super cabbages

New Blog

2010-02-27T04:09:00.001-08:00

I will be using this new blog now... http://menage-a-thoa.blogspot.com. Starting anew with entries that are more focused, and a wayy cooler website title, don't ya think? ^__~

First Attempt @ Kimbap

2009-11-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

When life gives you gooey rice, dump all the gooey, mushy rice into a pot, drown it with milk, add some sugar, and make rice pudding
Breakfast today was a fruit medley: 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a banana, 1 slice of toast & 1/2 cup of rice pudding! I ate everything in all different combinations possible!

I finally managed to make tuna kimbap for the very first time! Will have to roll it tighter next time & I need crispier nori sheets. Filling: tuna, crab meat, fish cake, carrots, cucumber, avocado, pickled radish & seasoned burdock. Yea... wayyy too much. I did eat too much for dinner so I will have to compensate tomorrow, in accordance with Madame Guiliano's book.

Pleated Pants

2009-11-18T00:30:00.000-08:00

Style: blouse & pleated skinny dress pants w/ blazer

Accessories: white belt [absolutely necessary, just imagine this outfit w/o the belt]

Handbag: brown oversized bag

These pants are perfect for an office setting. I always find myself wearing them rolled up. Probably because the girl who sold it to me emphasized two styles: long & European [which happens to be rolled up]. I don't know where she got the European from.

Clothing item #6 - Dark navy pleated pants:

Bought in Korea for $32 [expensive, I know]
Worn rolled up or down
Works best with white-color belt
Needs to be worn with heels or else one will risk looking short & stumpy since it bubbles out

I think wearing long pants rolled up gives a sortof edgy look to it. Skinny Korean people do this way better than I do.

QUESTION: Should I wear these pants rolled up, or down?

3 Months Recasting, Explanatory Post

2009-11-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

This is my explanatory post for my 3-month commitment to "recasting" as Mireille Guiliano phrased it. She's the author of French Women Don't Get Fat, a book on the French secret to eating well and still keeping slim. From reading the book, I've noticed a few things about myself.

A few things about my views on diet & exercise:

I hate diets. I've never tried them but I know they don't work cuz they advocate short-term solutions.
I hate exercise. I don't own any exercising shoes, I don't plan on buying them, and it's just not fun, pour moi.
I love food. I adore cooking. But that also makes me a compulsive, obsessive eater.

Some of my bad eating habits:

I tend to overeat in social settings, or when there's food in front of me yet I'm still full.
I like baked goods a little too much.
I don't eat 3 meals a day, and when I do, they're at insanely irregular times.

Some of my good eating habits:

I'm a pescetarian so I eat mostly vegetables, some seafood, & some fruits.
I drink at least 2 Sigg bottles worth of water everyday.
I eat my own cooked meals 5 out of 7 days

The book presents a new approach in preparing meals, in eating, and in one's relationship with food in general. Guiliano describes the French as a people who take pleasure in eating and savoring their meal. Their portions are smaller, but the food is infinitely more delicious. They cook & eat in season. They compensate to balance out their pleasures. These are habits I want to develop, not just to lose weight but to apply balanced views on healthy living to my life, forever.

I'm sure all girls my age have some sort of body image problem - if not their weight, then their face, their height, hair, skin, etc. I believe if I take an active approach in developing a healthy relationship with food, I will also start to develop a healthier relationship with myself, mentally.

So what I have to do in these 3 months:

Ward off key "offenders" in my diet e.g. baked goods, most sweets - and save it only for weekends.
Eat 3 meals a day, at regular times
Practice mindful eating: sitting down, real tableware, chewing slowly & savoring the first few bites
Not let myself get hungry: carry emergency snack around [I'm going for ô mai - dried Vietnamese plums?]
Avoid overeating at social events. Remember: quality over quantity. Be a food snob if I must.

There is another laundry list, but I'll keep these 5 in mind for now.

QUESTION: What are some of your good & bad eating habits and how do you deal with the bad ones?

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2009-11-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

I think vegetable stock is a great way to get rid of vegetables that are about to go bad, or just any leftover vegetables you have.

Vegetables in my stock:

4 leeks [leftover dark green parts from my leek soup]
1/3 cucumber
1/3 Korean squash
1/2 tomato
1/3 potato
5 garlic cloves
1 onion
1/3 carrot
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 thumb size pieces of ginger

Directions:

Put all your vegetables in a pot, cover with water and boil!
After it boils, simmer for 1 hour.
Turn off heat, let seep for 20 minutes.
Add some salt to taste. [I don't know if this is wise or not but I did anyway. Very little though]
Drain the liquid & store in fridge or freezer. Mine are in 10 oz. jars

I will attempt some vegetarian pho with this vegetable stock later this month (^^)v

End of Leek Weekend, Teriyaki Tilapia

2009-11-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

So my 2-day leek weekend is finally done. The first day was bearable but by the end of the 2nd day, I was whizzy and super hungry.

For dinner on Day 2, I can have a dinner with the following: fish, 2 steamed vegetables, and a piece of fruit.

Since the directions didn't say how to prepare the fish, I figured I could do whatever. Here's my Teriyaki tilapia w/ a side of steamed broccoli & carrots. Dessert was 1/2 a banana with a drizzle of honey. I felt like gasping at every bite cuz it was so heavenly.

Teriyaki tilapia, ingredients:

6 oz of frozen tilapia
4 tbsp sake
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
2 pinches of sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced

Directions:

Combine garlic, ginger, sake, mirin, soy sauce & sugar. Mix.
Grill both sides of tilapia on a pan until it looks almost fully cooked e.g. no more raw fish parts.
Pour in teriyaki sauce mixture.
Let simmer for a few minutes until some of the sauce has evaporated.

Steamed vegetables - I don't have a steaming tray so I learned this trick today:

Take aluminum foil and crumple into golf ball sizes.
Fill it on the bottom of your saucepan.
Put the vegetables to be steamed on top.
Pour water in so it reaches near top of the foil balls.
Steam for 2-3 minutes, or depending on your judgment.

This really was amazing. The sweetness of the teriyaki sauce... the moistness of the tilapia... the smell of ginger... ohhhhhh~

The crunchy sweetness of the carrot with the soft, sweet & slightly salty tilapia~

Just like apple & cinnamon, bananas & honey = lovee

Brown A-Line Skirt

2009-11-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Style: blouse & A-line skirt with blazer & tights

Accessories: brown bag, white belt

Shoes: black heels with details!

I had 5 minutes to dress today - not enough for my usual 30-minute try-on-put-back self. Fortunately, I record all my outfits so I have a mental image of which outfit combination goes well together instantly.

This is one of my favorite outfits because it's so simple but just looks good.

Clothing item #5 - A-line skirt:

Bought in Japan for $10 during a sale
Texture is tweed-ish, but a lot softer.
This is my favorite skirt cuz it's slightly pleated and flares out really nicely!

QUESTION: What are your default outfits when you have no time to stand there and contemplate?

Leek Detox & Beginning of Recasting

2009-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

I am currently doing a leek detox. I survived off of the soup & leek for today. I have to survive through tomorrow as well. It's supposed to cleanse my system to get ready for the next 3 months when I do my "recasting".

Explanatory post later, but I'm s'posed to be on the path towards losing weight while gaining more insight into enlightened eating and building up a new healthy diet [and semi-exercise] regimen. Please encourage and help me follow through!

I will post more when my brain isn' t leek-ing words.

Music Suspender Shirt

2009-11-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

Style: shirt, vest & cardigan with pant leggings

Details: Music shirt inside with suspenders on shirt, plaid vest inside, black cardigan on outside

Accessories: Red straw hat, elephant necklace from Thailand, black Keds, white crossover bag

Clothing item #4 - music suspender shirt:

Bought in Korea, $5
Suspenders sown onto shirt - extremely hard to wear & not look weirdI

I failed wearing it these past two tines...

Lunch as a Feast

2009-11-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

Today's lunch:

Kimchi pancake
Ddubokki [spicy Korean rice cake]
Kimchi
Soybean stew

I didn't finish everything though... and by everything I mean just the kimchi. I always have to have a feast when I eat or else I will feel like something is missing in my life.

Tan Dress

2009-11-13T01:58:00.000-08:00

Style: dress with blazer & colored tights

Details: Faux diamond dress collar, white belt - folded over, wine color tights

Accessories: Cream strappy heels, cream beret, brown oversized bag

I've developed a new style of blogging... helps me show the care I take in selecting the right accessories and clothing items. Simple, but with minute details!

I've also gone through my closet once already and it's time to wear every article of clothing again. This is clothing item #3 - the tan dress:

Bought in Japan 2 years ago for $12
Always wear with black jacket of some sort
Always cinch with belt
Neutral color so can match with any color!
Hat & tights optional, depending on weather

Past outfits with the same dress... I like today's outfit the best cuz the red tights make it look really edgy! (^^)v

QUESTION: Do you own any colored tights? If so, what color is your favorite and why?

Black & White Patterns

2009-11-12T01:12:00.000-08:00

Style: shirt & vest w/ skirt over tights

Detail: "This Is Why I'm Hot" shirt, plaid vest, & houndstooth skirt

Accessories: White skinny belt, folded over

Blue Satin Dress

2009-11-11T00:24:00.000-08:00

Style: strap dresses over turtlenecks + leggings

Detail: the flowers along the neckline are super cute

Shoes: black heels to match, but always go for heels with some detail

Corn & Potato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2009-11-11T00:12:00.000-08:00

My first ever grilled cheese sandwich was a culinary success! I was surprised how well the sweetness of the corn contrasted with the slight saltiness of the buttered bread and melted cheese. The onions gave wonderful flavor & smell to the sandwich. The only setback was the potato... I sliced the pieces too small so I couldn't really taste the potato-ness. Nevertheless, this was an amazing grilled cheese.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sweet corn
1/3 cup potato, sliced
1/3 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
LOTS of cheese [gouda & swiss]
2 slices of whole-grain bread
Butter

Directions:

Season potatoes with olive oil, salt & pepper & bake in small oven for a few minutes.
Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread.
Assemble sandwich with cheese, corn, onions & baked potato pieces. [It started falling off for me here so just try your best to keep it together]
Grill both sides on a pan over low heat.
Serve warm & cheesy!

After a Long Absence

2009-11-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

I really need to start doing the daily thing again. Will start again. Hopefully.

#1 - Something is missing - a necklace. Note to self: Need to find statement necklace.

#2 - I bought this dress at Buffalo Exchange for $11. It's super simple but really cute, and the satin/silky material is wonderful! Not to mention the bright blue color!
#3 - I wore this on Halloween, did you get the subtle reference?
#4 - To internship...
#5 - Modification of previous flop-proof outfit, with shorts! But I swear, you cannot go wrong with white dress shirt & a blazer.
#6 - I swear this striped vest I purchased for $5 in Japan cannot do me wrong, esp when paired with blacks, greys & whites.

My White/Cream Beret

2009-11-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

I am definitely overdue for an outfits post.

Looks like I'm standing at attention. This jeans + white shirt + blazer + scarf outfit is flop-proof. I make variations of this when I'm pressed for time.

Beret + dresses do make you look like a doll~
Matched scarf & tights, but should have substituted cream heels for black heels. Black heels & colored tights are a never again.
This will be my classic winter look - white beret, this puffy coat, and tights.

When buying the beret [Urban Oufitters, $10], there was a royal blue one I was considering on buying, but resisted because that would be infinitely much harder to match. Plus, I already have a cream-colored bag and heels I wear all the time anyway. So when deciding what color to get in accessories, just think of the ones you already have and pick the same color! Makes life much easier~

Tamagoyaki Success!

2009-11-10T00:54:00.000-08:00

After 2 failed attempts at making tamagoyaki, I can say I have succeeded... 80%. The shape is not perfect, but it's definitely recognizable, didn't break apart, and taste was perfect [sweet, like how I love my food.] Added the last 1/3 of my zucchini to the mixture. Thanks to cookingwithdog for the directions!

