to leave the house at all. I spent most of the day in bed, lounging around and doing some reading. I’m almost done with my next book in my 20 book list. I was browsing around on Netflix was taking a look at the Netflix original series and I remembered that I had read something about “Orange is the New Black” and the series was pretty good. I started watching the series last night and at first I had somewhat mixed feelings but now I’m hooked!

“Orange is the New Black” opens with a theme song written by Regina Spektor and photographs of former female prisoners. It’s unlike any other opening I’ve ever seen before and frankly, it made me a bit uncomfortable after finding out they were actual past prisoners but it adds a very real element to the show. The story follows Piper Chapman and her 15-month sentence in prison for carrying a suitcase of drug money. While her story is interesting, what makes the show more compelling is the cast of characters that Piper meets in the prison. The show is told in flashbacks and the present and you find out about the past lives of some of the inmates. Though Piper’s story is more or less a relationship gone wrong, some of the other prisoners have really interesting stories. A familiar face in the cast is Laura Prepon, otherwise known as Donna from "That 70s Show!"

I can’t stop watching and it doesn’t help that the whole season is already on Netflix. Have you watched any of the Netflix Original Series?

http://tvafterdarkonline.com/

My First Weekend!

It’s the weekend and it’s my first one after I started work. I’m a little surprised that I’m not more exhausted but work isn’t exhausting to me. It’s interesting and engaging and keeps me excited about going in again.

I planned this weekend out to run some errands and take advantage of the fact the boyfriend is here. He brought some stuff for me that I had forgotten at home, like my hair dryer and a whole suitcase of clothes that I had somehow left at home. My mom even packed me a box of goodies with ramen and spam and rice! I can’t wait to start cooking some home-y meals.

We started the morning of pretty early and I went to get some laundry done. Laundry is right next to an acai bowl place but I wasn’t quite feeling that so while the boyfriend got an acai bowl, I grabbed some spring rolls from a nearby Pho place. While I was waiting for my laundry to dry, I had my car washed and gassed. My car was pooped on a lot while I was gone last weekend. It was a productive day!

We also headed over to the Citadel Outlets to do a little shopping. I wanted to take a look at some clothes for work - I realized that I don’t have that many work fancy clothes. I ended up not buying anything work related and buying a pair of work out shorts instead.

For the rest of the night, I think we’re just going to order in Indian food and relax. I might try to get a little bit of work done as well with Survivor playing in the background. Hope all your weekends are nice and relaxing too!

Working Tunes

Almost 100% of my workday is spent on the computer. It will change as I get on the phone and start talking to candidates but as of now, I spend a lot of time inputting candidates into the computer. As a result, my mind is often craving more stimulation than just computer image processing. I’ve been listening to a bunch of different things on my phone and I thought I’d share some of my working tunes with you!

Spotify: This is literally the best and most-used app on my phone. I don’t know how I survived without it before. I guess I had iTunes but Spotify really gives you that instant gratification when you want to listen to a specific song. I pay the $9.99 a month to get ad-free streaming and also so that I can get my playlists on my phone. Totally worth it.

Comedy albums: Who doesn’t love a good laugh in the middle of the day? When I’m feeling a bit down or my eyes start to glaze from the computer screen, I put on a comedy album or even the comedy radio station on either Spotify or Pandora. The radio station is great but sometimes I prefer listening to a whole album so I can get the flow of the comedian and his jokes run smoother. I just listened to Donald Glover’s album, Weirdo, and it was hilarious. His joke style is anecdotal and stems a lot from his unconventional upbringing. He grew up with adopted children and foster kids in his family and so there were a lot of children passing in and out of his home. As a result, he has some pretty hilarious stories!

Podcasts: Since I’ve gotten into audiobooks, I really like listening to people talk. But because I associate my audiobooks with sleeping, I have to find a different way to listen to talking: enter, podcasts! The first podcast I’ve started subscribing to is “Freakonomics Radio.” Hosted by one of the authors of the popular Freakonomics book, Stephen Dubner, he discusses different topics like whether burgers could be the nutritious, cheap meal for the masses or if Jane Austen was the original game theorist. It’s all really interesting and great to listen to. Look here for some awesome podcasts!

thetechblock.com

Those are my work tunes! What about you?

Studying for the SAT?!

To pick up a little extra cash on the side, I’ve decided to apply for a tutoring job as a SAT prep tutor. While I’m not exactly living paycheck to paycheck, I’m not an executive recruiter yet so I’m not rolling in the dough. I didn’t score terribly on my SAT tests so I figured maybe I could help to inspire some high schoolers to do well on their tests as well. Little did I know that I’d actually have to take a quiz to make sure I’m a competent test taker! Terrifying. I haven’t even looked at an SAT test for about 5 years! So tonight will be spent on collegeboard.com going over SAT prep questions and lots of vocabulary I probably don’t remember.

I can’t believe my first week of work is almost over! The week has gone by so quickly and I’ve been learning so much. It’s true what they say about work not being work when you love what you’re doing. The people in my office are just great people to be around and I’m so lucky I get to sit in and listen in on their recruiting calls so I can learn what to do when I start getting on the phone. We laugh and chat and it just feels right to be there.

