My all-time favorite boba place is cha for tea, both because they make their boba just to my taste and because they make tea flavors that I prefer. They also happen to be a great place to hang out and grab a snack (the crispy chicken is bomb!) or sip on your drink while playing games with your friends (Connect Four, anyone?). Ever since my friend took me there many years ago, I’ve dropped by whenever I’m in the San Gabriel Valley area. Over the years, the tea flavors I loved best slowly got phased out sadly, but I can still find plenty of drinks to delight me. Plus, I can never go wrong with their boba. It’s not too soft, not too hard and a delicious kind of sweet that’s not overwhelming. They’re a pretty popular spot with a lovely atmosphere and great drinks.
365great Day 266: cha for tea
A sense of impermanence
Hello future home.
Ever since I moved here I haven’t quite felt settled. There’s not much space for me, I barely brought along any stuff, and I didn’t know anyone other than Panda. Now I’ve got a job and (soon) a condo, so I can finally feel like this place is my home. I don’t think of myself as a Virginian yet and I don’t know how long it will take, but if I stay long enough it’s bound to happen. Going back to LA for Thanksgiving was a chance for me to bring over more things and the upcoming move to the condo is a chance for me to claim some space of my own. I’m looking forward to making 2014 the year in which I get to embrace life out here.
For now, I still feel like an outsider. Everything is an adjustment – I’m not used to the weather, the change of pace in lifestyle, even the people… at times I wish I could just retreat back to my parents’ home in LA, lounge around, and not have to worry about being all grown up. So much seems so out of place in my life right now. It’s a feeling I can’t quite put my finger on – a little bit of melancholy, a little bit of confusion, a little bit of yearning. I’ve dived into songs to try to express feelings I can’t place, but I think I just need to write about it. I’ve pondered putting together a fictional story to try to capture my thoughts and funny enough, my best friend recently reached out to me about her own writing. Perhaps reading her stories will help me collect my ideas for mine.
It’ll be nice when I have the move to focus on, so I can shift my efforts to building my new life.
365great Day 265: wave boards
Wave boards are one of those cool things that require a very strange sort of physical motion. I’m told the motion you use is similar to surfing or snowboarding, but I’ve only ever gone straight and never tried to carve with those. I did carve with my skateboard a little bit, so I think I understand the feeling. But then again, I find it most effective to sort of wiggle my back foot back and forth to propel myself on these things. I’m not sure if that’s a technique that is part of wave boarding well. My friend Ninja here is super adept at things like these, so he picked up right away. My wave board has these awesome wheels that light up when you move, so we watching flashes of blue and red go off into the darkness. It’s one of those random toys that is novel for everyone when they first see it and most curious people will want to try it out for themselves. I’ve had many a fun bonding session with friends that way. It’s a great way to be entertained and challenged!
Hello Fresh Week 42 Delivery review
In mid-October, we got this box from Hello Fresh after a few weeks of paused deliveries passed and I forgot to continue to pause. It worked out well though, since I think it’s nice to get one of these boxes once a month or so. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $20 off your first order: 9CAMJS)
Hello Fresh is just under $70 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s less than $12 per meal serving. Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral code that gives $20 off to both the person you referred and for your next order.
We start off with the dish that we’re most familiar with.
It was pretty easy to prepare.
I think I would have liked it a bit more saucy.
Next up was a salad I wasn’t too thrilled about.
Pretty straightforward and all you need to cook is the chicken.
I tried but just couldn’t finish it. Not my type of salad I guess.
Finally, it’s seafood time!
I’ve started to enjoy vegetables like squash and zucchini.
I loved the chicken stock in the couscous and then getting some salmon and zucchini in the mix!
The beef bolognese wasn’t all that exciting, but it’s a nice dish to have. I wasn’t into the salad and ended up barely eating a few bites. The salmon with couscous was definitely my favorite and I gobbled it right up! That’s one dish I’d make again. What do you think of these recipes?