I will post a million pictures of this to celebrate my success. This served as my midnight dinner but soooo worth it since I didn't [that] much today.

The rolled omelet before cutting...

A piece of the omelet, with some zucchini slices in there...
A piece on my rice...
Hot rice starting to get steamy...
Ate this with a bowl of hot rice and soy sauce. Yummness!

Long-Distance Cinderella

2009-10-29T01:08:00.000-07:00

This event made my day so I've been publicizing it to the whole world.

As I was writing up my weekly 1-pg journal for poli sci, I received a phone call from my boyfriend in Japan! It vaguely went as so:

Boyfriend: Hey, what's your shoe size?

Me: M. Why? o__O

Bf: Oh, yknow, I was just wondering. So what color shoes do you like?

Me: Black or cream cuz it goes with everything... Are you buying shoes for me?! (^^)v

Bf: Well they're having this liquidation sale at this store right now... etc etc.

You get the point. Then we got off the phone and he proceeded to send me pictures of the shoes over a span of 20 minutes. Here were the pictures

I always asked myself who wears bright neon yellow shoes. But people do, so I really shouldn't ask these questions.

The pink heels are so cute but will be hard [for me] to match with everything.

I went for the cream one, second from the left. I liked the white one too but I didn't want to be greedy (><)
I won't lie and say it's not about the shoes. But it makes it infinitely better that he's calling from Thursday, October 29th @ 2pm in Japan at a shoe store, alone by himself, taking pictures of women's shoes for 20 minutes, sending them to me to see which pair I liked the best.

My boyfriend is amazing <3

Home-Cooked Meals with Friends

2009-10-26T01:05:00.000-07:00

I had 2 friends over for a home-cooked Korean dinner! They said the food was good so I won't argue (^^)v I am planning to host a Vietnamese dinner with some friends later this quarter. I love cooking meals at home for/with friends!

Left to right: kimchi jjigae, Korean-style potato salad, buchu jeon [nira pancake, my Korean friend actually helped me make it, I made the dipping sauce, per her taste test], & kimchi. And of course, you always need yummysteamy white rice!

The rest of my week wasn't as colorful. I seriously lived off of 2 things from Tuesday - Thursday. I know because I wrote it down, very detailed-ly too:

Che dau trang [Vietnamese black-eyed beans dessert]. I ate this for 4 days straight. The key is in the coconut milk you pour over it, which should be a bit salty to contrast with the sweetness of the che. I usually make the coconut milk right before I eat the che.

French toast & bananas topped with honey. I also ate this for 4 days straight. Next time I will not merely dip, but SOAK my bread in the egg mixture, bwahaha!

Shades of Red

2009-10-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

I had some better outfits this week but somehow forgot to take pictures of them. It's just hard to find time when your roommate isn't in the room! XD

Shirt dress + really long red thigh-high socks which looks like leggings & cream beret [$10 @ UO]

The blouse is actually yellow. It's the same red socks as above except I pulled black knee-high socks over, that's why it looks uneven (><)

Gray shirt dress w/ jean leggings

Flowy blouse & A-line skirt. I have wide hips so I look best with these types of skirts. Oh, and I changed my hairstyle for once.

Average in Cooking

2009-10-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Time to bring back some Thoa-made cooking & sweet indulgences.

#1 - Instant jajjangmyun [Korean black bean noodles]. I promise I will never buy instant ever again.

#2 - Always my favorite snack/meal when pressed for time - banana toast & honey

#3 - Failed first attempt at omurice - someone teach me how they cover it so well! Taste was good though (^^)v

#4 - Can't go wrong with runny eggs on fried rice, right Sophia?

#5 - OMG. Sprinkles red velvet cupcake = orgasming over and over in my mouth. Moist, sweet, chocolatey, the texture was justtt right. However, I believe all cupcakes should be enjoyed with a glass of milk otherwise, sweets overload. SO worth the $3.25.

I Dress in Black & White

2009-10-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

My outfits have been pretty dull lately - not even a touch of color. My taste buds have been pretty dull lately - I don't get the same rush I do from eating. Something is definitely wrong with me.

#1 - blazer & white dress - I wear this all the time when I want to look nice and not think too much.

#2 - The outfit is not complete without the white belt, courtesy of my grandma's closet.

#3 - I love these pants cuz these pleated pants I bought in Korea.

#4 - I got the square scarf for $2 at Buffalo!

Hopefully I'll see better days with fashion & food.

The Future of Faith

2009-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't do rainy days so I am extremely tired. I made rather efficient use of time today though:

Grocery shopping in K-town [Assi Supermarket <3]>
4 hrs & 15 mins total of classes [a lot for slacker social science student like me]
Listened to lecture from Harvard theology professor, Harvey Cox, on "The Future of Faith". It was extremely enlightening.

It is on this last point I want to expand on a bit. His three main arguments:

We are seeing a resurgence of faith in today's world. - The violence brought on by the world wars of the 20th century, the developments of modern science & technology - neither has brought us the utopia it so optimistically promised to do. Thus, people are turning again to religion and faith as a path for us to achieve our image of a peaceful, happy world.
Fundamentalism has been decreasing and will continue on this downward trend. - The world is so connected, religions so intertwined with each other now that exclusion of others to recognize your way as the only way is losing popularity. This close-mindedness simply cannot function in such a globalized world.
There is a change in the nature of religiousness. - From dogma to experience, from audience to community, people are now experiencing religion in terms of spirituality and not merely with common creeds and rituals. Religions are also borrowing certain elements from each other but still keeping to their own beliefs. Example: The Christian who attends church on Sunday, practices yoga that afternoon, and reads the Dalai Lama at night.

This talk coincides with many topics in my research class on the objective approach to research [scientific method] vs. the interpretive approach [quantitative & textual analytical research]. The scientist contends that he has reason, logic, objectivity and science on his side and so he has the universal truth. In contrast, the interpretive analyst posits that there are multiple truths because humans are nuanced creatures and cannot be generalized to one theory.

Cox said that neither religion nor science can overstep their boundaries. Just as science cannot prove the existence [or lack thereof] of God, neither can religion be used to prove the evolution of man. Maybe if we didn't see both entities as contenders, but as complements to each other. Science can help save lives, but also has the power to destroy. Religion teaches us to love each other and creates a path for us to find happiness in life. Combine the two and we may be able to live in a more caring, peaceful and beautiful world. I never thought I'd say this, but gawd I LOVE GOD!

I'm off my soapbox now.

#1 - Trying to look Korean while grocery shopping in K-town

#2 - [Not] ready for 4.2 hours of classes. I had to change the shoes cuz it was raining way too hard. White jacket not pictured.

Sharing Food

2009-10-13T00:27:00.000-07:00

Happy moments of the day:

Speaking in lecture [I never do this]
Finishing extremely hard & dense reading
Attending a talk on ministering in the image of Jesus. Makes me feel I'm becoming closer to God everyday, but still realize I have a long way to go
Cleaning out my closet
Excited to cook a Korean dinner for a friend coming to visit UCLA!

It is this last point I want to expand on. I believe people are brought closer together [universally] by food, music, and dance. Food is the most important of all as it provides us with nourishment and life. To be able to share this nourishment with someone is an amazing experience. That's why I love home-cooked meals, eating at a table with friends, or sharing food I enjoy with others.

But there have been times when people have refused my offering of food. When that happens, I feel extremely vulnerable and rejected. I know it's nothing personal but I can't help not being able to understand because I would never reject food [unless there's meat in it of course]. I wonder if that's how God feels...

But yes, it hurts me dearly when I offer people something [especially food] and they reject it. In Vietnamese culture, we offer a couple of times cuz it's polite-ish to refuse, but since Americans are supposed to be direct, they'd find it annoying if you keep on offering right?

Anyway...

#1 - to class & liturgy training. I love love love love love mini skirts & tights.

#2 - Eating canh chua [sweet & sour Vietnamese soup] @ Nancy's place. It was delish! Thanks Nancy (^^)v

Bad Eating Habits

2009-10-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

I've developed really horrible eating habits again, namely:

Eating sweets, obsessively
Eating when I'm not hungry
Going back for seconds
Eating even when I'm full cuz I don't want to waste food
Eating when there's free food in front of me [and it isn't even that great]

At this rate, I don't even want to imagine what I will look like. I want to lose weight but I've never been able to keep to any diet. This week, I'll just make these changes for now:

Sleep before 1am
Not eat anything after 9pm

After I get those 2 down, then I'll try to do these:

Stop eating when I'm content, but not stuffed
Eat everything I set out for myself, no going back for more

And after I get those goals, then maybe I'll think about this:

Instead of sweets, eat fruits! [This is probably impossible though]

#1 - Hung out @ Nancy's house

#2 - teaching Vietnamese to kids. Had to look professional cuz I'm the teacher.

#3 - going to my one class of the day. Went back to campus later that afternoon in flats instead cuz it got warmer.

Alive & Breathing

2009-10-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

Yays for today: finishing paper. Boos for today: failing my job interview, putting off readings because of paper, not being able to talk to bf for a while

Crappy things happening around me:

I was on the bus and saw this car accident yesterday where these teenagers tried to run a red light and ended up killing someone and running into the traffic light
A male UCLA student slashed the throat of a female student with a knife this afternoon during their lab

My "troubles" compared to these calamities are extremely trivial. These events make me realize that our lives are extremely vulnerable. We can plan as much as we want but those plans come with the assumption that the next morning, we'll wake up healthy and alive. That's why when I pray to Him, I pray for the health & safety of those around me first before I pray for their happiness.

So let's just enjoy the fact that we're able to sit here, bored, fatigued, sleepy, or even depressed from life. But at least we're still breathing and alive.

#1 - interview outfit

To celebrate both my success & failure [finishing paper & flunking interview] I decided to treat myself to some Diddy Riese. Albeit being incredibly sweet, this snack allows me to enjoy the loves of my life - sugar & ice cream. Pictured: cinnamon sugar & oatmeal raisin cookies with cookies n' cream ice cream!

Most Exciting Moment of My Day

2009-10-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

I admit it - the time of the day I look forward to the most is when I pick out clothes to wear. I would - sometimes, if I had time - stand in front of the mirror waging heels against boots, shorts against skirts, long scarves against necklaces, skinny belts against non-skinny ones. To many, my indecision is a waste of time. But to me, it's my zone. I'm usually not the outspoken type [in class, in unfamiliar settings, with non-Asians] so I feel I can only express that "I am unique" statement through my style.

I never understood why some people go to great lengths to do things that has no significance to life and will probably never get them a professional career or real fame doing it. The leprechaun dude who jumps off walls in front of Pauley Pavilion, kids who write abstract poems that don't rhyme or make sense, etc etc. But, when I apply it to myself, I realize it's not so much for others as it is for ourselves. We do it to attain that sense of self-emancipation. That to us, we're different from others, and that "pointless" act is our ritual in communicating our uniqueness to ourselves, even if others don't necessarily agree, or can care less.

#1 - Wore this to my internship at city hall today.

#2 - Wore this to class yesterday but then I realize... this outfit makes me look superfat! Positioning of the belt maybe?

I'm Backkk

2009-10-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

The blog has been abandoned for quite some time, but now that school is back and I am mandated to leave my apartment whether I want it or not, so the updating begins again. I'll go through these quickly.

#1 - bubble dress & belt worn to friend's sister's wedding

#2 - Out to dinner with friends. Probably my favorite outfit now, mini skirt & tucked in blouse with tights and a blazer.

#3 - Time to bring back some colored tights!

#4 - I'm kindof questionable about these red boots cuz they bring attention to my already ginormous calves... but they're so adorable!

#5 - A twist on the feminine look with a baseball cap.

