Showing posts with label Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Me. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

New Glasses, Finally

After an unfortunate accident last May where my glasses broke in half in my purse, I finally got a new pair (10 months later).

They look weird though, huh? N said it looked like a butterfly and I thought it had its own nose. T said the lady at Costco had to bend the sides that way because the distance from my nose to my ear was very short. Hmph.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Light Box

I finally made my light box! I have been talking about making one forever so I finally got around to it a few weekends ago. I googled "how to make my own light box" and followed the DIY instructions from the site Digital Photography School. You can find the directions by clicking here.

I went to Joann's Fabric and picked up four yards of the cheapest white fabric I could find and a .59 poster board from Walgreens. I took a large UHaul box I had laying around in the garage and carefully drew out even rectangles on four sides. The most tedious task was cutting out the holes, but other than that, I think it only took about an hour to get the whole thing put together.
The poster board was actually shorter than the size of my box, but I figured I only needed the bottom half to be covered, it should not matter too much.
I wanted to take a photo of something right after I got it up, but since I had not made anything, I thought these tomatoes will do. This only had one small lamp on it. The coloring is yellow and not pure white at all. Not good at all.
This has two small lamps on it, but it still does not look too good. I think I am going to buy a bigger and brighter lamp and continue to play around with it some more. Overall, I am really happy with it and excited to take some nicer food photos!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Still aches...

爷爷,

It's been just a few days over a month since you've been gone. Life doesn't get easier. I still think about and miss you everyday. Still seems so unreal. You were an amazing man and still a legend. I am so proud to be your granddaughter. Wherever you may be, I hope it's wonderful. 一路好走.

B

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Park Tsang

My grandfather passed away two Saturdays ago and it came as a shock to me and my family. I don't how to say how I feel, but one phrase in Chinese that comes to mind is, "mm sae dut." That's my phonetic spelling (I wish I spoke or wrote more Chinese). I wish I could put into words properly the type of person he was, but I fear it wouldn't be enough, or even describe half of what I feel. I miss him terribly and each day it doesn't feel like it's real. I am just so sad.

His funeral was on Sunday and hundreds of people came to pay their respects. There were so many flowers and wreaths. S came and said he didn't realize what a community event it would be and that made me really happy and proud. He was an amazing man and touched so many lives. May he forever Rest in Peace.


Park Tsang: September 30, 1931 to December 12, 2009
http://www.parktsang.info/

Grandfather,

Your wisdom and the lessons that you have given me have been invaluable. I continue to live each day with the counsel and guidance you imparted on me.

Growing up, when my parents would drop me off at your house, I would always have a blast. The numerous sleepovers, trips to Encanto Park and Peter Piper were a lot of fun; but as I matured, the moments I loved and cherished most were the times we had - just the two of us. I would pick you up to go to Dim Sum or just sit at your house and watch television. So as selfish as that is, I loved the moments when I had you to myself. Those are the memories that will be kept sacred and stay with me forever.

Your dedication to our family and the hard work you struggled through to ensure everyone’s success is admirable. The stories I have heard about your younger years are inspiring, I cannot imagine the adversity and hardships you overcame to succeed in this world. Coming to the US and leaving your family behind must have been hard, but you made it work. The pride I have for your perseverance and determination, of who you were, what you did and how you lived, cannot be described. You have done so much for our family; we are forever indebted to you.

You were an amazing inspiration. I thank you for your lessons, wisdom, honesty, dedication, hard work, memories and love. But most of all, I thank you for being my grandfather. I love you, will miss you, and forever will honor you.

Love Always,

曾碧琪

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Apologies for Lack of Blogs

It's been pretty hectic at work these past few months, which leaves me less time for net surfing and random thoughts. And also less blogging is a result of me having nothing really interesting to say. Here's some "updates," I suppose.

Three weeks ago, D (my pledge mom) was in town for Homecoming at the UA and she wanted to go to Paint Yourself Silly. It's a paint your pottery place and they will fire and glaze up your piece for you. I use to love these places, but the one in Tucson is not very close to anything so I rarely ever go. In Phoenix, I went all the time so I have many bowls, cups, sauce dishes, plates, etc. with star motifs (I use to be obsessed with star things). I was excited to go this time after seeing J's blog and her mug. I decided to venture away from normal star route and try a dog motif since I am now obsessed with dogs. It turned out pretty well,. I'll take a picture of the finish product when I get home today if I remember.

I've been wanting to make pumpkin pie for awhile so T and I finally started on Tuesday. We made the custard the night before so we could have all the spices blend together. We used the KAF recipe and I was really excited about it because it sounded so good. But it's not really as "spicey" as the recipe claims. I think I'll try it again, but up the amount of spices. It smelled really good though.