Project Runway is on again and I’m in the middle of making dinner. Just wanted to drop in and give you a quick update on today and I’ll be back tomorrow with more!

On an Unrelated Work Note

I bought a new Essie nail polish while I was picking up some cortisone cream. I got stung three times Sunday night while I was sleeping by some mysterious bug and my arm and foot was swollen. Anyway, I bought the color “Naughty Nautical” since I’ve had my eye on it for a while but it was always sold out when I went to Target at home. I’m not exactly disappointed by the color but I’m not as excited as I thought I’d be. There seems to be some little white flecks of glitter or something but I was expecting it to be more matte. I still think it’s a fun color though!

polish-hound.com

I also finally found the beach last night on my third run working towards my 100-mile goal! I kept getting lost before and couldn’t find a straight path to the beach but now I’ve found it and the running path. There were a ton of people (ok not that many) running on the path as well and I just wanted to put out my hand and high five all of them. I had an iced tea at work yesterday and I think the caffeine really got to me. I should think about making my own to take to work…

I finally found the beach!

Anyway, I’m at about 7 out of my 100 miles. It’s a slow start but I still have 50 weeks! I think I can do it :] What are some of your goals?

A Few Work Updates

I find that with most of my day spent at work, catching up with Tumblr and all my blogs is a great way to wind down. Though it seems like a lot of information to be taking in at the end of the day, I actually find it really relaxing that I can just mindlessly go through some photos, read things interest me but I don’t need to memorize and pay too much attention to the details.

I’ve been having a lot of fun at work and learning so so much. It doesn’t feel like work, it feels more like high profile stalking. Today we had a potluck at lunch and all the different companies that work at the office building we’re in all brought food. It was a FEAST. It reminded me of the potlucks we used to have at our old dance studio. Our company brought Indian food and it was a hit. I loved it too and luckily, the Indian restaurant does delivery! I have a feeling I’ll be ordering that in the near future.

The other cool thing about working where I do is that we’re actually located in the midst of some studio lots which means there’s actual studio filming that goes on. Right now they’re filming Reven8e and the second Captain America. I JUST WANT TO SEE SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE. It doesn’t help that I sit right next to the window and there’s limos and cars that drive by on their way to the lots. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for some actors and actresses.

TEDTalks: Life Hack: Fake it Till You Become It

Netflix has a series called TEDTalks: Life Hack and it’s a mini series of talks that can help people out in their day to day! The first talk is by Amy Cuddy and she talks about how your body language can shape who you are. She starts by talking about power poses and how different poses can actually change your attitude about how you’re feeling.

Her most powerful point was her personal story about how she had been a terrible accident and told that she could not finish college. Instead, she overcame that obstacle and went on to be a renowned speaker but throughout her journey, she didn’t think she belonged. She was told to “Fake it till you make it” but instead, she found that she could “Fake it till she became it.” She became a great speaker and no longer felt as if she didn’t fit it.

Cuddy’s message is that body language is important. It can alter the way you perceive yourself and lead to tangible and real results. So stop trying to fake it till you make it and starting faking it till you become it!

Working from Home

Because a lot of my work is done online and entering candidates into a system, I can actually do some work from home! This will be very helpful when I go in to do my laundry and need something to do, given that there’s wi-fi (speaking of which, my Laundromat friend never contacted me!). I also don’t mind doing some work while watching television since I find it hard to just concentrate on TV. Is that another sign of our millennial generation? At least I find it hard to pay attention to television and not work.

I think the only difficulty with working from home is probably just the small screen size. At work I have dual monitors and it’s really helpful when I’m copying and pasting information from different sites. I’m sure I’ll figure out an alternative with just my laptop but I’m kinda excited about sitting in coffee shops over the weekend and getting some work done!

Book #3: And the Mountains Echoed

Khaled Hosseini is best known for this two prior books, “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” In his newest book, “And the Mountains Echoed,” he explores yet another piece of Afghan history that deals with changing governments and the intertwined qualities of being a family. The story is told chronologically from multiple perspectives and Hosseini does a great job of leaving the reader curious about how exactly one story relates to another.

The book starts with a parable about a monster that steals children from nearby Afghan villages. What is thought to be a terrifying monster is actually a generous being that provides for the children what their parents cannot. The story is told to Abdullah and Pari, the brother and sister whom the novel revolves around. Following the parable, Pari is sold to a wealthy family that cannot have children of their own and what ensues is stories told from every which perspective, making the reader wonder if these two separated siblings are ever reunited.

The stories told echo familiar themes within Hosseini’s work: class struggling, oppressive regimes, and the power of family. Hosseini has once again written a masterpiece that brings the history of Afghanistan to the attention of the reader.

http://www.andthemountainsechoed.com/

First Day of Work!

I just finished dinner and am finally taking a break and sitting down after my first day of work. I can’t believe I’m at work and I’m starting to build my career and job path! I got in around 9:45 since that was when my boss had told me to arrive. I jumped straight into setting up my email and the various different recruiting sites that I needed to register with. (PS: I’m a tech recruiting associate for those of you that don’t know.) Then I got a crash course in the recruiting database we use. Even though I ate this morning, my stomach kept growling and I was still hungry.