Black & Red

2009-09-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

First real time stepping out of my house since I got back on Sunday. There really is nowhere more wonderful than being at home (^^)v

I'm so jealous of my little sister and her black halter vest. I will wear this vest to death during my 2 weeks at home.

#1 - vest + shirt = most basic combination. Of course, I can never forget the red hat!

Wish List

2009-09-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't bought a new article of clothing since I've been back from Japan. But I keep a mental list of clothes that will go with my current style and clothes in my closet, and will only buy clothes if it fits my mental list. I decided to write it down, with pictures of the article of clothing and the type of fit.

Notice how color is clearly lacking from these pieces... (><)

#1 - the boyfriend blazer, in gray - To wear with everything from dresses to jeans, shorts & mini-skirts

#2 - the french beret, in black, cream, or blue - To keep my ears warm in the winter and match with everything from dresses to jeans

#3 - the halter vest, in black - To wear over a simple white shirt, button-up, or dresses

#4 - the pencil skirt, in black - To wear to my internship @ city hall

#5 - the tulip skirt or dress that splits in the middle - To wear because I love skirts and the split tulip design is absolutely adorable!

#6 - leather jacket, in black or orange brown - To keep me warm in cool weather, make me look badass while wearing jeans, and even more badass when wearing dresses.

#7 - leather knee high boots, dark brown or black - So I can wear with tights, skirts & dresses in winter without being cold. Can double as rain boots.

Wearing Shirts w/ Shorts, Jeans & Skirts

2009-09-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

How I wear the same shirts, with shorts, jeans & skirts!

#1 - Shirts w/ shorts. Accessorizing: It's not done a lot over here because... [someone give me a reason] but in Japan, knee or thigh-high socks w/ shorts are very common! I will wear this trend for as long as I am old enough to [which is not much longer].

#2 - Shirts w/ skirts. Accessorizing: tights, high socks or leggings.

#3 - Shirts w/ jeans. Accessorizing: do anything. Most of the time, people don't accessorize & so the outfit just lacks a little something.

Me looking normal once in a while

End of normalcy

# last point - heels. I just do not understand how heels [even puny 1'' ones like mine] make such a difference to any outfit. But they do and that's why my next mission is to be comfortable enough in the 1'' ones and slowly transition up to killer heels!

Killer heels: are great weapon for self-defense, makes you look wonderful, and gives you tons of confidence whether you have it or not. Last one is debatable but try walking in [comfortable] heels for a day and see. They make you have to stand tall and look up [and out!] just in case there may be something ahead that may endanger your heel-walking! (^^)v

Experimenting with Korean Cooking

2009-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with Korean foods this past week thanks to these two wonderful websites: MyKoreanKitchen & Maangchi. If you follow the instructions precisely and with the right ingredients, failure isn't even an option.

Soybean sprout soup [kongnamulguk] - This soup requires very few ingredients besides the soybean sprouts and dried anchovies. I thought it was rather flavorful thanks to the anchovies.

Soybean sprout side dish [kongnamool] & tuna pancakes [chamjijeon] - I had leftover soybeans from the soup before and this dish was a quick way to get rid of it. & the tuna pancakes were absolutely delicious, especially with an improv kimchi water & soy sauce sauce I made.

Bean paste vegetable stew [doenjang jjigae] - This dish uses the Korean fermented soybeans doenjang [similar to miso]. I almost had it perfect but I don't think I added enough deonjang, so till next time!

Soft tofu stew [soon dubu jjigae] - Similar to the doenjang, the taste wasn't as strong, partly because I left out the beef [don't eat meat] and added about a cup more of stock than was called for because I like eating the stew with rice. Next time I'll just put more red pepper taste to even it out.

The White Shirt

2009-08-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

The all versatile white shirt. Here are a few ways I like to spice it up.

#1 - With a scarf. Since the shirt is white, it will go with any color scarf. It's like, the girl version of the tie. I personally think longer scarf look the best.

#2 - Tucked in. It's a lot harder to look good tucking in shirts if you don't have a long torso. I usually tuck the shirt in at the hip and add a belt.

#3 - With a vest. I didn't pull off this look too well so I'll use pictures online to illustrate. Ideally black vests are the most versatile. Speaking of which, I want a halter black vest! Where can I find one these days [for $20 or less...]?!

Note: I usually don't like to use model pictures just cuz the model's physique don't give very realistic portrayals of normal people. Moreover, their clothes may sometimes be specially tailored while mine are what you'd find in regular stores and don't cost an arm and two legs.

The Tan Dress

2009-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

I thought it'd be interesting to do a study of how I've worn this dress before.

#1 - As a dress - The most basic way. The dress is simple but has nice details such as the semi-puffy sleeve, the beads, and ruching. My personal opinion does not allow me to wear any other shoes with dresses besides heels and flats.

#2 - With a scarf - Scarves make any outfit look effortlessly stylish and black will go with just about everyting. I usually use this long scarf and tie it a long tie knot.

#3 With tights, when it's cold - Tights allow you to still look wonderful when it's cold, without feeling the cold.

#4 - With a belt - I have all these accessories stuff going on here, but the main point is the belt. But of course, feel free to go all out on accessories like hats, necklaces & leggings.

Excuse the Absence

2009-08-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, the only colors you see are black, white, tan, cream, and red - cuz they match with everything.

Mending Clothes & Shoes

2009-08-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

This dress has been with me for 2.5 years now and is starting to suffer some wear & tear. I bought in on my first visit to Japan @ Harajuku for $10. I'm thinking of getting it sewn up again by a tailor of some sorts - or my grandmother. It'd be sort of nice to do the old-fashioned thing and mend your clothes don't you think? However, nowadays, it's more expensive to mend old things than it is to buy new products, thanks to capitalism & mass production.

To illustrate, my blue & white heels are also dying on me, but I know for a fact it will cost a lot more for the shoe repair person to fix it than the price I paid for them. But they're oh so comfortable. So is it worth it?

For example, my white heels cost $10 and the shoe repair man said he'd charge me $12 to replace the strap. And that's for one shoe.

It will cost an extra $40, per shoe, to fix the [fake] leather that got chipped off from the heel.

That's $104 I can take to Aldo's or Macy's to buy two brand-new pairs of heels. I wonder who goes to these shoe repair shops these days... And how do shoe repair shops even survive in these times?!

Despite that fact, I'm not planning to throw away any clothes or shoes any time soon. I'm going to wear these shoes 'til they're as broken & damaged as our healthcare system, so help me God.

Mango w/ Sticky Rice

2009-08-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

My first Thai dish ever, mango w/ sticky rice! I actually don't know how this is supposed to taste like, but I liked my version (^^)v I used this recipe from Wandering Chopsticks. But yes, can someone describe to me how this dish is supposed to taste like? I'm too cheap to go out and order it.

The stove & pan I used wasn't very good so the coconut rice got really burnt so instead of the smell of coconut, I get burnt rice smell. I miss my rice cooker sooooo much.

Vanity Sizing

2009-08-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is me trying on the ridiculously priced $60 "Real Straight" jeans from GAP.

In Japan, jean sizes started from 22 or 23 and went up to 29. Here in the US, we start at 25 and go up to 35. So in Japan, my size 26/27 is considered above the median but here, I'm in the bottom tier of the size charts over here. Seems like fatness is just relative, to an extent.

The Newseum

2009-08-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

I went to the Newseum today as part of a field trip for the journalism program. Or, according to Richard Colbert, the Newsoleum. Get it? Cuz news is old now. Yea, okay.

"Brutality in Bangkok" 1968 by Neal Ulevich [Associated Press]. The crowd are right-winged folks and the person being lynched is a left-wing university student.

This photo touched all of my nerves probably because I can imagine the same exact scene happening in Vietnam during this time as well. If you look at it closely, there's a little boy in the center right laughing. Of course, we can't judge the people in these photos because we will never be able to understand all their feelings and thoughts living in that certain time period & under those circumstances. If we were put in the same situation, would we maybe not act the same?

The Newseum had a 9/11 exhibit where they hung up all the front pages of the nation's newspapers after 9/11.

This one was my favorite, unique and straightforward.

6 slabs of the original Berlin Wall.

The Newseum also had an exhibit of front pages from newspapers from all over the US and the world. I found Peru's very interesting cuz it had mostly pictures but very minimal writing on the front.

The Japanese newspapers, on the other hand, has mostly words on their front page. I always wonder what they were thinking... do they want to encourage people to not read the paper?

More Korean Cuisine

2009-08-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the Korean theme, I tried my hands at a few more Korean dishes.

Getting the ingredients ready for my kimchi stew [kimchi chigae]. My chigae includes: tofu, shiitake mushrooms, onions, green onions, enoki mushrooms, pollack meat & of course, kimchi. I actually find it very useful to prepare my ingredients and organize it all on a plate like this. It's actually very useful!

End result of my kimchi chigae. I personally thought this was delicious, albeit spicy, of course. Next time I'll add more water so it will work as more of a soup for my rice. I always refer to different recipes to compare the methods & understand the basic ingredients & techniques underlying every dish [1, 2].

This is an extremely easy dish to cool you off in the summer - kimchi cold noodles. I just cut up my cabbage & radish kimchi and mixed it with some Japanese dashi, sugar & sesame oil. The hand mixing was quite fun!

Trip to the Art Museum

2009-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

Outfit to visit the National Gallery of Art today. I used a black & white scarf as a belt for the dress.

This is a replica of the Robert Shaw memorial. He was the leader of the 54th regiment & died in their first battle. The 54th regiment was the first regiment to include Black men as part of their army.

This is my favorite piece of the day, "Still Life of Flowers" by Adelheid Dietrich, 1868. You really have to be up close to see the super delicate, fine lines of the leaves. Makes you wonder how thin his brushes must have been!

I visited the American & Italian collections today. I'm hoping to visit again and go through the Dutch and French galleries as well. But dude, what is up with them cranking up the AC in the museum as well?!

Pan-Asian Cuisines

2009-08-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

I've concluded to myself that I suck at making white people food just like some of them suck at making Asian food. We just don't have that understanding y'know. A white friend of mine once asked why you would ever wash rice. And I will never understand how Americans can eat carrots like a rabbit. It's just a cultural thing.

So I've resigned myself to only making Asian food from now on. I'll also post the recipes I used from now on so you can try it yourself.

Japanese udon with onions & crab cakes.

Vietnamese dessert, chè đậu trắng. 6/10. Taste & texture was okay but since I used the actual beans instead of canned beans, I didn't boil it long enough so some were still sortof hard. But yes, my first attempt at making chè and I didn't fail, that badly. I combined the methods in both these recipes [one, two] - sorry they're in Vietnamese.

My first bibinbap and it was delicious! - or well to me it was. Pictured: broccoli, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, cucumber & onions, egg & gochujang sauce [red pepper sauce]. And of course, the rice is down at the bottom. I combined these 2 recipes [one, two]

This is what it looks like all mixed up. I ended up adding a bit more gochujang sauce & some soy sauce after but it was still pretty bomb.

Out of all of this, I'm definitely going to try my hands at making more chè and Korean food from now on~!

Weird Stares from Virginians

2009-08-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

I went to H-Mart [Korean supermarket] today in Falls Church, Virginia and I guess this outfit was too much for people cuz lots of people kept on staring at me. I bet it was the thigh high socks. I'll try to dress a bit more conservatively when going outside of D.C. from now on.

Although I'm sure it'll help me fit in a bit more, I can't bring myself to dress like everyone else just because I'm so used to dressing this way. It's a type of self-expression, dammit! It's saying, "Yea, even though I might be the quiet Asian girl, I actually exist. Yea, hi..."

DC Capsule Wardrobe

2009-08-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with the idea of dressing creatively & well, but with less. Good for the environment [no consumption], my wallet, and my sanity [packing & unpacking].