Time is just flying by these days. I turned a year older last weekend. It's finally getting cold in southern AZ. I can't believe it's the end of November and we're headed into the Holiday season, which I love, love love! I love Christmas trees, lights, songs, and how cheerful (most) people are.

Hopefully, I can start posting more again.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

H1N1 At My House!

My roommate had been sick for a few days and went to Urgent Care yesterday. She found out she has the H1N1 virus. And last night, T started getting a fever. Initially he thought it was all in his head, but we took his temp and it was 99.8. He progressively got worst as the night went on and so we borrowed my sister's humidifier and poured in eucalyptus oil to help him breath better. He looked so cute trying to breath it all in. Then, he wouldn't stop inhaling it which only made him cough worst, not so cute.

Meanwhile, I feel perfectly fine and I'm not worried about getting sick. The doctor didn't give my roomie anything anyways so if I did get it, I'll just take some Nyquil and Tylenol and wait for it to pass. My house smells like Vick's Vapor Rub the moment you walk in.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Changes


I have not been blogging as much lately because I have been so busy with recent changes in my life. Last Saturday, I moved back to Tucson. I went back to my old employer and started a new position yesterday as the Department's Senior Accountant. It wasn't that I was not happy at my previous job, but the Department has always treated me so well and made me feel very accomplished. So when E offered me my old office, a new title, a bigger salary, and a chance to go to grad school (I want to get my MPA) a few weeks ago, I could not turn it down.

As you can see from the picture above, the Department has been very welcoming to my return. Faculty, staff, and students have been stopping by my temporary office (I don't move back into my office until Thursday) and telling me how happy and glad they are to have me back. Nothing makes me feel better than a pat on the back and I love feeling appreciated. Even though it is only my second day, I am already swamped with work, but I am really enjoying it.

A bonus to my move is that T and I now live together. Even though it has only been a few days, it has been wonderful. He makes me coffee and breakfast everyday before I leave for work and cooks me the most delicious homemade dinners every night (pork chops, champagne risotto, babyback ribs so far).

We watched Food, Inc. this weekend and it definitely makes you think twice about how your food is being produced. I have always been conscious of healthy eating, food safety, and keeping it local, but I am even more aware now. I really want to make a difference for our society (hopefully I can do something on a grander scale after my public admin degree). Some things just make me sick and sad. If the movie is playing in your town, I suggest you go check it out.

That's it for now. Just wanted to let you all know I'm very content with where I am in life. I will be back in Phoenix often to help my mother out at their restaurant on the weekends, but for now, I'm changing from a Phoenician to a Tucsonian.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Chinese Immigrants' Kids - Culture Clash

On yesterday's segment of NPR's All Things Considered, they had a story titled Chinese Immigrants' Kids Play Balancing Role. The story discussed the tension that arises from American children and their traditional Chinese parents.

The parents come to the U.S. in hopes their children will get a better education and a better chance of success. With it though, their fears of losing them to the American cultural norms are high since those norms are very different than what they feel is proper or even what they feel is common. The parents even lose the ability to speak with their children in many cases.

"Because of the loss of the language and also because of the more authoritarian parenting, there isn't as much of a close parent-child relationship in the way that we think about it in the United States," says Professor Vivian Louie of Harvard University.

The professor also says these problems with their parents can cause the kid to have high rates of depression, suicide, and mental health issues. On a positive note though, the immigrants' children have really good work ethic and set high standards for themselves.

I loved this story because I could relate so well. I know my parents sacrificed a lot to give my siblings and I a far better life than what they could have provided had they stayed in China and as I have gotten older, I have learned to really appreciate that. However, I am definitely one for fighting with my parents on a regular basis. I always say I feel like I am lost in translation when trying to explain an event, my feelings, or anything of importance. Then I get very frustrated with them, which causes us to clash.

I think my parents have transitioned really well with giving my brother, sister, and I a well balanced Chinese and American life. I can speak the language, I eat all the strange foods, and I know when to be that respectful, dutiful daughter. I also always brought home great grades and was an outstanding student because they instilled that responsibility in me. But they still let us go out with our friends and I got to party a lot in high school.