My warm welcome!

Luckily, we got an early lunch at 11:30 at a place called Houston’s. We ordered a bunch of small plates and rolls and shared. My favorite was definitely the French Dip Roast Beef sandwich. I could definitely eat one of those by myself!

After lunch, my boss gave me a quick history lesson on software and operating systems and coding and developing. It was a lot of information but she put it in a way that was easily understandable. And I took a lot of notes so I can at least review it on my own if needed. I’ll probably do a little research on my own. I want to take advantage of Codecademy and learn a new language.

I spent the rest of the day inputting potential candidates into our database. My goal this week is to put in 200 candidates and I got to about 45+ or so today. After this week, I’m going to get up to 75 a day. I really want to push myself and do more. I’ve already thought of a side project that I want to do that I’m going to run by my boss tomorrow!

After work, I came home and wanted to make dinner and go for a run. Why not both! I wanted to try making these potatoes but they take a bit of time in the kitchen so I put the potatoes in the oven and then went out on my run. The hills around here are killer! I find myself panting for breath and getting stitches in my side when I’m running up those hills. But I’m slowly working toward my 100 mile goal and training for a future half marathon.

So good! I can't wait to make them again!

I have to say, I’m exhausted. It might be from the run, it might be from my first day of work but I haven’t felt this accomplished in a while. It’s a great feeling knowing that your time and work is being put to good use and I can’t wait to have more productive days. Here’s to a wonderful year: of work, of living in LA, of being 22!

Book #2: The Storyteller

During my trip to the east coast, I had a little down time here and there when I had to entertain myself while my sister went to work or during the flights. I got into a bunch of reading and finished “The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors: I’ve been slowly working through all her novels and her writing style, while predictable, is one that works. Her books usually address a controversial topic (which makes it great for book clubs) and then while working through the plot, Picoult will reveal a twist that turns the book on its head.

My sister told me I read too many sad books. I started off my 20 books with “Flowers for Algernon,” and “The Storyteller” has many heartbreaking moments. It explores the stories of a Holocaust survivor and the repercussions it has on her family, a former SS guard, and whether forgiveness is anyone’s to give. It’s told in Classic Picoult style: in multiple perspectives with each viewpoint leaving you hanging on.

The story focuses on Sage Singer, the grandaughter of a Holocaust Survivor, and her budding friendship with Josef Weber. Josef asks Sage for her word in participating a promise that seems unthinkable until he begins to reveal his past.

I don’t want to give away anymore of the story than I have to because it’s truly compelling and worth the read. I leave you with my high recommendation to read “The Storyteller” and mull over the pictures that Picoult has painted about everyone affected by the Holocaust.

jodipicoult.com

The Night Before the First Day of Work

I’m anticipating my first day of work tomorrow with a lot of excitement and a tinge of nervousness. I always get anxious when I’m tossed into new environments, not for fear of failure but more so because I’m a naturally anxious person when it comes to unfamiliarity. To prep myself for the anxious morning I know I’m going to have, I came up with a to-do list to do the night before:

• Pick out my clothes the night before: I suck at picking out clothes in the morning. My head is still sleepy and I can’t pick out anything that looks good. So I’m doing it the night before.
• Have all my documents packed and ready to go: My employer needs documents for my I-9 form so I’m packing them TONIGHT. Not leaving that up to chance where I might forget tomorrow morning in the mad scramble.
• Fill my water bottle: Drinking water is important. People sometimes have a misguided notion that just because you’re sitting in an office and not doing physical work, you don’t need to hydrate. Not true. I’m trying to drink more water so I’m filling up my water bottle and putting it at my desk to motivate me.
• Restock & Pack my emergency bag: I try to keep my emergency bag with my whenever I go anywhere. It has Band-Aids and hairpins and eye drops and just other small travel size things that are good to have.
• Make a snack: I don’t know what exactly is going to happen for lunch or when it might happen so I’m going to pack a little snack so I have something to eat in case I get hungry before lunchtime.
• Get some sleep: Lastly, but most importantly, get enough sleep! Luckily I don’t have to be in till 9:45 tomorrow so if I get into bed by midnight, I’ll get plenty of rest for tomorrow. I’m already anticipating the nervous tossing and turning I’ll have and my two snoozes :P

Wish me luck on my first day! I’ll be back tomorrow with plenty of updates!

The Pixar Theory

I love Pixar movies and this theory is ingenious! While everyone loves the Easter eggs that Pixar incorporates into their movies but Jon Negroni takes it a step further and really explores the reasons why they’re there and how all the Pixar movies are somehow connected. It’s a great read and I’m starting to believe it myself. I mean, who doesn’t love a little conspiracy theory?

pixar.com

A Beautiful Arangetram

So some of you might be wondering why I’ve made a trip to Baltimore and then immediately follow it with a one-day trip to Boston – it seems like a lot of travel for not a lot of time spent. The actual reasoning is that I had planned to go to Boston all along for my godsisters’ arangetram. The timing was just in question because I wasn’t sure if I would have started work yet and so my plane tickets were a bit last minute. My dad threw in the trip to Baltimore so I could pay my sister a visit since I’ve never seen her at JHU before.