The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is that these are all key clothing items that ideally all go together. 2 key elements:

No flashy colors - only blacks, whites, grays & neutrals
All clothing items are versatile & can match with other items

So the tops have to match the bottoms & the outerwear has to go with all of that. My outfits in the following weeks will hopefully showcase these two principles without being SO repetitive. (><)

This is all I packed to DC, a week's worth of outfits + scarves & belts + 3 pairs of heels + lots of leggings & tights & high socks

This picture is kindof dark but outfit = beige blouse + skirt + blazer + leggings + blue heels.

Gray dress + blue belt + black heels + tights

Tan dress + blue belt + jean leggings + white heels + red hat

My normalest outfit yet! Red shirt + black jeans + black heels + black blazer

White button-up shirt + tweed shorts + blazer + black heels + hat&scarf

Notice how the black heels & black blazer goes with everything? Yeaaaa... but gawd I hate being a loner in DC. (><)

Last LA Outfits, Off to DC

2009-08-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

This tunic/dress/shirt thing has such a weird length that I can't wear it as a shirt, nor a dress. It's so stressful deciding how to wear it!

When my boyfriend saw me wearing this through Skype, his first reaction was, "Are you pregnant?" OUTFIT FAIL. I should note though that most ladies in Japan wear an outfit similar to this style when they are pregnant. Seriously. All of them.

This is supposed to be worn during winter but whatevers, I don't believe in things being in this season and out the next. All a ploy of the fashion industry to squeeze as much money out of people as possible.

I didn't like these until I realized they were transparent and now I wear them all the time! It's like being revealing, but still not, which I think is even more attractive. It goes for everything, when you leave some to the imagination.

Basic outfit... and deprived of summer colors too but I don't care about that either!

These are the last of my summer LA outfits. It's off to DC from today and I only packed half a small suitcase worth of clothes. I'm even more excited dressing up with less clothes cuz you have to be a lot more creative! Woohoo~

Oh, and I realized, I can wear my clothes for 35 days straight without repeating a single outfit or using the same item of clothing [rarely anyway]. Woohoo for having worn all my clothes!

Last Day of Finals

2009-07-30T13:15:00.001-07:00

It's the last day of finals, thank God. And then not so thank because classes start again next Monday... in DC! Anyway, will update soon but this is a reminder for me not to neglect the blog. I've been doing so well lately!

List of things to do:

Pack for 5 weeks in DC & 2 weeks at home [I will try for 2 suitcases]
Finish being pissed off by Korean drama
Finish up food in fridge [1/3 block of tofu, 1/2 cup of pasta sauce, some slices of bread, parsley...]
Hang out with friends I might not see again for a long time [Comrade V]
Talk to boyfriend

Is it weird that I haven't talked to him since Sunday but I'm still perfectly okay? [Yes I know, LONG time right?] I take it as a good sign, but I've always been unclingy to boyfriends [actually, more like people in general], just cuz I feel the opposite would render me in a weaker position so maybe this is a sort of defense mechanism? But of course, I do miss him everyday. Still, long distance is wayyy easier than I thought (^^)v *spits on wood, crosses fingers* The thought of proving those who doubt me is that much more of an incentive to work at this relationship, though there is not much work to be done...

Anyway, hope everyone did their best on their finals!

Successes & Failures in Cooking

2009-07-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

Kimchi fried rice w/ an egg. The egg was absolutely necessary. I don't know why I never added the egg before!

I tried making dorayaki, a type of Japanese dessert which is basically 2 pancakes with red bean paste squished in the middle. This is the mini version... my actual ones are a lot bigger.

Cinnamon rice pudding... extremely easy to make & delicious! I shouldn't have let all the milk be absorbed so next time I will leave a little left. But yes, I love rice pudding now!

The ultimate failure here... this is a manjuu, otherwise known as a Chinese steamed bun, except the Japanese version which has red bean paste in it. I failed here in that I used wheat flour [don't have white flour ATM] so it turned out looking like I made poo. And I wrapped it too thick. And didn't put enough sugar. But yes, main failure was the wheat flour. But at least now I know how to make steamed buns!

I made a spreadsheet of all the food I [try to] make & how it turned out so I can refer to it next time. This way, I can turn my failures into successes! I really do love cooking... <3

Memories in Clothing

2009-07-25T02:01:00.000-07:00

Today: I actually wear this Mickey Mouse dress at home but had to go outside to run some errands on my bike so I just threw on this matching cardigan & heels. I really did not intend for it to be so matchy-matchy.

When I visited Vietnam, my aunt actually made this dress for me from some leftover fabric she had left. I witnessed the whole process being done, from the measuring, cutting to the sewing... all the while listening to my aunt talk about her family's life in Vietnam. What a great memory to carry with an article of clothing! I think we would all cherish and take care of our belongings a lot more if they all carried some sort of reminiscent quality rather than just be a mass produced result of capitalism.

Yesterday's outfit... Shows how un-creative I've always been with this black shirt... always pairing it with black pants.

MORE Food Update

2009-07-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

I constantly feel a need to be in the kitchen probably cuz I feel a constant need to be around food... or just eat in general. I'm pretty sure I have an addiction.

Kabocha & ice cream. Because anything tastes great with ice cream. I microwaved the kabocha a bit before so the hotness of the kabocha mixing with the cold taste of the ice cream was wonderful!

My first try at alfredo pasta and it turned out great! Added some seafood mix & mushrooms in there.

Pasta w/ marinara sauce... Maybe I don't add enough of the sauce cuz by the time it's cooked, I can never taste it.

Starbucks had a free pastry day yesterday so being the Asian, took a free Starbucks gift card to buy a drink so I can get the free pastry. So instead of spending money, I actually saved $4.75!

Diddy Riese ice cream sandwich... first time I got anything other than cookies and cream ice cream... too bad it was way too sweet for my taste. I think I'll try making my own cookie sandwich one day.

My 2nd attempt ever at vegetable stir-fry and it turned out better than I expected. Sesame oil really does wonders for any stir-fry dishes... really.

I wanted to drink milk, but milk in America tastes like water so I decided to heat it up with some honey, cinnamon, vanilla extract to make cinnamon milk. Apparently this is good for sore throats and colds.

4-Day Outfit Update

2009-07-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

I think I have one item left in my closet to wear tomorrow and I can go back to my rotation of clothes again. YAY for being able to wear all my clothes without repeating similar outfits [at least in a month anyway...] I realize there are some clothing items I always wear together without fail. I will try to stop doing that...

Today's outfit - the shirt is too long to be a shirt but too short for a dress, so I added a skirt to lengthen it a bit. Coupled with red hat + heels.

This is one of the outfits I always wear... this long dress shirt with tweed shorts. I never manage to do anything else with the shirt for some reason...! Worn with white heels.

My favorite outfit of this set! I wore this to church but I thought shorts alone would be inappropriate, so the leggings worked out. I am in love with the white button-up now and will find more ways to wear it.

I realized I have worn this dress with all my colored cardigans... I just realized how colorful all my cardigans are. I should have bought another one from Uniqlo before leaving Japan...

Kabocha & Mushroom Dishes

2009-07-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

I had lots of kabocha [Japanese pumpkin] & mushrooms for the past two days. I'm not too creative in my cooking since it's usually the same thing over and over, but at least I know I'm getting all the nutrients I need!

Kabocha & wakame soup. I was going to mix miso in there too but since I had leftover water from boiling kabocha before [and it was quite sweet] I decided to just use it as a soup. It wasn't a bad idea!

Kabocha no nimono. I really cannot tell the difference between cooking it with all this soy sauce & mirin versus just throwing all the kabocha into my rice cooker with my rice. I actually prefer the more natural taste of the steamed kabocha in my rice cooker.

Kitsune udon. I kindof cheated and just used a powder soup base I bought from Japan. I didn't use fried tofu either but actually used the tofu used to make inari so it was sweeter! Also added some fish cakes & leftover egg whites.

Kabocha & wakame miso soup. It tasted good except I ate it with the udon above which is NOT a good idea... the miso soup tasted a lot stronger than the udon soup... so yes, note to self to not do that ever again.

Pasta with marinara sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes & brocolli. Except I forgot to put salt & pepper while cooking it... and I think I've yet to master the art of "al dente." The pasta noodles always ends up too hard. I will practice my hand at more pasta dishes this week to make it at least edible - for me.

This is my favorite food to make now! Pizza toast! I just use pasta sauce [in this case marinara] & top it with cheese, any kind of vegetables [in this case mushrooms] & parsley. A few minutes in the oven toaster & yum!

Pros & Cons of Heels

2009-07-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely in love with this blouse & its off-shoulder look. I think you can still look sexy but still not slutty with an off-the-shoulder blouse provided mostly everything else is covered, thus I balanced out the bare shoulder with jeans, rolled up & heels (^^)

I struggled for a long time with this outfit because I have NO idea what to do with a slip. Really, please someone tell me how to wear that gray dress/slip thing cuz I have no freakin idea how to do it. I finally opted for the scarf so the gray isn't too overpowering.

I had an interview today for an internship so I got a chance to wear the business suit that I bought from Korea. I went around searching for 2 hours yesterday for a pair of black heels that won't kill me and settled on those $20 ones at Ross. The person who came up with this button-up + blazer + skirt + heels combo is an absolute genius.

I've resolved [mostly] on only buying heels from now on.

Advantages are:

Matches with mostly everything girls [I] wear - dresses, skirts, jeans, shorts, leggings.
Gives you height - because a 5' 2'' girl like me CAN afford to be just a bit taller
Makes your legs look just a bittt thinner
Raises the elegance & sophistication of your outfits that much more than sandals or flip flops would.

Disadvantages are:

It hurts, at first - but after wearing into them for about a day, it fits to the size of your foot & becomes a lot more comfortable.
If you're not used to it, then even becomes dangerous walking in them e.g. tripping, breaking a heel, etc. And if you really don't know how to walk, don't run.
It hurts, after a while... which would consist of a whole day walking... but where the heck would you do that anyway?

Week's Outfit Update

2009-07-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

And again... the clothes-to-wear in my closet are dwindling down! I love when I know that I've worn all my clothes at least once in almost a month (^^)v Cuz that's what you should do with clothes!

Ignore the not-being-ready-ness here. I was walking around in those silver flats which killed the back of my feet. Ironic how flats & not heels are my enemy.

Going out shopping w/ friends - white cami + yellow blouse + tweed shorts + blue heels

Formal wear for church. Button-up + black jeans + boyfriend cardigan & matching heels

My "So He Killed Your Dad" shirt + pants from Korea + white skinny belt

Day I got my perm! Black camisole + striped vest + black pants from Korean + belt + heels

I decided to fit in more now and forgo the socks I would usually wear with shorts. The blouse is actually a dress but I just pulled it up (><)!

I rarely wear colors so I surprise myself when I do... this outfit speaks tons about my Communist... I mean Vietnamese pride

Recurring clothing items:

It's not pictured but I switched between the red & gray hat obsessively everyday.
Tweed shorts
Blue heels
Pants from Korea
Striped vest

Still Missing Japan

2009-07-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

I was talking with the boyfriend today about how frkn awesome Japan is in terms of convenience, safety, and food.

Convenience - you can get around almost anywhere by public transportation which is always on time, safe & reliable. Convenient stores are also your friend cuz you can buy almost anything you need there, send luggage, and pay your phone bills. The list goes on, but yknow the crap they make you do over here and you ask why? Yea, totally unecessary in Japan cuz they actually do things that, ohmigosh, makes sense! Who'd have thought right America?
Safety - I feel safe at every place at any time when I was in Japan, even living in a big city. I could ride my bike home at 12am and enjoy the night breeze instead of fearing I might be raped at some dark, unlit corner. Even when you're in the frkn yakuza district, it's nothing compared to the gangs here in Compton and downtown. The no-gun policy kinda helps, a lot. I'm scared of going outside here in LA when it's past 8pm!
Food - it's healthy, it's delicious, no pesticides, no weird chemicals injected into your food. Plus, everywhere you go, I would argue that it's actually harder to find restaurants that sucked than good restaurants, at least in my experience. And they get everything justttt right. Sweets weren't too sweet. Portions weren't too big.

