To A New Year

For those across the world, Happy New Year! And to those who are still awaiting, let's ring in the new year with a bang! Hope you guys have tied up any loose ends from this past year and go forth into the new one with a great new start.

See you all in 2011!

Merry Xmas!

The coworkers gift exchange went beautifully. The homemade concoction I made turned out wonderfully - everyone liked them! Success for once (: So I thought I'd share what I made.

Roasted Sweet & Spicy Almonds - adapted from The Comfort Of Cooking


Image borrowed from The Comfort Of Cooking.


Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tbsp cold water
2 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tbsp cayenne pepper
(1/2 tbsp salt)


Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Either line a baking pan with aluminum foil or butter the pan to prevent sticking.
3. Whisk the egg white until frothy, but no peaks.
4. Add in the cold water and mix.
5. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Add to taste. Optional: salt. I didn't because everyone was already ordering food high in sodium that day at work.
6. Toss the almonds with the egg whites/water mixture.
7. Coat with the sugar/cinnamon/cayenne pepper(/salt).
8. Spread evenly on the baking pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
9. Let cool & enjoy!

Want List Pt 2

Continuation of my want list series part two:


Help! bookmark on designboom.


Cute little bear bookmark tabs by Poketo!


Been wanting this Chanel perfume for six months now.


Artsy Focus poster by Right Brain Terrain.


This mouse would be SO cute with my white laptop!

New Blog Addition

My blog is pretty boring. The layout is a template, I never have any pictures (my camera replacement battery no longer recharges), etc. It is just b-o-r-i-n-g. To spice things up a little, I've added a new little widget on the left side. This is nothing special but some music I am currently loving. Hope this adds a little life to this lackluster page! Tell me what you guys think (:

Want List Pt 1

Let's be honest. I love online shopping. My want list is probably never ending, so this is just part one of a long series to come. Here is just a taste of my insatiable thirst for shopping:


Sky printed silk scarf by Mav.


Script love ring on Spotted Moth.


Print romper also by Spotted Moth.


And of course something from my fave, J.Crew.

Already December

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has passed and now the winter holiday season is looming. I've been researching ideas for cheap gifts, seeing as how I am broke. Gifts include those for coworkers, those who have written me recommendations, friends close, friends far away, and family. Not only do I need gifts, but I also need greeting cards. Ugh. Tis the season of giving and getting even broker.

Not only that, but winter weather is something I've always dreaded. To cope, I always spend an inexorbitant amount of money and time shopping and buying things. For example, the past 3 weekends have been filled with trips to the mall. Last week's purchases require more purchasing to complete outfits (such as this dress - desperately in need of a belt(?) to break up the monotony).

I have decided on some homemade food items as gifts for the coworkers. In the next few weeks, I should have another post for how they turn out. Cross your fingers please.

Shenandoah University

In case you didn't know already, I have been applying to pharmacy school for the Class of 2015 since this past summer. No, I am not nearly finished, seeing as how I haven't even looked at the applications for the past three months. Please don't make me feel bad. I sense some apathy from my side.

After I was invited to interview for Shenandoah University, a private school in Winchester, VA, I decided to immediately sign up for its Open House. What I discovered from applying to undergrad is that I really need to absorb the atmosphere to decide whether I can envision myself living there. So the next weekend, I jumped in my car before the break of dawn to get to SU.

Along the way, the roads were littered with dead animals. I had a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz moment and realized that it was definitely going to be a departure from the urban-like lifestyle of home. Not only that, but I drove by farmland complete with cows and horses and the nostril-flaring smell of fresh manure. Deeelish.

I had gone to an Open House at UMB in the spring, so I thought I knew what to expect. Well, surprise surprise. Nothing was what I expected. The UMB Open House was crawling with people. When I arrived at SU, I was the first one there. Although people slowly trickled in, we amassed a group of around 20. Not only that, but we were each individually greeted by a member of the faculty. The presentations themselves were very casual and had a sort of organic flow to everything; juxtapose that with the strict and orderly way UMB held their Open House.

During the Open House, there was a student panel that came to answer our questions. I couldn't help but notice the lack of racial diversity of the panel - they were all white! I began to have doubts about whether to consider SU as an option for school or not.

Fast forward to a few weeks later.

I arrive around 20 minutes early for my interview on campus, and so I get shown around on an impromptu tour around the pharmacy building. My heart is pumping, my hands are sweating, and I keep talking to try and forget my nerves. Finally, I get shown to the interview room, where I meet my two interviewers. I guess I got a few laughs in here and there and I start to feel like I'm doing really well. After the interview, I had the opportunity to sit in on a class and actually speak to some P2 students and saw that there is racial diversity. Not only that, but everything the students were saying were so positive, and so I get really excited for the chance to possibly attend this school.

I call V in Florida afterward and the first thing she asks me is, "So when will you hear back from them?" ...uh... I feel my hands sweating again and my blood pumping through my body. Did I really not do as well as I had thought? And then I go through everything in my head, trying to pick up if they were dissatisfied with any of my answers.

