#12 on my 22 Before I Turn 23 List

I’m a little more than halfway till my next birthday and I’m still plugging away at my 22 Before I Turn 23 list. #12 was to eat a Sprinkle cupcake but after moving into the area, I’ve discovered SusieCakes is the way to go instead!

I first tried SusieCakes when my boss bought a little treat for a week well done and I grabbed a slice of their German Chocolate Cake. I’m usually not a fan of coconut topping (while I do love fresh coconut) but their cake just looked too appetizing to pass up! I was not disappointed. The slice was huge and I ended up having some more of it for breakfast the next morning – and I still couldn’t finish it.

In January, my company celebrated its first anniversary. Many companies don’t make it past the first year so I was extremely proud of what my team had accomplished and very excited for the next months to come. I went to go pick up our cake and while I was there, I dropped my business card into their fishbowl for a chance to win two dozen cupcakes. I completely forgot about it until February came along and I received an email telling me I had won the drawing! That makes two drawings I’ve won in my entire life. Pretty exciting :]

What surprised me most was SusieCakes excellent customer service. They emailed me and verified my office address and then told me that they would deliver the cupcakes two weeks later. Needless to say, our office was extremely excited. The day they arrived, the cupcakes were accompanied with a handwritten note congratulating me again. Handwritten notes nowadays are so rare and it’s really a special touch to add that to an already sweet surprise. They even specially decorated a cupcake with our company name!

Customer service is an attribute that lacks in many industries. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the horrendous wait on the phone during a tech support call. Help should be easy to come by, not painful. SusieCakes is a reminder that there are still businesses and companies out there that truly care about their customers and make an effort on their part to reciprocate the kindness. At work, we’re reading “Delivering Happiness,” the book written by Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh. Throughout the entire book, he stresses the importance of customer service and customer interaction and how it’s the most important thing a company could deliver on. It’s not just about the revenue but success is measured by the happiness of the company and the customer. It’s a practice that my company tries to uphold and put into all of our interactions and it’s a practice that should be much more universal. How much more forgiving would a customer be if their initial interaction was that much more positive? How would a customer’s loyalty to a brand or product be if they were not on hold for hours at a time to solve or troubleshoot a problem?

Customer service is the crux of building any sort of business. It can make or break your company and it’s a so important to be aware of how each and every interaction affects the customer, the interaction, and the culture of the company you’re trying to build.

Getting Back in the Groove

It’s no surprise that I’ve put on a few pounds since I’ve started my new job. I’m not boastful about it – it’s not exactly my proudest moment. But I’m pushing myself to get back in the habit of exercising and luckily I have a few coworkers that are willing to join me on my endeavor. We’ve begun to put aside one night a week to all exercise together, usually by taking classes. So far we’ve done a class of cardio barre (my doing of course :] ) and tonight we took a spin class.

My bottom is very sore already from sitting on my spin bike but it was nice to sweat it out in a dim room with pulsating music. It’s been a while since my last spin class. I used to take spin classes when I was on the dance team at Cal – it was part of our work out regime in the summer time while we prepared for football season. I knew what to expect but it never makes it any easier.

Tonight, we went to a studio named Fit On, a boutique studio based in Manhattan Beach. Elizabeth provided the Groupon and we got our fit on. The rom was initially pretty bright but as classes started, the lights were substantially dimmer. It took me a while to get adjusted but it’s probably better that I couldn’t see myself and watch myself in the mirror: a bad habit I tend to have. The music was your usual techno/pop but what surprised me the most was the second song of the class: the Survivor theme song!! At that point I knew I was going to love the class. Any fitness class that brings my favorite competitive reality show into the mix is a winner in my book.

The class was pretty standard: some hills, some flat roads, a lot of sweating. My knees were quivering at the end and it was a crapshoot as to whether I would be able to walk out of there, much less drive home. But I survived and had a lot of fun! I’m excited to go back next week, we were told that the instructor we had was the hardest and he got off his bike to walk around and give us corrections or turn up the resistance on our bikes. But I really enjoyed the class and can’t wait for the next. Spin tends to be one of those classes where you walk out really feeling like you’ve burned some calories. Tomorrow, if I’m not too sore, I’m going to try and take a dance class! I took one last week and I was unpleasantly surprised by how sore I was the next day. It’s time to get back in shape!

Nostalgic

Ok, I just checked my posts for the year of 2014 and there are only 3. That’s really quite unacceptable considering how I had originally planned to write every day. I mean it was a lofty goal but I don’t think I’ve even stuck to once a week lately! Bad on my part.