I never considered this possibility before because my Japanese sucks and I didn't have anyone I knew over there. But now I do, I wonder if I should consider living in Japan in the future? Maybe if the boyfriend comes over here and realizes how behind the US is compared to Japan in these 3 aspects, and much more, then he'd abandon hopes of living over here and we can settle happily in a closet of a home in Japan. Ahhh... thinking too far ahead! (><)

Summer Stockings & Scarves

2009-07-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

I realized I can wear stockings in LA during summer cuz it's actually not that hot. I guess my mind is somehow still expecting the humidity of Japan's summer... which makes me miss the summer festivals, fireworks, and street food vendors...

Anyway, I love scarves and I'm very sad people don't wear it more often over here. I got the inspiration after watching Boys Over Flowers and Geum Jan Di wore tons of these short scarves in all her outfits.

Eating w/ Friends

2009-07-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

I've been going out to eat with friends on the weekends recently & I've been more interested in taking pictures of the food than the people. I'm sorry, friends! It seems I never do anything else with friends besides food, which is the main reason people get together anyway though right?

Eating pho @ Pho 999 with friends... so good, but I do believe pho in Vietnam was way better, of course...

Homemade food for our July 4th picnic. Hummus wrap, salmon w/ pineapple sauce, mashed potatoes, some salsa... but of course, I ate a lot more than this. A LOT MORE.

A Swedish Princess cake, AMAZINGGGG but the green whipped cream part was WAY too sweet for me.

I met most of these guys on the actual day, with the exception of Kelly. But yes, I made them all do the Asian peace sign. My favorite picture EVER!

I told them to do an American sign and they came up with the thumbs up.

The girls after coming back from the pool. I met most of them the day of as well.

Goi cuon @ Lan's house... here's the wonderful fish that we devoured. I should have taken an after picture but it would have looked like nothing cuz there really was nothing left.

Jeans 2x in a Row!

2009-07-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

Wearing jeans 2 days in a row? I'm pretty sure this is a first in a long time. And without heels too. I've definitely become too girly after Japan (><)

Can you see the obscure patriotism in the first outfit? Red, white & blue for Independence Day. Yea, no one got it either.

So yes, I'm still in love with the red hat. I didn't think it would go with anything when I first bought it but it amazingly just matches everything!

The Boyfriend

2009-07-04T03:37:00.001-07:00

I recently read an article here suggesting that writing about your relationship will help it last longer. I usually hesitate to talk to most people about the extent of my relationships, just that I'm in one and that he actually exists, in real life [it's really sad that I even have to confirm the latter].

However, I will take the jump this time. Partly because I miss him a lot, partly because I like him a lot, and mostly because I'm trying to occupy myself from doing something else other than eating [ok, no I kid... kindof].

The basics:

He's 25, Vietnamese, lived in Japan for 17 years so he's fluent in Vietnamese & Japanese
We met in April 2009 @ a 3-day Vietnamese Catholic retreat for couples to inprove their marriages [he attended the retreat albeit single, I went to wash dishes]
We communicate in Vietnamese, English & Japanese, last two only in simple phrases
We're in a long-distance relationship right now and Skype is our best friend every other day. The 16-hr time difference is our enemy.
He reminds me of my dad: dependable, always videotapes family events & makes videos from them
I always tease him for being old cuz he has too many wrinkles for a 25-year old, especially when he smiles. And, when he drove me home once, the guardman asked if he was my dad [hahahahah!]
His clothing consist of two colors: black and white. And sometimes blue jeans.
He adores his Yamaha motorcycle but I kindof prefer either car, train, or bicycle cuz I'm a coward
We've gone on one date and a half-ish in our 2 months of knowing each other. Going to the beach in the picture above & karaoke another night

In conclusion, he makes me wonderfully happy both in person and on the other side of the world and more than these words, I want to use actions to show how much I want our relationship to work out. Basically, I <3 my boyfriend

Liking Cooking, but Sucking at it

2009-06-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

During a conversation with the boyfriend today, he mentioned that he would prefer a girl who "likes to cook but isn't as good at it over someone who cooks well but doesn't like cooking." He reasoned that someone who likes doing something will eventually get better. More than that though, it's the reassurance that he'll always have a home-cooked meal as opposed to eating out [T__T when I heard this]. And the act of eating at home together builds a close family relationship cuz you can communicate at home more naturally than outside.

Which is reassuring for me because my cooking sucks but I love doing it anyway (^^) I think more than the cooking, it's the preparation e.g. cutting vegetables [I LOVEEEE DOING IT!]. So here's a collection of my recent "cooking" in the US... which is not much yet...

Organic strawberries & hand-picked cherries from a cherry orchard! My midnight meal...

Staple I cannot live without, rice & Japanese curry

Leftover pad thai bento lunch... I added the carrots!

Really quick salad w/ really nasty sesame dijon dressing but I bought the bottle so I have to finish it.

Fried rice... I know it sounds really amateur but I love making it!

Only in America...

2009-06-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Fashion Super Fail of the Day:

Regular shirt with black tights. That's right, not even leggings. Freakin tights. Meaning certain under garments are more visible and that's just not nice.

Weird Scene of the Day:

A golden retriever lying down on the floor of the handicapped bathroom stall and its owner in the toilet, grunting. I don't think I can ever be that close with any person/animal that I would let them see my poo. I just thought there were some things in life you're s'posed to do by yourself, and poo-ing is one of them.

...You just don't see this craziness in Japan.

A cooler way to wear t-shirts than just with jeans = mini skirts + high socks. And of course, my statement hat that did not match anything but I don't really care cuz it keeps away the blinding sun. I've concluded since forever that I'm not cool enough to wear sunglasses.

Orgasmic Pizza

2009-06-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

Trying to wear as much of my clothing as possible now too. I have a lot less [but still a lot] clothes now since I gave away half of it when moving back. Whenever I wear something, I hang it up separate from my yet-to-be-worn clothes so I'm less inclined to automatically go for the "easy" outfits.


Farmer's market	Class

Here's the farmer's market in Hollywood on Sunday. It was a great experience: delicious food samples, tons of people, live music, and a nice community atmosphere.

Later in the day, went to church & then dinner @ the Mr. Pizza in Korea town. It's a pizza chain originating from Korea. One word: ORGASMIC.

Potato gold pizza. Here, the orgasm is in the crust, which is orange & sweet because of the sweet potato filling inside. And when you thought man was God's greatest creation...

Forgot the name of this pizza but the orgasm here is also the crust, which is enhanced when one dips it in the complimentary strawberry dip. It's like an orgasm over and over in your mouth.

Cherry Picking

2009-06-28T00:42:00.000-07:00

Went cherry picking with some friends today! It was hot, sunny, hot, and hot. Good times though (^^)

In the back are the yellow/orange cherries which are a lot sweeter than its red/purple counterpart. I think they mix really well when eaten together cuz then you'll be able to experience more of the flavor. If you don't have sour, how would you know what you're eating is sweet right? It's all relative...

Outfit today - I realized I should have worn red as a tribute to the cherries. As you can tell, I love the high-waisted skirt look. And the cardigan was from yesterday. I don't notice it but I tend to buy the same colors in clothes, accessories, phones, etc etc. Convenient for matching I guess.

California Girl & Eating Out

2009-06-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Effort at blending in~

The California girl outfit: shirt + jeans + gladiator sandals. Added the occassional cardigan & scarf cuz the weather was kindof cool. I added the hat cuz it was sunny & the belt just because.

So I met & caught up with Trang today cuz she's leaving for study abroad in Singapore next month! Went to Noodle Planet & Yogurtland. I like how our conversation ranged from my experience in Japan to gender standards in society. I also discovered, talking to her, how extremely traditional, conservative & supportive of patriarchy I became (><)

Vegetarian pad thai @ Noodle Planet... It looks good but I would have to give it a 5.5/10. The flavors were too strong IMO. I had to take home 2/3 of the meal cuz the portion size was HUMONGOUS.

Went out to buy dinner & went back home to eat with my apartment mates. Some Pipin' Pizza place or something like that. Left is the "Little Ears" pasta... which looks distasteful and had no taste... 4/10, just because I liked the taste of basil in the pasta & I was able to add LOTS of salt & pepper. Salad was made by yours truly.

I guess after trying food in Japan [which is good, no matter where or what you eat], it's hard getting used to mediocre food over here. You get a lot more but quality trumps quantity any time.

Feeling a Bit Japan-sick

2009-06-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

From the Facebook note... I've been back in the States for about 5 days now and really really Japan-sick. I wasn't quite homesick when I was in Japan cuz everything was so new... but coming back to UCLA, nothing has changed quite that much.

Things that make me miss Japan:

Friends. In Japan, whether in the dorms or in class, around school, or heck, at the train station, I saw friends or people I knew everywhere I went. Over here, it's so hard meeting up with people. It's kindred to making appointments to meet with your dentist, which you have to make 2 months in advance, and with very restricted time slots. College students here are definitely a lot busier than in Japan.
Grocery shopping. I will never understand this 10 pieces of carrots in a bag deal. Even if it lasts 3 weeks [which is really, really, really fishy don't you think?], I'd only eat 2 carrots max a week which still leaves me with extra. Same with potatoes. And green onions. Everything is just sold in bigger portions & I just can't cook all of that food all in one week.
Fashion. Refer to post below.
Buying food to eat. I miss my rice balls for lunch.
Public transportation. I haven't dared use LA public transport yet but I just know that it won't compare with the convenience of hopping on a bus or getting on the train and knowing you'll get to your destination @ the exact time your phone says you will.
Ice cream. Most of it isn't $1, nor is it green tea... but ice cream is still ultimate goodness whereever... I'm just complaining about the flavor availability XD
Trash. It just seems so wrong now to throw compost, plastics, burnables, bottles, and cans all into one bin. And even with the abundance of trash cans, there's still garbage on the ground.
Cranking up the AC. Does UCLA like wasting energy because every class is extremely cold... In Japan, we just opened the window and let the cool air come in. But I realize this isn't possible for classes here as there are no windows, or natural lighting for that matter.

I can go on more but I won't since it may seem like I hate the States & UCLA [I don't]. I'll be fair & post up reasons why I'm glad to be back later!

The Other Duckling

2009-06-26T04:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I would feel as conscious as I do but when everyone at UCLA is in shirt, jeans, gladiator sandals, a seldom cardigan and very seldom spring scarf, you kindof feel a bit out of place.

I will try and fit in tomorrow.

Oh, by the way, I stumbled upon The Uniform Project... I love when people find different ways to wear something. She's trying 365 ways! Amazing...

Last Outfits in Japan

2009-06-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

These are outfits from my last few days in Japan... before I come back to the States and start getting weird looks T___T

I think these three pictures are basically representative of my current style: High-waisted skirt + blouse, shorts + knee-highs, dresses + leggings.

Went blueberry picking with the boyfriend before heading to the airport!

Acquaintance with a Chinese Diplomat

2009-06-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

So I am back--! in the States... hopefully not for good (^^)v Family came to pick me up from LAX this evening and we're going to spend the weekend in OC before I head off to school again.

On the plane flight back, I sat next to an official Chinese diplomat! He was on his way to a prepatory meeting on climate change in Mexico before the G8 forum next week... something like that. He was super nice and I learned a lot about foreign diplomacy work and the pressure he has to face working for the Chinese government to negotiate with the international community.

China is still a developing country so it can't cut down on carbon emissions with respect to international standards.
Climate change was caused by the developed countries' carbon emissions during industrialization so you can't expect us to not do what you've done yourself.
If developed countries want developing countries to improve their environmental practices, give us the technology, like you state so in international declarations, don't make us buy it [e.g. China has to buy IPR - intellectual property rights - from Germany I believe it was, for the development of renewable energies.]
China is doing its work in improving many aspects of the country from human rights to climate change but it will always have a bottom line which it will not cross in negotiations with the foreign community because its top priority is still the Chinese economy & its people.