An arangetram is a debut for classical Bharatanatyam dancers as a way of presenting them to the community. The dancers are allowed to ascend the stage and dance for the public. My godsisters have been studying Bharatanatyam dance since they were 5 and 7 years old and 12+ years later, it was their time to make a debut.

The entire program is about two and a half hours long and is composed of several dances. Some are purely dance, some tell stories, and all are beautiful to watch. Coming from a dance background myself, I could really appreciate the intricacies of their movement – from the darting of their eyes to the precise nature of their finger and hand movements, it’s easy to see why it takes such a long time to master and perfect this art.

Their guru, or dance teacher, did a wonderful job explaining each of the stories before they danced and I think this really helped to engage the audience and allow them to anticipate what they were watching. All the dances were set to live music and orchestra.

The culture and tradition that this event is steeped in really prevails in all aspects. The traditional garb, the ghungroo bells, the intensifying eye make-up: all hours and hours of work in the making.

I’ve seen one arangetram before this one but I was really touched emotionally by this performance: maybe it was because I personally have known the two dancers from a young age, maybe it was because I was sharing the experience with my family; whatever the reason, it was an afternoon filled with color and beauty and a love for dance.

Can We Stop Worrying About Millennials Yet?

With everyone always complaining about the Millennial generation, or the Me-Me-Me Generation as TIME has put it, it’s hard to sometimes remember that we’re not all Instagram-selfie-obsessed and brainless. I saw this comic by Matt Bors and it really resonated with me.

It draws attention to the fact that though our generation is better off than any other generation the past, we’re given some pretty dire circumstances to work with. Nipun Mehta’s commencement speech sums it pretty well:

"Time Magazine’s cover story labeled you guys as the “Me, Me, Me” generation; the week before, NY Times reported that the suicide rate for Gen X went up by 30% in the last decade, and 50% for the boomer generation. We’ve just learned that atmospheric carbon levels surpassed 400 PPM for the first time in human history. Our honeybee colonies are collapsing, thereby threatening the future of our food supply. And all this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

What we’re handing over to you is a world full of inspiring realities coupled with incredibly daunting ones. In other words: miserable and magical isn't just a pop-song lyric -- it's the paradox that you are inheriting from us."

Here’s the full speech and the full comic!

Not Much to Update Today

There isn’t much to report on today since most of the day was spent recovering from last night. I had an educational time at the bar, Maxie’s, last night and learned the differences between fire trucks and fire engines. One of them contains water in the truck and has a ladder. Guess which!

The site of my shenanigans last night and some pretty good pizza!

I have to mail some postcards and do some packing since my flight is at 8:30 tomorrow morning and I have to be up by 5:30 to get picked up by a shuttle. It’s my last day in Baltimore and I’ve had so much fun with my sister!

A Day in Inner Harbor

Day two in Baltimore started around 10:00AM. It’s early considering the three-hour time difference but I had a lot of sleep and I felt pretty good. We headed into Inner Harbor, which is the more tourist-attraction-y part of Baltimore. We had lunch at Phillip’s. It’s a seafood restaurant that does a summer time special. They open up their outdoor patio and set up umbrellas and picnic tables so it’s a whole outdoor cookout feel. It boasts fresh crab and you can actually see them sorting the live crabs on the side.

We ordered a steamed crab and shrimp pot along with mussels. I think we were a little less hungry than we anticipated but the food wasn’t bad. I didn’t love the blue crab but it’s a Baltimore thing so I had to try it. The seasoning was delicious and the drawn butter was to die for but pounding the blue crab with the mallet made me feel like I was desecrating the poor thing after it was dead – with all its friends watching…

After lunch, we walked around the harbor and took a look at the different shops. There was a farmer’s market and some larger malls. My sister bought a few things but I think I’m going to hold off on buying things until I figure out what I need for work.

There isn’t too much to see at Inner Harbor so the trip was short. We headed home and rested up before dinner and had Korean. We’re going to head out in a bit to go to a local bar called Maxie’s. The days pass so quickly!

Joan’s On Third Review

On my 22 Things lists, one of them is to write at least 5 Yelp Reviews in the upcoming year. This will force me to try some new restaurants as well as break me out of my apartment at times so I don’t feed myself my crappy cooking all week. My first review is for “Joan’s On Third,” a deli-type restaurant located in Los Angeles. It’s where I practiced my first attempts at driving in LA traffic. You can see the original post on Yelp here.

Short rib sandwich

Quick synopsis: I really liked it! 4 stars, awesome cheese, great short rib sandwich and I want to try the picnic basket next time I go!

Hey There, Baltimore!

After a red eye flight and then a shorter flight on a old, clunky plane, I finally arrived in Baltimore to see my sister! She’s come to visit me several times while I’m was in college so I thought it might be nice to repay the favor. It was perfect timing since I’m starting work next week and this is kind of the last of my summer vacation. It’s also another thing on my 22 Things list! I have a good feeling that I’ll be able to get through my list.