I am sad for them that none of us became the doctor or lawyer they probably wanted, but none of us are bad kids and we all have a decent relationship with them. I think my brother calls them at least once a week from California and I'm sure my sister talks to my mom a lot. I love my parents and I'm thankful that they worked so hard their whole lives so that I could be blessed. That doesn't mean I'll stop fighting with them though. :)

I didn't mean to make this such a long post. At any rate, to hear the story or read the transcript, click here.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

My Fingers Hurt


I was changing the water bottle for our office's water cooler when as I was turning it over, I did not move my finger fast enough, so I smashed my hand between the cooler and the bottle. It hurt so bad!

Now there is a bruised on my left ring finger and four hours later, it still hurts! I'm probably being a baby, but I also have a very low pain threshold!

Monday, June 8, 2009

I'm In Love with San Diego!

We got off the boat on Thursday in San Diego and checked into the Hotel Solamar in the Gaslamp Quarters. The hotel is nice and the room are a good size, but I would not recommend it. They had a rooftop pool/bar so that was nice, but the bar and security staff were really strict and rude about kicking us out when they closed at midnight! I had to bring my drink with me. Twice!

At any rate, on to the food! So Thursday, I really wanted ramen. I've been to Tajima a few years ago with some of my sorority sisters, so I wanted to go again. This time, I had the spicy ramen and it was delicious! It was the best thing I had since being on vacation. The broth had a good back kick to it and as you ate more, it had really good heat. The noodles were good too. Nothing worst than mushy ramen. Yum! I wish I could have some more now.

For dinner, we went to Kaito Sushi in Encinitas which was highly recommended on Yelp and by S (who I now consider a local and has good taste in food). The place was smaller than I expected but the perfect size for what it was. The sushi chef was chatty, there were a few other tables and he was the only one working so it was not as attentive. But that's okay, I was there for the fish!

We asked for the omakase or "it's up to you" so the chef just served us what he thought was the best. In order, we had halibut, shad (pictured above), kampachi, squid, bluefin tuna, giant washington clam, octopus, ono, saltwater eel, and uni. T had a toro tuna hand roll too, but I was too full. The fish was so delicious! All the reviewers and S were not joking about the high quality of the fish. You could taste how fresh everything was and the sweetness of each fish. I especially enjoyed the shad, kampachi, and uni which were my favorites of the night. The only thing I didn't like was the squid (pictured below). It had that gummy feel that I really hate (just like ebi) so it was hard to stomach for me. Overall though, I really liked the place. I love places that are full of delicious and great quality ingredients, but has a very unpretentious feel. The price was really reasonable too. About $60 per person I think.

The next day, we wanted to go kayaking and snokeling. The snorkel rental guy said we would be better off kayaking as there was not much to see that day. I love kayaking! We got to see seals and here them whine (or at least that is what it sounds like). They're so cute!

We had thai food for lunch at Kafe Yen because T went there years ago and remembered he really liked it. He had said that their mieng kham (leaf wrapped in toasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime, and shrimp) was one of the best bites he's ever had. I thought they were good, but nothing I'll probably remember or crave.

We did get Yogurtland after and I'm definitely craving that now though. It was so cheap and as T said, it had a great mouth feel. My sister tells me they've opened one in Tempe so maybe I'll go this weekend.

At night, we wanted oysters so we walked over to Oceanaire since we saw it earlier that afternoon while grabbing coffee by our hotel. Turns out, Brian Malarkey from Top Chef Season 3 Miami owns it and is actually at the restaurant. The oysters were very delicious and I wanted more. We also got escargot and an order of rock shrimp.

For entree I ordered the lobster encrusted halibut with English peas and sweet corn. That was tasty, except the lobster crust was over salted. The fish was cooked really well and the beurre blanc broth sauce with it was excellent. The corn really added a good sweetness to the dish. I opted out of dessert, because we still had half a bottle of wine left and I was really stuffed. But I always have room for oysters so we ordered more. They were out of the kind we had earlier so they comped us on the next half dozen which were not as good. And I ended on a bad oyster so bleh.

This is a terrible picture, but I told our waiter, Jorge, that I was a fan of Brian (well okay, I did root for Hung the whole season, but Brian was good looking!) and he told the chef who then came out. He was really nice and humble. Overall, the food was okay. I would give it a 7 out of 10. If you like seafood, big portions and reasonable prices, this is a good choice.

I'm absolutely in love with the city of San Diego. I love the ocean, I like the night life, the people, and of course, the food. Everytime I go, I forget how much I liked it. I wanted to go there for college but never applied since I didn't want to take the SAT II for UC's school. So perhaps in a few years, if I ever figure out what I want to do with my life, I can work it out that San Diego is a part of it. Until then, I'm ready to take another weekend trip out there soon!