Here's a picture of him. I swear he kindof looks like Bae Yong Joon no (^^)v?

Time Should Stop Right Now, Thank You Very Much

2009-06-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

Time is going by too fast for me to record it all, food, events, hanging out...! I'll just keep up with the outfits for now but a couple humongous posts coming up including traditional Japanese food, kabuki, and first date with the boyfriend (^^)v

I have 5 more days in Japan. It went from 360 to 5. I wish one could find a way to capture time.

I swear I have a tendency to abuse hats these days. I think it works better with the more casual 2nd outfit than the formal first one...

I think this hair for the first outfit is more appropriate than all down. I never noticed that hairstyles mattered with hats cuz I thought hats were invented so you can hide your bad hair days.

FAIL--!

WIN~!

I didn't realize how much how epic failed on my outfit today until I took a picture of it. The unflattering poofy shape of the shirt desires something very tight underneath to balance it out. The black pants & skinny belt was all wrong for this shirt.

Lesson next time: poofy shirt requires big belt & leggings. See the corrected right side. I like how I'm acting like my own personal stylist. I think people who have personal stylists must be so bored cuz you don't get to experiment [fail] on your own. Bonus points for scarves, adorable & instantly makes an outfit!

I wore this ao dai for a koto performance last week. It looks a lot better in real life o(^-^)o I seriously think the Vietnamese ao dai is one of the most beautiful traditional dresses, not even including the ease of putting it on & taking it off... sorry Japan!

The Red Hat

2009-06-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't even notice this but I wore this red hat for 3 days straight... apparently.

Now if only I had red shoes... I can wear whatever I want in Japan, but would any of these outfits work in the States? Please be honest... not that I really mind cuz I'll wear it anyway o(x_x)o

2-Day Trip to Korea

2009-06-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

A preview of my 2-day travel in Seoul, Korea... We did lots of other things too but couldn't take a picture of it e.g. sauna/spa/massage/facial place. Yknow, nudity issues and things.

Overall impressions:

Seoul is surrounded by 8 moutains & divided by the Han River. So although it's a metropolitan, these natural entities makes this metropolitan city amazingly beautiful.
Everything was super super super super super cheap. Add to that the amazing yen --> won exchange rate and you get to do some wonderful shopping.
We used taxis as our main medium of transport cuz base price & price/mile super cheap.
If you know Japanese in Korea, you'll make some good friends with the shopkeepers, esp. the Japanese ones!
All the shopkeepers were super outgoing!
Korean girls looked healthy - like they eat, but not fat, and of course, beautiful.
I didn't see any hot Korean guys except for the ones on the walls & the cardboard figures standing outside make-up shops.
Korean palaces are bright, colorful, & beautifully designed.
I LOVE KOREA! Will definitely revisit one day.

1st stop, Coffee Prince shop... except it was closed... like indefinitely type of closed. I was very distressed as you can tell.

I saw this river in We Got Married, Dambi & Marco! Enough said...

Seoul Tower, a lot prettier than Tokyo Tower I think. It changes colors!

Couple locks place beneath Seoul Tower where Alex & Sinae, Solbi & Andy wrote their memories of each other... We Got Married... enough said.

On top of Seoul Tower w/ Ashley

Gyeongbok Palace, burned down by the Japanese in the 19th century & rebuilt later...

Inside Gyeongbok Palace, this place was so beautiful I couldn't believe the Japanese had the heart to burn it down.

These guys are like the Korean version of those British guards.

Kids playing video games outside a convenient store. I thought this was the cutest thing ever.

Peeking into a traditional Korean home

Inside Changdeok Palace, or the "Palace of Prospering Virtue"

More of Changdeok Palace. This is the "Secret Garden" because you couldn't go in here without permission from the king.

Cheers to being in Korea! My first time trying soju... I drank like... two very small sips from that shot glass and let Kiyoko have the rest.

The Great Eastern Gate, Dongdaemun e.g. the best shopping place ever!
Korean night market - street vendors galore! And they have it... every night!

Cardboard figure of Kim Bum! Such a beautiful man...

My suitcase pictures...

Before

After

Korea Food Update

2009-06-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a record of my 4-day gluttony in Korea. And when I say 4 days, I mean 2 full days.

Delicious airplane food from Asiana Air. Entree was some yummy fish thing. And the delicious cake!

My first meal in Korea. $5 for the tofu soup & all the side dishes. AMAZINGNESS.

It was either Korean BBQ or this seafood hotpot. I opted for the more expensive option :D

Breakfast @ the hotel. French toast served with HONEY! Now who'd have thought?!

Strawberry, cream cheese & tiramisu gelato. Apparently the most popular combination. I could understand why.

Delicious potato pizza. Only in Korea [I think?]

Amazing $6 bibinbap... I don't think I can enjoy Korea Town's bibinbap the same way ever again...

Baskin Robbins, strawberry cheesecake, recommended by the worker when I asked him what the "#1 *points thumbs up*" was... amazingly he understood. And of course, it was orgasmic.

10-Day Outfit Update

2009-06-05T01:18:00.000-07:00

Outfits from the past few days, including Korea. And yes, I did rewear some outfits in Korea, in Japan XD


Outfit: Long shirt Tweed shorts [but not visible] Gray boyfiend cardigan Thigh high socks Scarf Red straw fedora hat White heels POINT: Accessories are the easiest [& safest] way to add color to your outfit.	Outfit: Gray shirt dress Gray boyfriend cardigan Black belt Black scarf Gray newsboy cap [not wearing...] Jean leggings Cream color bag Cream heels POINT: Scarves does wonders to an outfit.

Outfit: Black camisole Dress Pink cardigan Black leggings Cream heels POINT: Bright cardigans = very useful.	Outfit: White shirt Yellow skirt Belt Black scarf Cream color bag Cream heels POINT: This high waisted skirt look is pretty popular lately in Japan & Korea this Spring/Summer season. What about in the States?

Outfit: Music shirt w/ suspenders Black skirt Cream color bag Cream heels POINT: I consider this outfit FAIL. Point is, it's hard to wear suspenders.	Outfit: White shirt Yellow skirt Red cardigan Black belt Blue heels POINT: Same outfit as the other one XD w/ an added cardigan. I should have had the scarf again.

Outfit: Music shirt w/ attached suspenders Black pants Blue heels POINT: Suspenders look better when wearing pants.	Outfit: Cream blouse Floral skirt Cinching belt Black stirrups Blue heels Bow hair clip POINT: Invest in a cream/white blouse as it goes with everything.

Outfit: Gray dress Black bow belt Jean leggings Blue heels POINT: Accessorize... could have made this outfit better with more color.	Outfit: Gray graphic tee Gray tweed blazer Skinny jeans Red straw hat Burgundy Converse POINT: Woke up late for class so I went for my "safe" outfit - shirt + blazer. Added bonus for red hat cuz my hair was crazy.

Last Prep for Korea

2009-05-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

Day's accomplishments:

Japanese homework [1st time I ever did it this quarter]
Group project work
Practiced koto for 2 hrs
Went to class and was mentally there
Called home to family in Vietnam & my mother <3
Made AV happy o(^-^)o
"Packed" for Korea

Since I will be gone the next 4 days or so [KOREA KOREA KOREA!], this post is longer than usual and has lots of unnecessary-ness to make up for those 4 days. Not that anything on here is necessary in the first place... but nevertheless...

My 2-hr flight is in 16 hours and this is all of my luggage. Notice the amount of empty space. I will take an after picture of this suitcase when I return o(^-^)o

PRE- FOOD PICS NOTE: I did not eat all this food today... no, of course... not. Okay no really, I didn't.
One of the reasons I love living in a Japanese dorm:

Receiving sweets at night cuz your dormmate works at a pastry shop :D
Receiving Japanese bread in the morning cuz your roommate & other dormmate works at a bakery... and we all know the greatness that is Japanese bread.

Right to left:

Dinner: mushroom rice, salmon & yogurt
Lunch: Fried rice
When-depressed food: sweet potato cheesecake [received from friend]

I think I've exhausted almost all the outfits I can wear that's left in my closet. Time to recycle through clothes! That section will be saved for when I come back from Korea o(^-^)o

	Outfit: Navy blue shirt Black jeans Blue heels POINT: None cuz I was late for class. And I have no idea what's with the legs spread apart either...
	Outfit: White button-up Striped vest Gray tweed shorts Thigh-high socks Blue heels POINT: Button-up + vest = not just for guys! Which reminds me, glad VNLC had a good banquet. Looking @ the pictures definitely makes me kindof excited to go back. YAY for SATURDAY!

Weekend w/ the Yahisas

2009-05-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I visited & hung out with an acquaintance of my mom at her work. The two lived in San Jose for a year cuz of his work. Nicest couple ever. I'm sure if I could speak more Japanese, I would find out even more interesting things about them (^^)

@ their house, in the living watching American Idol & enjoying dessert [cake!]

@ Hakone with the lovely couple. Whatta beauty, Japan is.

Visited various other sights, and of course, eating :) They also had 2 cats, one that never came out cuz it's scared of moving things & the other always gave me the evil eye T___T

Today, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. There's an interesting housing complex that looks like a doll house model from those futuristic movies.

And now, back to our regular programming... I realized that I have to change the content of this blog somehow so I can show it to everyone and not be completely embarassed by it... and by being embarassed, I mean the fact that I wear weird outfits & make weird food. Maybe I should stop the outfit & food thing?

Outfit:

Threadless tee
Pink cardigan
Blue jeans
Blue heels

POINT: Was 15 mins late for a test... when in a hurry, go American - jeans & t-shirt. To upgrade, add heels?

Lunch & dinner:

Chilled tofu w/ kimchi, tofu & green onions
Ramen w/ lots of veggies

Korea Departure Preparation - Korea Town

2009-05-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be in Korea by this time next week so I went to Korea Town @ Shin-okubo with some friends to get a feel for Korea before I leave. So naturally, we:

Ate @ an all-you-can-eat side dishes Korean restaurant. Practiced my limited Korean on the store clerks [Ex: mahshisuhyo, sajin jigo chusaeyo] & definitely impressed them o(^o^)o
2 hours of karaoke to Japanese, English & of course - Korean songs.

@ the restaurant. We order an entree & get to eat all the side dishes we want. All for 1080 yen ~ $10!

Vinthia - probably my soulmate in... life. Except she's a girl & has a boyfriend so we can only be friends. Whatta shame.

Forgot to blog yesterday so this is dinner & outfit from yesterday & today. I'm determined to not give up on this blog! Thanks everyone who reads the blog & tells me they read it (^^)

	Dinner: Random vegetable soup Cold tofu w/ kimchi & soy sauce
	Outfit: Gray layering dress White shirt Striped vest Metallic flats POINT: Flats usually make your legs look shorter but if you pair it with pants/skirts that hit above the knee, then your legs won't look as short... or that's what I read.
	Outfit: Black long tunic Long cardigan Khaki shorts Black stirrups Cream bag White heels Blue scarf from India! POINT: A simple outfit can be instantly brightened by a colorful scarf!

The Sun Did Come Out!

2009-05-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's been confirmed that my mood is officially controlled by weather and food, both of which I received in nice amounts today which is why I'm so wonderfully content. This is an extremely sad fact as it indicates that I am so simple a person that if the sun is shining and I am fed, then the world is hunky-dory. There has to be more to me than this I swear.

	Outfit: Blue satin button-up Turquoise cardigan Black shorts Thigh-high socks Blue heels POINT: It's nice to have clothing & shoes in the same color shade. & of course, anything black.
	Dinner: same as yesterday, but with a boiled egg.