Go Bears!

After getting to Baltimore, I was starving for something to eat. The last I ate was before my flight so I was due for a meal. Unfortunately the crepe place my sister wanted to take me to was closed so we headed back to campus and had salads at Freshii’s. It was pretty good and the produce was all very fresh. After lunch, I wanted to take a quick nap to make up for the sleep I didn’t get on the plane.

After waking up, my sister took me on a quick tour of campus where we took a look at different buildings. I really like the cohesive nature of JHU’s undergrad campus. All the buildings are the same brick material with modern furnishings. Their campus is really nicely kept up and it’s really different from the kind of eclectic, modge-podge architecture of Berkeley. The coolest thing was walking into their main hall and seeing the seal of Cal in there. Apparently, JHU’s first president was also one of the first presidents of Cal!
For dinner, we went to a little diner called Paper Moon Diner. The décor was a little bit creepy: there were all sorts of old dolls and vintage toys and Pez dispensers but the thing that really put me off was the number of mannequins that were in the diner. They ranged from colored ones with huge false eyelashes to ones that were just in the nude and seemed to stare at you. They certainly gave the diner a very particular feel but I couldn’t help but feel that something was looking at me while I was eating. There's also a mannequin in the bathroom, which makes you very uncomfortable while you're doing your business. The food was pretty good; I had potato pancakes and a prosciutto caprese sandwich. I’m not sure if it merits a Yelp review but Paper Moon definitely has a lot of character.

Scary mannequins.

The rest of the night was spent hanging out with some of the sister’s friends and just relaxing. It’s only 10:30PM here, which means it’s about 7:30PM Pacific Time but I’m already pretty pooped. I think I might just watch a few episodes of a TV show and curl up in bed for the rest of the night so that I’m energized for tomorrow!

The Unofficial Survivor Themed Drinking Party

Sometimes, when I get bored, I pretend that I'm a party planner and am able to plan extravagant parties that involved ridiculous amounts of booze. Being stuck at the airport for close to an hour and a half yesterday night, I wrote up a Survivor Themed Drinking Party. If I am one day able to make this a reality, I will do it.

Survivor Themed Party (warning: alcohol involved. Copious amounts of it.)

Outdrink. Outplay. Outlast.

Send out invitations with the appropriate buff for each person. Encourage them to decorate their buffs before they bring them back to the party. (Here's a place you can order buffs)

Start with an even number of people and depending on how many you have, you can either start the game with two tribes or pretend that you’ve already merged. Encourage the two tribes to make up names for themselves: the more inappropriate, the better.

Ways to split the tribe:
• Girls vs. Guys
• Older vs. Younger
• Schoolyard pick (has anyone else ever wondered what this actually means?)
• Whether you use hashtags on Instagram or not
• Hard liquor vs. winos
• Macs vs. PCs
• Bros vs. not bros
• Trumpets vs. Bones (eh, Cal Band?)

The Hidden Immunity Idol
At any given point in the game, players may elect to try and “find” the hidden immunity idol. This is done by the following:
A hidden immunity station is set up on a table. There will be 10 shot glasses lined up and each glass is sitting atop a small box. Under one box, there will be a hidden immunity idol. In order to look under the box, the player must down the shot before looking. If you’re really persistent, you can drink as many shots as you want until you find the idol but at that point, you may forget that you have the idol, and get alcohol poisoning.
Feel free to try and find the idol at any given time and keep it as hidden as you can. As the game progresses, I’m sure it’ll be more difficult to hide.
There will also be hidden immunity idol clues given out in reward/immunity challenges. We’ll do our best to make them as cryptic as the show. Potential clues:
• The idol is hidden in the box furthest to the right (not that cryptic)
• The idol is hidden under the light rum (maybe you’re good at distinguishing the color of light rum. I personally am not.)
• The idol is hidden between the 70 proof alcohol and the 80 proof alcohol (yea good luck with that)
• The idol is hidden under some alcohol (cryptic enough for you?)

Immunity/Reward Challenges
So because this is a condensed game, it’s just easier to make reward and immunity challenges the same. Start with group challenges, and then move to individual challenges after the merge. Tribal Council will take place after every event. Also copious amounts of alcohol. Feel free to add/make up your own games. Here are some to get you started:

Group Challenges:
• Survivor Flip Cup – why not start with a Survivor themed drinking game? Start with the teams on opposite sides of the table. Engage in regular flip cup. Losing side votes off a member. In round 2, the losing team with one less member has to drink the same number of cups as the losing team. The number of cups on each side has to equal the number of people in the higher number team.
     o For example, Team A and Team B have five people on each side, Team A wins the first round. Team B votes someone off. In round 2, both teams still have 5 cups but Team B is down a person, which means someone has to drink two cups. If Team B loses again, they play the next round with 5 cups and only 3 people. If Team A loses in round 2, then both teams cut down a cup and play with 4 cups. Continue until one team has no more players.
• Three part challenges – pick a combination of three mini challenges and string them together.
o For example, the first members of a tribe need to recover 3 ping pong balls by answering three trivia questions. The next members need to sink the balls into cups. The final members complete a puzzle.
• The (mini) Great American Challenge – Each team needs to finish 5 slices of pizza, a 6 pack of beer, and a puzzle
• Blindfolded puzzle – One player is blindfolded, the rest of the players drunkenly yell at him to put together a puzzle.
• Modified beer pong – each team has ten cups set up in normal beer pong fashion. First to sink 5 wins. No re-racks, every one must shoot in rotation. Ain’t nobody got time for a full game of beer pong.