Carnival Elation


So I'm back! T and I left for San Diego last Sunday to jump onto the Carnival Elation ship to cruise to the Catalina Islands. We were suppose to make a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, but due to the swine flu, the port was closed.

The cruise was fun. It was nice just relaxing on the decks and not have to worry about where to go or what to do since options were limited. The ship (pictured above) was really big. The food however, was terrible. I know most people say when they go on cruises they eat so much and they eat all the time. This was not the case for us. We ate two meals a day, and only so we could sustain ourselves.

Every night after dinner, we would grab a drink and play the life sized chessboard. And for four nights in a row, I would get mad at T for not letting me win. Every night also, we would have lots to drink. I'm not much of a drinker, but I definitely had my far share on the ship. It was fun though because I didn't have to worry about getting a ride home or walking too far.

So even though the cruise food was not good, I would love to go on a cruise again! I would like to go with more people though so we could party/relax all together. I was getting cabin fever by the last day because we had two full days at sea and I was getting a little bored. Next stop, San Diego!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Cankles and It's Not Pretty


I went to S' graduation party on Saturday evening and it was outdoors. I got bit by mosquitoes 32 times on my left leg and 12 times on my right. My right leg from the knee down is two times its size and I have CANKLES on both my right and left legs!!! It's so bad in terms of looks and comfort. I'm so itchy! And my legs are soooooo ugly. I'm so sad.

My mom has been giving me stuff (ancient Chinese secret) to help bring down the swollen bites. Even she was shocked by how swollen everything got. I'm just hoping everything will be back to normal by this weekend.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Going to See the President


I am going to leave work at 4pm today to head over to ASU to see my best friend, S, graduate with his master's degree in broadcast journalism. Not only am I really proud of him for getting his master's in only a semester more than it took me to get my bachelor's, I'm really happy I'll get to see President Barack Obama give his commencement speech.

I am not looking forward to the long wait to get through security (the news said it could take up to an hour and half) and then sitting in the Phoenix sun for a few hours before his speech at 7:45pm. It is one of those once in a lifetime things, so I am glad I got a ticket. But with the long lines, heat, and waiting through other boring graduation speeches, Mr. President better bring one damn good speech.

This will be the second Democratic President I've seen in real life. President Clinton being the first, which was awesome being that it was so up close and personal. And that I had to thank S for that also since he's the one who got me in. Back to Restaurant City!

[images via asu.edu]

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Another One Bites The Dust

I was looking for my keys to run an errand for work and so I looked in my purse:

And this was what I found:

Sad, especially since my eyes have been bothering me for the past two days. You would think working somewhere where ophthalmologist are our most popular clients, one of them would give me a freebie Lasik surgery. My boss said he's working on it. I guess I could just do this for awhile...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

25 Firsts

Saw one of these survey things going around on Facebook. I never actually fill them out, but with the last 5 minutes of work coming to an end..why not.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
I never went to Prom, but I threw the most awesome party!

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
First real love, yes, I'm still dating him. First guy I thought I loved, no, but I did try to find him on facebook . No success.

3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink?
Pink Gatorade and Grey Goose Vodka. Got so sick.

4. What was your FIRST job?
First real paying job (not from my parents)- UA Department of Psychology

5. What was your FIRST car?
1998 Black Toyota Four Runner. Good car.

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
I woke up to a twitter update from HappyDemocrat.

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
T Bone Money

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Mrs. Robinson. She was great. I barely spoke English.

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
China I would think. I was three.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
Gretchen Stetter and Michael Sotelo. They'll always be special to me because they were my friends before I even spoke English. And we rarely talk anymore. Mike was my formals date last year and we IM each other sometimes. Gretchen and I facebook once in awhile.

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over??
I stayed at a family friend's house who had daughters but I got scared and had to be taken home. I didn't know where I lived so we knocked on the wrond door.

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
My mom. She makes me breakfast and lunch in the morning.

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
I've never been in a wedding. BUT I want to be! :)

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Turn off my alarm and cursed the day.

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
I think Jackie Chan and Friends in Vegas.

16. FIRST tattoo?
Star.

17. First piercing?
Pierced my ears when I was a sophomore in college.

18. First foreign country you've been to?
China

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
Beauty and the Beast! Mike Sotelo bought it for me for my birthday!

20. When was your FIRST detention?
6th grade. Ms. Scott gave it to me for leaving the classroom without permission. She was an ex nun bitch!

21. What was the first state you lived in?
Arizona

22. Who was your FIRST roommate?
My brother and Vince.

23. If you had one wish. What would it be?
End World Hunger.

24. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?
I want to play the drums.

25. Who do you think will be the next person to post this?
No one.