Recently, I’ve been feeling really nostalgic and thinking about home a lot. Maybe it’s the passing of Chinese New Year without any real celebration or the lack of Cantonese and Mandarin I’ve been missing, but a few days ago at work, I was inclined to build a playlist on Spotify revolving around the few Chinese (and Korean Pop) songs I know. My strange hunt for things relating to Chinese culture spurred a friend to question why I was so into “Asian shit” all of the sudden.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, right? An Asian girl who’s interested in Asian things? But sadly, the generations of Chinese Americans that are born and raised in the US are not nearly as engrossed in the Asian culture as we’d like to believe.

A friend posted this article on Facebook and while I read through the article I realized that there were so many things to relate to. We carry the burden of being two halves to create a whole – there’s no denying that I’m glad and happy to be an American but in no way do I ever leave my Chinese ethnicity and culture out of defining my self.

I’m extremely lucky that I never had to deal with any of the stereotypes or bullying that many ABCs (American Born Chinese) grow up with but I can relate to the author when she talks about losing her Chinese. I grew up going to Mandarin Chinese school every Saturday until I graduated from high school. Saturday mornings consisted of waking up at 8:00 in the morning to sit through 4 hours of Chinese instruction and let’s face it, I was a goody two shoes. Not only did I have to be the best in regular school because of my Asian pride (really it just was regular pride, being Asian had nothing to do with it), I had to be the top of my class at Mandarin school because that’s where it mattered. Students that came from the same background as I did, and some of them that even spoke Mandarin at home while I spoke Cantonese, were my competition and I loved it. I learned Mandarin partially because my parents wanted me to and partially because it was another thing to excel at. Looking back, I’m so glad I had that opportunity to pick up another language.

While scrolling through Chinese songs on Spotify, I was surprised at how wide the selection of songs was. I went through and picked out the songs I remembered listening to: songs I had learned at Chinese school, ones I had been introduced to by friends, ones that I had grown up listening to in the car and just never figured out the names of. I played through them multiple times and was surprised at myself because I could still sing along to so many of the familiar tunes and lyrics. I was relieved that my Chinese hadn’t completely left me and that I at least had a little bit of “culture” left in me.

I’m more than happy to call myself an ABC. I get the best of both worlds – an enriching culture that followed my parents here from Hong Kong and citizenship to one of the best countries in the world (USA, USA!). I just hope that as I go along conducting all my phone calls in English, that my Chinese never fades and that I’m able to be the combination of both.

FILD's New Website

This post is about a week too late and it completely slipped my mind to post about this but our company recently got a website makeover and the new site is pretty spectacular if I do say so myself. Head on over to check it out: www.fildit.com

And scroll around, check out the “about us” and the blog. There may or may not be a blog post written by yours truly: Why I Joined FILD.

Let me know what you think!

It was also our first anniversary last month...I am so slacking on this blogging thing.

It’s the Little Things

Oh dear, has it really been a month since I’ve last posted? I haven’t been able to focus too much time here, you know with the full time job and all. It’s weird that sitting at a desk for 8-9 hours a day can be exhausting but lots of days, I finish work, make a quick dinner and then crawl into bed and indulge in the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother before turning on my audiobook and drifting off to sleep. But in the 7 months (holy cow, has it really been that long??) I’ve moved down here, I really think I’m beginning to get in the groove of things.

I guess this post is a self-reflection one as much as it is one to update my blog on what I’ve been up to. In the last half a year, I’ve learned more about everything than I ever thought I would. Being in college is fantastic: it’s awesome to have your best friend just a room away. There’s always something to do any given night of the week. And loneliness wasn’t really a word I ever came by. After moving down here, I’ve had a lot of alone time, whether it be to think or run errands and tidy up my single living space or just be alone for a while. While I’d hardly call it solitary, there is a component of living with/by yourself that brings things into perspective.

Firstly, I realized that moving away from my comfort zone and from most, if not all, of my friends really makes you realize which of those relationships are in it to last. I always knew that my best friend and I would never fall apart and through these months, time has only been a reminder that we’re just as close as when we lived 50 feet away from each other. We text constantly, we drunk dial each other and tell each other about the ridiculous things we’re up to, despite the fact that we’re three hours apart and often she’s already sleeping by the time I’m heading out. My sister is another prime example. With sisters, there’s no need for me to check in and see how she’s doing, but if she ever has any trouble with anything – boys, school, life – it’s just as simple as a quick text or phone call to let her know that she always has someone by her side.