Individual Challenges:
• Landmines
• Player trivia – ask true/false or multiple choice questions about the players that you can collect from them before the party.
• Memory game – show a sequence of symbols and then the players have to repeat them back one at a time
• 30 piece puzzle – get a 30 piece puzzle and whoever completes it first gets immunity
• Survivor Rage Cage – play like regular rage cage but when your cup gets stacked, you’re eliminated from the challenge
• Categories – pick a category, go in a circle and everyone has to name something from that category. If you falter, you’re out. Potential categories:
      o Disney characters you’d like to f*ck
      o Men Taylor Swift has dated
      o Harry Potter spells
      o Mixed drinks

Rewards:
Rewards can pretty much be whatever you want. Maybe you want to reward the team with more drinks. Maybe you want to give them a clue to the hidden immunity idol. Maybe the reward is a generous gulp of water. Let your Faux Jeff Probst decide! The fate of everyone’s alcohol poisoning is in his hands.

The Merge
The merge should happen when the original number of players you have are about half. So if you start out with 20 players, merge at around 10. If you start with 10, merge when there’s 5 left. The jury is composed of players that get voted out after the merge.

Tribal Council
Because we’re condensing 39 days into essentially one day, tribal council will be drastically shortened. No worries, with the added component of alcohol, the game will be just as fun. For each tribal council, the tribe that needs to vote a member off has 5 minutes to decide who they’re kicking off. The member voted off takes a shot and can participate on the side as a cheerleader until the jury comes back to vote for the sole survivor.

The Jury
Unlike the jury on the show Survivor, the jury at the party can be as loud and as obnoxious as they like. They are not only permitted but encouraged to wreak havoc on the remaining members and engage in as much alcoholic debauchery as they would like.

The Final Vote
In the final vote, the three remaining players after the merge will have one minute to make their plea to the jury. Anything goes.
Winner gains the title of sole survivor and biggest alcoholic.

And most importantly, outdrink!

Off to Baltimore!

I’ll be flying to Baltimore tonight and I won’t be able to write till tomorrow! Between the time difference and the red-eye flight, I’m not sure when my next post will be but I’ll try to have something lined up for tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you when I’m on the East Coast!

More Hulu+ Gripes

As I’ve continued on in my Survivor binge, I’ve discovered more “problems” with Hulu that make it frustrating for me to use. I’ve started using it on my AppleTV (a birthday present that I love!) but it’s difficult to get the streaming across all my devices. I guess my main comparison of the site is to Netflix and its interface but without further ado, here’s part II of my Hulu+ gripes.

Queue feature – I tried to start using Hulu’s queue feature and it’s very confusing and not at all helpful. Unlike Netflix that allows you to add full seasons of shows to your queue, Hulu+ is more geared towards new episodes and whatever is currently playing on TV. This means that the feature only adds new episodes that recently aired and only after you join and log-in. So if I want to add the entirety of season 21 of Survivor, I can’t just add the show to my queue because it’s not newly airing. Instead, I have to individually add each episode of the season into my queue. That’s 15 more clicks of the mouse than I’m willing to do. The closest thing they have to just adding the season is adding the show to my favorites. By adding it to my favorites, I can easily access the show without searching for it and it will save my spot. On my AppleTV, if I finish an episode, however, it won’t know to automatically line up the next one to watch, though it does this on the site.

Browser resize – Hulu doesn’t resize the window for viewing when you change the browser size which makes it so that your window always has to be a certain size. It makes it hard to watch things in the background and make the window smaller so you can work on something else in the foreground.

Device compatibility – After subscribing to Hulu+, you can access your account and stream episodes and movies on several devices, with a caveat, not all the shows can be streamed to your mobile devices (AppleTV included). That means I have to keep track of which shows can be streamed and which ones can’t.

Their show advertising – I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: those Hulu exclusive shows are irritating. None of the advertisings look even remotely compelling to watch. I don’t know if it’s the way they’re presented or just that I don’t see any familiar faces in them, but I find them just so annoying. I’d rather watch a car ad then these Hulu exclusive shows.

Well, there you have it, Part II of things I wish could change about Hulu. If I could get my Survivor binge elsewhere I would, but for now Hulu+ holds the treasure among the rubble.

I read a great article here about why author Simon Dumenco both loves and hates Hulu and I think he does a pretty good job of explaining the problems. I aspire to write better and this is a great example of an article and less of  paragraph-list like mine.