Silly me. I was so excited I even received an interview, I told everyone and their moms I had one. So everyone was excited to hear how I think I did. Of course I was now nervous, thinking I had really blown it, so I was saying the obligatory, "Oh, I think I did well, but we'll see." Next day after work, I come home, check my gmail, and I see an email from SU. I panicked a little, thinking I must've screwed up submitting parts of my application or something. I clicked on the link to open it and I was shocked to read: Congratulations! It took them 24 hours to notify me of my acceptance into pharmacy school!!!!!

One more thing crossed off my bucket list!

Chasing Pavements Pt. 2

It's funny how a state of inebriation leads to a state of clarity. I finally approached my situation head on, and I feel no regrets. I have a sense of closure. I am strong and empowered. I feel more secure than ever about everything.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. I know it hasn't been easy for you, always feeling the brunt of my whiney-ness.

Chasing Pavements

There are certain topics I'm scared to broach. Yet ironically, these are the ones I need to think through the most.

So, let me pose this uber broad question. How much is something worth the pain and emotional burden it brings, and when do you need to give up?

I feel like I've been dealing with the same questions for the past six months, and it's gotten nowhere. I'm still in the same crippled emotional state as before. I'm still as confused. I'm still as hurt. A large part of me wants to speak out -- actually, I know I need to. But I'm so afraid of the negative repercussions of expressing myself.

It's difficult to get a good read on the situation when the lines are so blurred. Not only that but when the motivation, logic, and reasoning are all as secret and cryptic as a CIA file, it leads me to feel more cautious about the situation. That's how this vicious cycle has strung me along for as long as it has thus far.

Time and again, I lean on Adele's lyrics to help me voice my pain. Should I give up? Or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere?

If anyone has any insightful comments or some sage advice, please feel free. I know this post has been pretty vague, but I'd love to hear what someone outside the situation perceives that I can't/don't.

The Deserted Harbor

A few months ago (as in the early summertime), I discovered a new place in the DMV area called the National Harbor, which is in Oxon Hill, MD. I had imagined walking down by the docks of the marina in a pretty dress with the sun rays caressing my skin, but no, I never had the chance to visit it during the warmer months. In fact, I probably had that daydream while I was furiously (or not furiously) cramming for a very important pre-professional standardized exam. My Friend, who was also studying for an important licensing exam, promised that when we passed our exams that we would both go as a celebration of our freedom. Needless to say, that didn't happen for a while, seeing as how it is now October.

Well, I finally made my maiden voyage to the National Harbor last weekend for a MLG (Major League Gaming) convention there. -_______- *insert facepalm* This was at the insistence of My Friend who exclaimed that this is a once in a lifetime experience and opportunity - a cannot miss!

So the foodie, gluttonous person that I am, I researched all the restaurants in the area and we set out to meet for a late lunch. After a series of unfortunate events, I finally made it to the harbor by 3PM and when I arrived, I was a little taken aback. Even with the large convention, the streets of even the main road were almost completely deserted. Granted, temperatures were in the 60s - not exactly marina weather - I expected a good number of people to still be walking around, like at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Maybe it's the lack of a really good restaurant or popular store, maybe it's the high price for parking, maybe it's the lack of advertisement for the area (I mean, come on, I grew up in this area and I had no idea this place even existed), maybe it's the weather. Whatever the reason, this place was Deadtown.

They did have this stand that was selling freshly popped gourmet kettle corn, which I bought two bags of, one was a sweet and spicy taste and the other was sweet berry flavored. I'd recommend that place hands down. We also devoured some burgers at Elevation Burger, an establishment proud of its grass-fed beef and fresh ingredients. They also use olive oil for their made-to-order fries, a deviation from the standard canola and peanut oil. But I'd say that 50% of why we thought it was tasty was the fact that it was 3PM and none of us had eaten all day til then. We were in agreement that Five Guys still owns this place. I had also wanted to try some gelato at this cafe by the water, but we were so stuffed that it wasn't looking promising.

So, we made our way to the convention center, where the major NerdFest was being held. Again, I was surprised. I guess I envisioned a sea of pale nerds with glasses, maybe bad hygiene and frumpy clothes, and awkwardness reeking from their very existence. I was only 25% correct in that, yeah they were all pale, but they were all dressed like skater boys?! Yes. Like Avril Lavigne's song Sk8er Boi. And I stress the "dressed like" not the actual "they are" because let's be honest, if they actually skateboarded, you'd think they'd be a little tanner from seeing the sun.

All in all, I had an eventful and enlightening trip to the National Harbor. I wish I had brought a camera to document everything, but of course my replacement camera battery is dead (I have terrible luck with technology). And no, I have not forgotten about my Mexico post; that's just going to take longer to finish. And also look forward to my upcoming posts about school Open House and the DC Challenge!

The 24 Things To Do Before 24

My half birthday just passed recently. With every new sunrise, I am quickly approaching the mature and responsible three-year era I call "The Mid-Twenties." Growing up, I had always foreseen myself to have ascertained a level of composure and accomplishment by this time in my life. Now that it is suddenly looming, and I am obviously lacking the maturity and composure I always expected myself to possess by now and any real accomplishments, I have decided to make a list of 24 things to do before 24.