Return of the Cloudy Days

2009-05-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

I swear my mood is at least 40% affected by weather, the other 60% by food. Which doesn't make me a happy camper when the clouds came back today and I didn't have a proper meal at all really, today.

At least that's what I tell myself so I can ignore the other reason. Hopefully, the sun will come out, tomorrow!

Failure-in-color-experimenting outfit:

Orange camisole
Blue/teal-ish cardigan
Black shorts
Black stirrups
Blue heels

POINT: Ironed clothes always look nicer.

Dinner:

Saffron rice
Curry [potatoes, carrots, onions]

Mellowing Out with Yellow

2009-05-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

My weekends lately have all been quite memorable ^__^ I'm a bit sad though cuz I fear they'll all just end up mere happy memories...

Anh Vinh & I singing to a very famous Japanese song about the coming of spring

Anyway, the sun hasn't been shining lately, but I think wearing yellow definitely made it come out again!

	Outfit: Inner camisole Yellow 3/4 sleeve Black peacoat Black jeans White heels Red hat [I actually didn't wear the red hat outside cuz I was scared the wind might blow it away.] POINT: Yellow + red = good outfit color combination! Albeit looking a bit like a Communist...
	Outfit: Inner camisole Yellow blouse Gray tweed shorts Gray boyfriend cardigan Knee high socks Cream-colored cross-shoulder bag Cream-colored heels Necklace Earrings POINT: Long cardigan + shorts + knee/thigh high socks

Friend-filled Weekend~!

2009-05-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of stories from the last 2 days only so I will post pictures & quick list to make it short.

Happenings:

Went to Disney Sea [only in Japan!] with dormmates o(^o^)o
Met for an English tutorial with a Japanese guy who belongs to the army division of the Japanese military! Needless to say, his Japanese military English made my day.
Met Japanese students who will go to UCLA next year. Can't wait to show them around!
Caught up with "Fat Club" friends. I think some people were born to fit each other & I believe we were all born to make each other happy. I adore these girls.

@ Disney Sea, with the prince & chef in the Little Mermaid

The Sinbad storybook ride was amazing... kindof like a chibi version of Pirates.

These girls make my life complete... and Tim.

Outfits:

My outfits have become extremely simple... especially since I'm trying to wear all that's left in my closet. I have a week's worth left! o(^o^)o

	Outfit: White camisole Teal tunic Grey knit cardigan Black jeans Necklace Earrings Blue/teal heels Matching hairband POINT: Neutrals + one matching color [this case: teal]
	Outfit: Inner camisole Teal long-sleeved button up Dark grey boyfriend cardigan Black skinny jeans Blue/teal heels POINT: Cardigans + button-ups
	Outfit: White inner camisole Black long tunic Dark grey tweed shorts Black tights Striped vest Blazer - not pictured Necklace Beige & black checkerboard scarf [not pictured] Cream crossover bag Cream heels POINT: I suck at wearing colors...

Windy Bike Riding & Jie's Birthday

2009-05-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

The yet-to-be-worn clothes in my dresser has dwindled down to about 6-7 pieces, depending on how I count it. I actually wore knee-high socks earlier in the day. I bought these tights at the supermarket because I realized biking with 10mph [mayber] wind just doesn't fly [note the irony ;D].

Wear-tights-on-windy-days outfit:

Gray dress - $12
Striped vest - $5
Blazer - $20
Cross-shoulder bag - $10
Blue heels - $12
Belt - secondhand
Leggings - $7 [most expensive leggings I've ever bought!]

Total: $66

We surprised one of my dormmates for her birthday! I noticed she was eating noodles for breakfast & she said that Chinese people believe eating noodles on your birthday lengthens your life. Then she also commented that she never received a cake for her birthday before so I thought this was the perfect opportunity! Is this not the cutest cake you've ever seen? $25, with candles. I swear the Japanese make everything look better!

The foreign students in the dorm: Risa [US], Jarrie [Philippines], Jie, bday girl [China], me, & Yeon-Woo [Korea].

Because I Like Baseball, maybe

2009-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

I should start naming my outfits just... because. This is Trying-to-seem-like-I-care-for-baseball outfit. If only I had a cap, this outfit would be perfect.

A's t-shirt - $10
Black 3/4 sleeved jacket - $8
Tweed gray shorts - $10
Thigh high socks - $3
Heels - $10

Total: $41

I'm going to stock up on a million pairs of black thigh/knee high socks because they go with everything - shorts, dresses, & skirts. I swear I only wear 3 pairs of jeans now.

The Red Hat

2009-05-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

These straw hats are pretty popular right now - but in beige & black. I, of course, just HAD to be different & thereby make it hard for myself to match any outfit with this hat. In any case, I wanted an excuse to wear the hat so this is my Red-hat centered outfit:

Red Threadless shirt - $10
Dark gray boyfriend cardigan - $8
Beige shorts - $8
Black socks - $2
White heels - $10
Red straw hat - $10

Total: $48

I got to spend Mother's Day with a very happy family & make their amazing mom happy :) Here's most of the family... with the father sitting in the background watching Chinese movies. So typical of Vietnamese families.

And of course, my life would be nothing without the world's most wonderful woman. I can never find the right words to describe how amazing of a mother, friend, role model, hero, everything she is in my life. Nevertheless, one day I will. Meanwhile, here's a picture of the most beautiful lady I've ever met & the cutest little sister ever.

Nothing to Do But Cook

2009-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love 25 degree C weather :)

Today's outfit:

Green inner tank top - $5
White & green striped halter - $8
Blue cardigan - $20
Turquoise corduroy shorts - $10
Leggings - $3
Earrings - $3
Necklace - $3
Blue heels - $12

Total: $74

This outfit is a bit ridiculous for $74 actually.

So I had a bunch of free time after buying books & window shopping today, so I thought I'd get hungry after making food. Here's what was on the menu today. Of course, I didn't eat all of this... only 2/3 of the fried rice XD

Mushroom rice, amazingly easy but delicious & healthy meal. I'm forever indebted to soyandpepper for this recipe.

Kimchi fried rice, except I added too much kimchi so it became a bit too spicy. Served with a side of fresh cut cucumbers.

Garlic chives soup. I really didn't know what to do with all the humongous bowl of chives I had so soup was the best alternative. I made it the Vietnamese way, using dried shrimp, but I think I used too much cuz it reeks of the ocean.

Thankful list:

Found the book for him
Made lots of food so I won't be scared in going hungry
Went shopping but didn't buy anything
Had a blast skyping with parents, they're such hilarious people
Shell's hello message :)

Sometimes, when life is this good, I wonder why I felt so depressed before... even though my life has not gone through any drastic change. In the end, it's really all in your attitude & mood, right? As Leo Tolstoy once said, "If you want to be happy, be."

Thankful List & the Perfect Job

2009-05-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today is probably the last rainy day for a while! That means I can finally step foot outside now. You can tell how much of a Californian I am from my refusal to step outside when it's less than 60 F with no sunshine... sighs. Anyway... here is today's outfit. I did that weird pose to show the cool sleeves.

Today's outfit:

Yellow camisole - free
Blue long-sleeved - $12
Black shorts - $10
Black leggings - $3
Key necklace - $3
Blue heels - $12

Total: $40

Things thankful for today:

Conducting class experiment smoothly, with all my guy friends being reliable & punctual
Talking about problems @ home w/ mom & her asking for my advice [inconceivable!]
Mini dorm takoyaki [except for the tako part] party
Getting advice from Hong Van about external
3 hrs of info duty done while watching Cinderella Man
Tidying up my desk
Uploading pictures onto facebook

I think the perfect job for me would include the following:

Event planning, because I <3 planning events
Powerpoints with a purpose on informing & educating, and because I make killer powerpoints
Uploading pictures & captioning them. I swear, I am freakin pro at this "upload, tag, caption" gig.
Have it be culturally, socially, &/or charity-y relevant

Excuse My Absence

2009-05-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

I received a message from Hong Van today which made my day & motivated me to keep this blog alive even more o(^o^)o

So yes, I was doing well, updating the blog daily for about 2 weeks... but I have a very legitimate excuse for the recent absence. Since it was Golden Week in Japan, I had 6 days off and spent 5 days with a friend's family. The stay was completely unplanned so I had to survive on one outfit and 2 pairs of underwear.

5-Day outfit [pictured]:

Inner camisole - free, handmade by aunt
Purple & black one-piece - $10
Cream color swing jacket [not mine, borrowed from friend's cousin] - borrowed
Cream color sling bag - $10
Red reusable bag - $7
Red umbrella - $5
Earrings - $3
Black stirrups - $3
White heels - $10

Total: $48

It was rainy & cold today so I felt like looking uhhh... different - instead of girly (><) Added the hat cuz my hair did crazy things today when I woke up.

Today's outfit:

Layering camisole - $5
Blue long-sleeved - $5
Striped vest - $5
Black 3/4 long-sleeved jacket - $8
Jeans - $20
Hat - $8
Scarf - gift from sister
Burgundy color Converses - $12

Total: $63

These past few days have been extremely happy but at the same time, disappointing, cuz I know I'll have to leave it all in 6 weeks... We always say, "If only we'd met earlier..." but then I know the situation might not be the same as it is now... I'm really at a loss for what to do. You probably didn't understand any of this but it's okay.

In other news, I got to talk to Lan & Darlena today! Maybe I should use my Skype credit to call more friends at home. I really didn't realize how precious my friends at home were to me [and I to them! :)] until I went abroad. Now when I come back, I'll love you all 1000x more! <3

Start of Golden Week

2009-05-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

We are officially in Golden Week, meaning we have a 6-day weekend break due to all the Japanese holidays that managed to come consecutively after each other. In other words, more time to go play o(^o^)o I missed a day of blogging so this post will be mainly just pictures & quick captions.

Outfit: Shades of pink

Outfit: Statement hat

Lunch: mushroom rice w/ kimchi & miso-marinated salmon

Dinner: Shrimp marinara pasta, potato salad, yogurt & bananas

Breakfast: Mushroom rice, yogurt w/ bananas & dried cranberries, green tea

Went "shopping" today with Risa & Jarrie, and by shopping I mean eating kaiten zushi, buying socks, and karaoke.

Now I understand what they mean by "girls just wanna have fun." Nothing like going to karaoke with friends and singing your heart out with no inhibitions. o(^o^)o

K-Drama Outfit, Meals, & "Smooth Steppers"

2009-04-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

I received the outfit inspiration from a new Korean drama - Cinderella Man. Can't wait to visit Korea @ the end of May for 4 days with a few friends o(^o^)o Today's Korean drama inspired outfit:

Inner black tank - $2.50
Olive green shirt & plaid scarf - $10
Black 3/4 sleeve jacket - $8
Leggings - $8
Earrings - $3
Necklace - $3
White heels - $10
Grey hat - $7

Total: $51.50

I managed to record all the meals I ate today! I will try to do it everyday as I love food as much as fashion. I already see the direction for this blog: Thoa's Daily Outfit & Daily Meals Blog. Is this what my life is really reduced to? I promise it isn't.

I think I eat pretty healthy most of the time, except I lose all self-control with sweets. That's one of the reasons why I can never be skinny - I rely on sweets & ice cream to keep me from falling into depression.

Between class snack: bananas & strawberries

Lunch:

Ramen w/ mushrooms & egg
Strawberries

Dinner:

Mushroom rice
Miso marinated salmon
Plain yogurt w/ bananas
Green tea

Went to see the Smooth Steppers, a modern/hip-hop dance group performance today @ ICU. They had a really good story plot, amazing costumes, interesting choreography, well-synchronized lighting and really professional computer graphics. However, their dancing just couldn't wow me as much as groups in the US do. Seemed like they were missing that last 2% - the wow factor. Still, a very good show.