Laundromat Friends

Who would’ve thought you could make friends at the Laundromat! Today started out so great with a drive into LA for lunch with Chrystal at Joan’s on Third. I might make it my first Yelp! Review on my bucket list. It was definitely a learning experience driving on the 405 to the restaurant/deli and back. I’m a slow (I like to think cautious) driver so driving around LA is definitely new to me: the fast lane switching, the high speeds. It’ll take some getting used to.

After lunch, I decided to try and figure out how I’m going to do my laundry for the rest of the time I’m here. Since I’m renting out a guesthouse, there isn’t any laundry in my unit so it’s off to the Laundromat. Before today, I’ve never used a Laundromat. I wasn’t sure how long the wash cycle would take or the dryer. I spent all morning being anxious about how to do my laundry there: do I stay there and watch my laundry? Can I leave it there and come back for it later? Will someone try and steal my clothes? Who will see my clothes? MY UNDERWEAR!? Luckily, there was a nice man there would frequented both the Laundromat and Berkeley! He let me know that the 25 cents I put into the dryer was ten minutes and I figured 30 minutes was good enough. He was really nice and told me about his time in Berkeley, which is not so different from what it is today.

I also made my first Redondo Beach friend at the Laundromat! It was his first time at the Laundromat as well because his washing machine broke at home but how lucky that someone else decided to do laundry in the middle of the day! My social life won’t be as stunted as I feared!

Going to the Laundromat is definitely not an anxiety attack scenario but being in a new area and doing something that I normally do in the comfort of my own home can be frightening. But I had nothing to fear. I went in with a fistful of dollars and they had a quarter dispensing machine. The machines are not unlike the ones I used in college - well the dryer was industrial sized and I think I could have definitely fit my whole self in there. But Laundromats aren't so bad. I'll have to find a good time every week to get my laundry done, but if I don't wait too long between loads, I don't think I'll ever have a problem.

I’m packing for Baltimore and Boston but I am procrastinating till the end as always. If there is a skill a learned from college, it’s procrastination.

Reddit Freebies

In order to cut back on costs, I’ve taken to religiously stalking the Reddit freebies page (they also have an e-freebies page). I found the page a while ago while looking for free stuff for college students (I’m such a sucker for free anything) and it’s actually a good resource for some basics or fun stuff (e.g. stickers, calendars, water bottles, t-shirts). People post links of free samples that they find, along with an expiration date, and you can sign up for whatever freebies you want. Most of the freebies need a Facebook like or maybe your email or a survey response but if you create a dummy e-mail, you can avoid the spam. Or just unsubscribe; most companies are good about not sending you e-mails if you ask them not to.

You do need to enter your address so they can send you the free samples but if you do some research on the companies ahead of time, you’ll see if it’s a legit company or not. Reddit is also pretty good at curating the forum so there aren’t any referral links, illegal things, self-promotion, etc.

I found it really useful while in college to grab samples to help tide me over and take care of the small things. Some of the things they offer are soaps and shampoos and sometimes, small food samples too, like coffee. They’re good to have around for when you run out of shampoo and haven’t had the chance to get to the store or for traveling. It also helped me keep an eye out for those bigger, well-known stores, like Target, that gives out pouches of samples and coupons.

It does take a few weeks for the items to ship, but by that time, sometimes you’ve forgotten you ordered it and you get a little surprise in the mail!

What are some of your cost saving techniques?

And So Starts the Single Living

My family left this morning and left me to fend for myself. I’m only going to be alone for two days and then I’m off to Baltimore to visit my sister for a few days. I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few groceries and make myself some lunch. My kitchen is much smaller than the one I had while living in my college apartment and there are a few miscellaneous workarounds I have to do deal with but I think it made it work.

I made a chicken breast with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts on the side. Because my sink is smaller than I’m used to and I only have a hot water tap, I had to be a little more efficient and clean up without leaving anything in the sink and the scalding hot water. No matter though, it worked out in the end and I had a lovely lunch and enough for dinner too!

I also booked my shuttle to the airport so I feel pretty accomplished for today. I want to go for a quick run too but I’m feeling a bit lethargic after lunch. But I do need to work towards that 100 mile goal. Tomorrow, I’ll going on the endeavors of coin Laundromats and maybe a little packing for the East Coast. Stay tuned for the adventures of single living!

Despicable Me 2

I’m not entirely sure why the movies are named Despicable Me but regardless of the title, the sequel was great! I took my brother to see the movie along with the boyfriend and his brother and despite our age differences, we all enjoyed it equally.

Despicable Me 2 picks up where the first movie left off with Gru and the three girls he’s adopted. There’s growth in each of the characters: Gru has become a more loving and understanding father, Margo is delving into the world of boys and crushes, Edith (even though she has the fewest lines) is growing into her tomboy self, and Agnes (while just as adorable as before) shows compassion and understanding of her family. The sequel also introduces a whole host of new characters that help move along a new plot and character development.

The thing that Despicable Me does unlike any other movie is its slapstick humor. With the minion army that Gru has amassed, the movie adds a whole new genre of funny – minion comedy! The minions are a healthy break from any movie, reminding us to not take life too seriously and that there’s always time for fun and laughter.