Here goes:

01| Learn how to ice skate.
02| Dine at Rasika.
03| Visit a haunted house.
04| Go hiking for the first time.
05| Attend a professional sporting event.
06| Feel the sand between my toes at my first beach.
07| Tour the International Spy Museum.
08| Volunteer for a philanthropy event.
09| Get accepted into a school.
10| See a Broadway show.
11| Read at least 5 nonfiction books.
12| Learn how to apply eyeliner/eye make up.
13| Keep up my blog for longer than 6 months.
14| Watch the Academy Award winners for Best Picture in the last 5 years.
15| Unlock everything unlockable in Mario Kart Wii.
16| Make a dessert from scratch.
17| Be legally certified.
18| Road trip somewhere new.
19| Have a sober game night of fun with friends. And a non-sober one, as well.
20| Put more effort/thought into my outfits.
21| Create a diverse and extensive music collection.
22| Do something completely unplanned and spontaneous.
23| Try a new beer at least once every 2 weeks.
24| Put some money into a rainy day fund.

So here's to crossing off my list!

CANCUN.

I am back from a whirlwind trip to Cancun, Mexico. Will update as soon as I catch up on sleep. Good night (:

Reviewing The iSkin

I received my iSkin keyboard protector in the mail several days ago, which was much earlier than I was expecting it to arrive. I've been using it for a few days now just to get a feel for it so I can give my review on the product. And, I have to say that it's pretty good! There isn't much for me to complain about.

The Pros: The iSkin covers the whole keyboard area, yet it doesn't add any bulkiness. The outside texture of the protector is anti-slip and doesn't add any new weirdness for when typing. I guess the flexibility of it really helps to move with the keys. When I was doing research on keyboard protectors,  online reviews mentioned that it may take getting used to typing with the iSkin, but that wasn't the case for me. I instantly adjusted. The bottom/back is also made to grip onto the surface of your laptop so as not to slip. I can already see dust and little crumbs collecting on it instead of getting into my keys.

The Cons: There isn't much to dislike, except mainly its color. Although the rest of my new laptop is pristine and white, the iSkin has an off-white, yellowish tint that makes the keyboard look slightly dirty. I don't know if that's the case with everyone's or if the bottom of mine is just getting dirty already. Other than that, I don't know how effective the anti-bacterial function of the iSkin is since there really isn't a way for me to test that. And the price! It was a little expensive for the tiny package and its shipping cost. All in all, I spent just under $32. But if this prolongs the life of the keyboard, I wouldn't mind a little costliness.

Conclusion: This is definitely worth it! I give this a +4.5 on a scale* from -5.0 to +5.0.

_____________________________________
Addendum: *I actually got this scale from one of the Fab 4. A zero is the neutral, middle point, while any positive number stands for something above neutral and any negative number stands for something below neutral. The max +5.0 means that something is incredibly amazing; similarly the minimum -5.0 means that something is disastrously terrible. We believe this is a superior scale than the ubiquitous 0-5 or 0-10 scales.

Inspiration

I'm daunted by the idea of putting myself out there for the world to read and to dissect, and I'm also frustrated by where and how to find the inspiration for my posts. But when I read the thoughts of my Twin on his blog, I am immediately awed every time. The strength with which he carries on through every situation he encounters is a huge inspiration in my life. He sees so much limitless possibility in the most seemingly innocuous things, and he finds inspiration effortlessly.

I'm so grateful that I have someone like him in my life. Although we can no longer see each other on a regular basis (he lives in the Midwest while I am on the east coast), he somehow still motivates me to carpe diem the eff out of life. So, thank you Twin, for all your strength and perseverance and spontaneity and fun. And just for you: I get it in.

Breathe A New Life

01| This blog began during my college years of fun, youthful naivete. However, I am now meandering down a path full of new discovery, and as a result, I feel the need to change the direction of my posts to a more personal level. I hope that this new cyber "space" will stand as a fortress for my burgeoning new life experiences and allow me to metaphorically put pen to paper of my passions, stressors, my highest highs and the lowest lows, and whatever else may come my way.

02| Life is funny in that one end brings life to a new beginning. I took advantage of the Apple store's college student special (with one month left on my old college ID before its expiration) to buy a new laptop - the very one I will now be using to document my post-graduation life. And of course I have taken all the necessary steps to extend its life by buying all the proper accoutrements (1 & 2) aka spending lots of money. And don't worry, I will post my reviews of the products after I receive them in the mail.

"Here's to the nights we felt alive.... Tomorrow's gonna come too soon." - Eve 6

Catchy Singles & Their Amazing Covers

When a song becomes a hit, amazing covers abound on Youtube. Here are some of my favorites:

Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris - Baby


Legaci, Cathy Nguyen & Traphik - Baby (Cover)



Drake - Best I Ever Had


Donna Ibarra, Anna De Guzman & Ruby Ibarra - Best I Ever Had (Acoustic Cover)



Justin Bieber ft. Sean Kingston - Eenie Meenie


Yoonha Hwang - Eenie Meenie (Piano Cover)

Unexplained Hiatus

Sorry about the long hiatus! Sometimes we get so caught up when life happens and we forget everything else. Good news: expect regular posts again soon!