No Creativity Outfit, Bento & Filipino Night

2009-04-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

As the amount of clothing I have yet to wear dwindles down, so does my creativity for these outfits. BUT, I am doing a good job at wearing all my clothing at least once! Today's outfit:

Grey inner tank - $5
Blue long-sleeved turtleneck - $8
Gray knit cardigan - $12
Jeans - $20
Necklace - $3
Blue heels - $12

Total: $60

This was my "bento" for today. Nothing special but it got me through the day.

Potato salad [cucumber, carrots, corn, mashed potatoes, Japanese mayo, salt&peppa]
Fresh strawberries
Vietnamese jello

The 10 or so Filipino student population @ ICU held a Filipino Night meaning I got to eat dried mango, see all sorts of cool traditional & modern Filipino dances, and even learn some of them! Here's a 3-min video of the performances featuring my 2 favorite Filipino buddies @ ICU - Audie & Jarrie [2 people singing]!

One thing I love about ICU is that since it's an international university, I'm guaranteed friends from all over the world! o(^o^)o

Personal Accomplishment of the Day - Biking

2009-04-28T03:26:00.000-07:00

I think it's very handy to know what you can wear & still be comfortable in a given day's weather. For me, today's sunny 60 F = 4 layers = happy me o(^o^)o

Today's outfit:

Yellow inner tank - 2nd hand from aunt in VN
"This Is Why I'm Hot" shirt - $10
Blazer - 2nd hand from aunt
Black jeans - $40 [I will never spend this amt on jeans ever again...]
Later in day [not pictured] - pink cardigan - $20
Paris necklace - $3
Blue heels - $12

Total: $85

As you can tell, I am addicted to blazers now. They just work so well with any outfit, from jeans to skirts to shorts! I'm not sure what I'm going to do once it gets hot...

I managed to make 3 dishes today: simmered kabocha, miso-marinated salmon, & potato salad. I'm saving the other two for tomorrow. I ran out of rice so I had to eat my pumpkin rice-less today. Therefore, I doubled the amount of yogurt. This was an extremely filling meal!

Simmered kabocha [didn't follow the entire recipe though]
Strawberries & banana yogurt
Vietnamese jello
Green tea

I also biked all by myself to the nearest train station today, a whole 2.5 miles! Of course, all my foreign friends learned how to do this by the 1st week they arrived. However, this is a very big accomplishment for me considering:

I suck at transporting myself... even walking is kindof questionable as I tend to trip on imaginary objects.
I have no sense of direction.
I have a man-bike. I call it a man-bike because you seriously need man thighs to pedal that mass of a vehicle.

In a Rush...

2009-04-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was late for my Japanese test so I had to fudge one of the favorite parts of my day: picking out what to wear. However, you can't really go wrong with leggings + skirt + shirt combo.

Today's outfit:

Black layering camisole - $5
Red Threadless shirt - $10
Pink V-neck cardigan - $20
Tan skirt - $8
Pant leggings - handmade by my aunt in Vietnam
Metallic flats - $11

Total: $44
The day stayed around 15 C with winds at 6 miles/hr meaning I did not want anything to do with being outside cuz I'm a California weakling. Just stayed inside, finished Cain & Abel drama, & napped. I'm pretty sure I was a bear in my past life cuz I seriously go on hibernation mode as soon as it hits below 70 F.

The Sun Came Out...

2009-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today's outfit:

Inner camisole [cuz it was cold] - $2.50
Beige dress - $10
3/4 sleeve jacket - $8
Leggings - $3
Earrings - $1
Blue heels - $12
Blue scarf - $5 [not pictured]
Grey coat - $40 [not pictured]

Total: $81.50

I keep on wondering if my outfits will ever exceed $100, but so far, I don't think the possibility is very high.

Today was warm after yesterday's rainy day... except there was an enormous amount of wind... thus the need for a scarf and my puffy winter coat. Out of all these outfits, I've only worn jeans/pants once. Shows how girly Japan has turned me! (><)

Went to the prefecture next to Tokyo to visit an acquaintance and ended up going to Kamakura to see the Big Buddha with said acquaintance's family! Yay for acquaintances... o(^o^)o

Also managed to go to church, walk around the church bazaar, visit another temple in Kamakura, eat sweet potato ice cream [yes you read it!], see the beach in Japan [probably my first time], and have a proper, Vietnamese family dinner. <3

First Men's Dorm Beauty Contest & Pan-crepe-Cakes

2009-04-25T01:41:00.000-07:00

Made pancakes today but somehow, my batter was too liquidy so the first few ended up looking like crepe-cakes. Served with in-season strawberries & maple syrup.

Yesterday's outfit:

Layering grey tank [can't see] - $5
Black turtleneck - $7
Striped vest - $5
Blazer - $20
Skirt - $5
Leggings - $3
Necklace - $3
Cream-colored heels - $10

Total: $58

I notice this blazer & vest is so convenient you can wear it with so many outfits and still have a different look everytime! o(^o^)o Are blazers in in the States or are they considered too formal? I hope I'm not too Japanese-washed that when I go back to the States, people will be staring at me and wonder which planet I'm from...

The 1st Men's Dorm held their last ever "beauty contest" yesterday and our dorm helped out in doing the make-up! Each women's dorm gets 3 guys to dress up as girls, do make-up for, and then everyone votes for who the best looking girl is! Below is Matt & Jake, 2 of the foreign students in the dorm.

After we all went to Shibuya [ultimate youth hangout spot in Tokyo] and filmed the guys dancing their dorm's "eight man dance" in the middle of one of the busiest crosswalks in all of Japan. This will definitely be one of my craziest experiences in Japan. I mean, Shibuya crosswalk + guys dressed like drag queens + dancing? Only in Japan.

My Favorite F-words - Food & Fashion

2009-04-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

I wondered that if I have a bunch of random dishes to eat instead of eating one big dish, I'll feel - fuller, and not overeat or snack after my dinner. So today is my poor attempt at a somewhat nutritious, complete meal. I'm making a list of what to buy for the new apartment and on my list will definitely be 4-6 small bowl/dishes!

Left to right:

Mushroom rice
Vietnamese jello
Banana
Green tea
Steamed potatoes
Salmon

Today's outfit:

Blue tank top [can't see] - 2nd hand
Blue satin dress that needs ironing- $12
Pink cardigan - $20
Tights - $3
Keychain necklace - $3
Dangly butterfly earrings - $1
Maroon heels - $10

Total: $49

Lovin' Them Easy Breezy Days

2009-04-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

The weather should stay a cool 23 C so I can wear a jacket all the time. Today's outfit:

Blazer - $20
Off-shoulder blouse - $12
Scarf - $8
Jeans - $20
Blue heels - $12

Total: $62

I'm trying to wear everything in my closet once before I wear it again. Then, whatever I can't think of any way to wear means I probably should toss. It's going pretty well and I'm sure I can have a small & tidy closet when I get back to the States!

This blog is turning into an everyday outfit blog. I should just turn it into that.

From the East to the West

2009-04-21T01:26:00.000-07:00

Today, we discussed a Japanese newspaper article that talked about survey results of whether Japanese people would go back to the past or to the future if they had a time machine. I would definitely go back to the past - first to the beginning of time, then to the time of Jesus to listen to his teachings, see Him, and witness his miracles - or go to the other side of the world to see Buddha and ask him how one can live a happy life o(^-^)o

After returning from Vietnam, I've gained a new respect for religion - esp. Catholicism since that is the religion of my family. I wouldn't say I agree, but for a 2000-year-old existence, there's got to be some legitimacy to it.

What I learned in Vietnam though, is that nothing is complete by itself. There's always a balance in life. Quiet husbands will have wives who talk a lot. Mean husbands will have wives who are kind. Judeo-Christian beliefs are complemented by Buddhism. Eastern philosophies expand on doctrines of the West. You take Western medicine for short-term illnesses, and use Eastern medicine for long-term effects.

I'll do a daily reflection of how much my outfit costs. The point I want to make is that one can dress nice without spending a fortune!

Outfit:

white tank top - $4
striped vest - $5
blue vertical-striped blazer - 2nd hand
black shorts - $10
black stockings - $3
brown belt - $4
Paris necklace - $3
silver earrings - $3
blue heels - $12

= ~$41

Look Good, Feel Good?

2009-04-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

I woke up 25 minutes before class feeling awesomely crappy with a sore throat from breathing thru my mouth cuz my nose couldn't inhale air due to an excess of liquid that kept on dripping the whole night. The result = an extremely crappy-feeling-not-yet-showered me.

So I resolved to not look how I feel or else I would look&feel only worse. BUT, a shower, Korean dramas, 3-hr nap, and eating ramen out of a pan did help improve my spirits.

Finished off the day knowing that I might be able to meet the parents [& poss. sisters] when I get off the airport @ LAX. Nothing is better than knowing you'll be meeting family again (*^o^*) That's right, not even ice cream.

Justt A Little Crush

2009-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

I met a guy who's completely wonderful in many ways. He offered to carry grocery bags for me but when he saw that the one he carried wasn't heavy, he gave it back to me and walked the other way. [He somehow didn't go for the other one which had a frkn 5kg bag of rice in there.] I told my mom everything and she says the girl should never contact the guy first. I wonder if that applies to when the guy doesn't have your contact info as well... T___T Guess it wasn't mean to be...

Did I mention he is Vietnamese + Catholic + fluent in Vietnamese & Japanese + good-looking [in my opinion?]? Ahhh I feel like one of those schoolgirls & their schoolgirl crushes again. >___<

I don't think my parents think anyone is good enough for me... Even though that is a very good idea to be proud of, I'm scared it's going to make me become an old maiden... oh no... T___T

A Touch of Love

2009-04-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

The cream dress you see in the picture was made from scraps of fabrics by my uncle's wife when I visited Vietnam! Such skill! You can't see it very well but it's actually a halter. Probably cost less than $1 but the effort & love that she put into it outweighs more than any of my $10 dresses! Plus, everyone I saw today said it was cute :) I guess cuz it just radiated love <3

Again, my generic cardigan + dress + leggings outfit. I added a black camisole too or else I'd be showin' too much skin for a 'Christian' school. You can't see the necklace but it's off of a keychain a friend gave me from her travels in France. & the headband is actually a pearl necklace... hahaha. Yay for improvisation!

Touch of Spring

2009-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just bought my one-way ticket [片道のきっぷ] to Washington DC for a summer travel study program. Meaning I would have been to more places this year than ever in my entire existence!
Finished the Korean version of "Boys Over Flowers". My complaint will always be... why is it that girls always choose the guy who puts her into tons of misery over the guy who comes to her rescue [provided they're both amazingly good-looking, rescue guy even more so]? Why do girls do these things to themselves?
I read an interesting blog post that suggested one perform 5 kind actions everyday in order to make yourself more considerate towards others. I like to think I'm considerate enough but unfortunately, we're all imperfect else we wouldn't be celebrating Christmas or Easter.

Reminiscing the sakura that disappeared within less than 2 weeks with my bright pink cardigan. I swear cardigans are the most useful of all outerwear.

My classic outfit: cardigan + dress + leggings.

Dancing the Day Away

2009-04-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

...was exactly what I wanted to do today. I went to the ballroom dancing club practice and had a great time learning the rumba & salsa. The teacher said I learn quickly but it's only cuz he was good at leading...

As independent-minded & feminist-ish as I am, I wouldn't mind having a guy who's similar to a good male dancer... confident, knows what he's doing, always leads and makes you look good while doing it. So being the female, you don't have to worry about anything and just enjoy yourself cuz he's doing all the work. I think being in the US for so long made me too independent-minded? In other cultures, it's completely ok to just sit back & chill... and not be looked down upon as being controlled by someone.

But yes. I realized I love dancing, especially learning the High School Musical's "We're All In This Together" dance for our dorm performance on the hill this Friday.

It's a shame we all don't have time for dancing, music & good food anymore. My ideal day out would be with a lovely group of girl friends, eating delicious cultural foods, going karaoke, and watching people dance salsa in the streets.

Ending with my outfit of the day. It's getting warmer in Japan now!