Despicable Me 2 is a family movie – it caters to all age groups with slapstick humor, 90’s references, and adorable characters. I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD so I can rewatch it!

Here’s my favorite scene from the movie:

Flowers for Algernon

I don’t usually get really emotional over books because I can usually get past the fact that they’re make believe but “Flowers for Algernon” really tugs at my heartstrings. It’s one of those books that we read in 8^th grade and recognize as a sad story but the true essence of the book didn’t hit me till much later on.

While rereading the book this last time, I became extremely emotional over the story. I think it’s because I realized all the nuances that make Charlie Gordon’s existence so devastating. While he’s in a state of mental retardation, he fails to realize that his so-called “friends” are making fun of him when they laugh at him. After undergoing brain surgery, he is once again separated from his peers when his intellect creates a chasm of social ineptness between him and others. No matter what he does, he is unable to ever fit in, which is what he’s always wanted. Though he thinks that “being smart” will allow him to overcome the social shunning he’s experienced all his life, his smartness only serves to alienate him further.

When I was in the 9^th grade, we learned about a story telling technique called the “hero’s journey.” “Flowers for Algernon” epitomizes that journey by giving very literally interpretations of the call to adventure and return, but it only serves to make the story that much more shattering. Not only that, but Charlie’s return to his original state actually leaves him that much more worse off.

I’m not even sure how much this post can capture the emotion of this book but it certainly is worth the reread if you’re looking for books from your childhood. I’m using it as the first of the 20 books I’m going to read for my goal in my 22 Things list. I know it’s technically a reread but what better way to start of a goal than with something you love!

Thanks for all the Birthday Wishes!!

I had such a fun day and thank you so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday and sent happy notes my way!

We started the day at Universal Studios and I got my button that told everyone it was my birthday. The staff there was super nice and kept yelling birthday wishes my way. It’s nice to feel special once a year. We even got a priority pass for the Studio Tour so we didn’t have to wait in the 80-minute line. I love theme parks and roller coasters and Universal Studios was just up my alley. I’m also a huge pop culture nerd so that studio tour really made my day. When I saw that “The Mindy Project” filming on location, I freaked out! I wish we could have actually gone into the lots, but alas, perhaps another day.

SO excited about my priority pass!

For dinner, my family took me out to Red Lobster. It’s not the most festive of dinner spots but I had a craving for seafood, lobster really, and it was the perfect end to a fun filled day. If you want to see all my photos from the day, check out my Instagram!

Family!

I also came home to two birthday cards! I love getting snail mail and it was such a nice surprise to have them waiting for me on my doorstep!

Thanks again to everyone! All those texts and posts really made my day!

22 Things to do Before I Turn 23

I don't know about you // I'm feeling 22!

I can finally use that song lyric :] Thanks T.Swift! Today is my 22nd birthday and as promised, here's my list of 22 things to do before I turn 23. Some of them are exercise goals, some are monetary, some are things I want to try and everything is going to be done before I'm 23 (at least I hope so)! Feel free to join me in my endeavor. If there's something you want to try and it happens to be on my list, I'd love to try it with you! I'll definitely try to bring this list up time and time again when I finish one of the things on the list. Look for the label: bucket list or 22 Things.

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
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
12. Get a Sprinkles cupcake
13. Send 50 letters &/or postcards
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

What's on your bucket list?

P.S. If you look at the time of this post, it's around when I was born :]

Counting Down to My Birthday!

I’m hurrying to write this post because there’s only about half an hour left before it’s my birthday! I had such a lovely, albeit unconventional, 4th of July and I wanted to share some of the memories with you!

4th of July outfit! I finally put up my mirror after this picture.

We started off the day having a light brunch down by Manhattan Beach where I ran into my boss and her family. Who knew we would both be in the same area for brunch! I wanted to show my parents around the beach and ocean since I’ve been there a few times and thought it might be interesting to let them see where they might want to hang out. After brunch, we wen to Target and Walmart to buy a few things for my apartment: lamps, shelves, cleaning supplies, etc. It wasn’t the most traditional way to spend a 4th of July but we were participating in the all-American culture of consumerism!

I had a spare key made with an American flag pattern in honor of the holiday.

We got an early start to dinner after picking up Nick’s brother in Irvine and getting to barbeque. Korean barbeque that is! We went to Gen Korean BBQ House, which is an all you can eat Korean barbeque place and I stuffed myself. Pork belly, sirloin steak, any meat you can think of, I ate. I had to lie down for a bit afterward because my stomach was so full.

Nom nom nom nom nom!

After our tremendous dinner, my parents dropped me back off at my place where I’m playing host to the boyfriend and his brother and we took a stroll down to the beach to watch some fireworks. Something about fireworks bring out the child in everyone and they’re just enjoyable to experience. Tomorrow, we’re off to Universal Studios for a movie experience filled day!

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy 4th of July everyone! How are you spending the day? I’m going to explore my surroundings and celebrate my first day of living in Redondo Beach as well as my last day of being 21! Perhaps I will take extra advantage of the fact that I am 21!

Always my favorite month :]