The concept of making friends comes back to haunt you. In school, you’re thrown in situations where you’re forced to have some sort of interaction even if you’re not looking for it. Whether it’s through dorm living or clubs you join or even sitting through classes you hate, you somehow always manage to find a new friend, or companion, to get you through. After starting a full time job, most of the people you see are your coworkers and meeting new people is difficult. I’m lucky that my coworker who started in October was so accommodating and friendly and offered to show me around my area, one that she happened to grow up in. She’s taken me out to meet her friends, extending her circle to accommodate me and for that I’ll always be grateful. It’s so wonderful to have found a friend in the midst of all this new grad confusion.

Yea, I didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that I screenshotted my own Snapchat. #shameless

Another thing I’m attempting to make more of an effort to do is reconnect with old friends. When I graduated high school, I was so done. I was ready to leave behind high school and all its drama and never speak to anyone again. It wasn’t that I had such a terrible time in high school but I was ready to start anew and I valued that idea of a blank slate so much. Now that time has passed, it’s a bit ridiculous to see how much time and value I placed on the smallest of things. High school me was a bit of a drama queen and definitely not as mature as I thought I was. Now that most of us are graduated and in the working world, there’s not reason that petty high school drama should be a part of that. I recently chatted with a high school classmate that I had never really been particularly close to but the amicability of our conversation gives me hope that perhaps it’s never too late to start a friendship.

Lastly, I’ve really given a lot of thought and effort to valuing more small things. I’ll treat myself to lunch or dinner on the weekends bringing along a book for a companion. I don’t mind eating alone – I do it most nights anyway, but bringing along a book reminds me of days when I used to eat lunch at home and just read away the hours. Reading has always been my comfort and books make for fantastic covers for people watching! I’ve also learned to frame everything more positively. In a business where rejection looms around many corners, it’s up to me to realize that not every candidate is a placement but that doesn’t mean each candidate isn’t fraught with opportunity. Placement or not, it’s more important to value each candidate as a person and a learning experience. That mantra alone has gotten me through more days and weeks than I thought it would.

I guess I had tried to come up with a meaningful post since my friend reminded me that I haven’t updated my blog in a while but what ended up happening was a massive word dump instead. I guess I’ve just had a lot to be grateful for lately and until I began to write it all down, I didn’t realize how much of it there was. As I read back on some of my previous posts, I realize that I only wrote when something of importance happened or something that I had already documented with Instagram or Twitter or something. Some days don’t need an Instagram filter, but they’re just as good and just as important to remember.

What is an IRA?

Being grown up means managing your money. Getting a steady paycheck is definitely a perk of being at a full time job but it’s so hard not to spend it all on a Forever 21 shopping spree or that one really cute pair of boots. Luckily, Reddit offers some pretty good advice when it comes to things I should be doing in my 20s, one of which is opening an IRA.

Reddit offers up a surprising (or maybe not so surprising) amount of very solid advice. r/askreddit is one of my favorite subreddits to read and I’m always learning a ton of life advice, or reading some interesting stories. The askreddit question that spawned this post was something along the lines of “What should I do in my 20s that will help me out later on in life?” One answer was to open an IRA.

So what exactly is an IRA? Lucky for me, my dad has a great grip on these financial shenanigans and he was able to sit down and explain it pretty clearly to me. Unfortunately, my memory is neither eidetic or without fault so even after our hour long discussion, some of the details are still a bit hazy. Cue Wikipedia + Google.

And IRA is an Individual Retirement Account. From what I understand (meaning what I’ve deduced from my Internet research), there are two types of prominent IRAs: a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA. What’s the difference?

A Traditional IRA: A traditional IRA can be opened by anyone employed and there’s a yearly cap of $5500 a year (goes up for inflation every year). When you put the money in, it’s not taxed. Instead, the money is taxed whenever you decide to take it out. Because most taxpayers expect to be in a lower tax bracket when they retire, it’s sometimes advantageous to those who are starting their IRAs later and are making a higher income.

A Roth IRA: The main difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA is when the money is taxed. With a Roth IRA, the money is taxed right as you put it in. So you’re putting slightly less in at the beginning but when you take out the money, it won’t be taxed again. Personally, this is the choice I’m planning on going with because my taxes are low right now. My first job out of college means I don’t have a spectacular income and therefore, lower taxes.

So there you have it, the main difference between the two and one of the things to do while you’re still in your twenties. This post has been sitting here for ages and it’s finally written up. I really need to get on this blogging thing again.

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!