[This post contains affiliate codes. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]
365great Day 264: Sprinkles Cupcakes
I don’t recall how exactly I found out about Sprinkles, but I do remember all the hype around it. I mean, who’s crazy enough to open a cupcake shop and sell that exclusively?? But hey, it turned out to be a hit and I happily lined up outside that teeny shop on Little Santa Monica Blvd. For me, it absolutely lived up to its reputation. The cupcakes were a generous size, fresh and moist, not too sweet, and just enough taste. I could hardly get enough! I’d go with friends whenever we got a chance to roam away from the UCLA campus. I still love those cupcakes, though I don’t go as much anymore and their size has shrunk. They did open up a cool cupcake dispensing ATM and an ice cream shop next door! Each day, there’s a special code to get a deal – it used to be a free cupcake, but now I think it’s BOGO. All kinds of goodness there. It’s a great place to try if you haven’t yet!
These are a few of my favorite things…
Every year as a child, my dad and I would watch the Sound of Music on TV together around the holiday season. It’s one of those things that reminds me it’s that time of year and I plan on watching the live version that Carrie Underwood’s doing in a few days. My dad won’t be able to watch with me, but it’s still a nice memory. I’m reminded of that because yesterday I got to enjoy some of my favorite things! Panda and I really took advantage of what LA has to offer and went around making the most of this chance to do many things I love. So here are a few of my favorite things (along with random tidbits from the day)!
Free sunglasses.
I kept smelling a really fragrant scent in the yard… and tracked it down to these tiny suckers. Jasmine FTW!
Are you surprised? Of course Missy would make it on here. She’s too cute not to.
Molly deserves a shoutout too. Here she decides if it’s worth it to go outside.
I <3 UCLA and enjoying peaceful drives.
Love the boba at cha for tea!
Crispy chicken at a boba place is usually bomb. A most excellent snack.
Driving in LA… palm trees, freeways, and beautiful skies in the distance.
Checking out a Tesla Model S and how the handles are flush with the body of the car. Do they push in? Are they sensor-based?
Time for fun at the beach!
The beach offers fantastic skylines.
Sharing a snack with my boo.
I mark off my territory.
Jumping for joy!
Splashing around gleefully.
I’m a starfish!
My new favorite move: the pistol!
Time for a backbend! I used to be a lot more flexible.
Hi world! Now how do I get up? 😉
Bringing out my beloved board for some springy fun.
I found a strand of seaweed that I decided to jump rope off my board with.
Do you remember those toys you spun around you ankle to swing a ball around and you jumped over it? I was trying to replicate that.
Taking a break to admire the pelicans gliding by. Too bad there were no dolphins this time.
Having some fun atop my skateboard. 🙂
Took another break to admire the patterns of nature this time.
I’d love to come here for my yoga practice!
Almost forgot to do some cartwheels!
Look ma, one hand!
This is where I pretend I can do a handstand and hold it. Just go with me on this one. 😛
So brilliant and beautiful.
While taking pics for me, Panda helps wear my ring.
And a little time with my awesome board. Best ever!
Time to leave this beautiful place.
I didn’t know the front of firetrucks could tilt like that!
Climbing up into the mountains and getting a colorful sunset.
I didn’t use the cupcake ATM, but I did get some Sprinkles!
For dinner, one of my favorite places. This is a new location I haven’t been to!
Classic hot and sour soup. They chop everything so finely it’s amazing.
I decided to try the wonton soup too. Great for cleansing the palette.
Most delicate xiao long bao known to man.
The Americana’s such a nice place to hang out at this time of year.
On the way home, I found myself behind this Maserati that had stalled and was just sitting there, dead. It soon got help from a tow truck and police.
365great Day 263: sunsets
It’s amazing how every day the sun rises, crosses the sky, and sets yet it still is fantastic each time. I mean, you’d think we’d get bored but I often catch myself staring at a gorgeous sunset in admiration. It may not be every single day, but at least once a week I stare off into the horizon and enjoy the colors and brilliance of the sunset. Sunrises are pretty cool too, but I’m usually not awake to witness them, so I can’t gush about them quite the way that I can about sunsets. Between glorious ones where the sun dips beneath the ocean, behind trees, or light up the clouds on a rainbow of colors, I could be entertained for ages just standing in awe. I got to witness a dreamy one tonight, as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean and played at the beach in Malibu. Could life be more perfect in that moment? Next time it’s getting dark, take a moment to enjoy the sunset. I bet it’ll be pretty great.
365great Day 262: hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are a fascinating type of bird. They’re so different that they’re almost like over-sized insects rather than a tiny bird. They’re delicate and cute, very much like butterflies. They even drink from flowers and flit around like butterflies. Their tiny little bodies are adorable and they rather feel like toys. Even though they tend to move around quickly, when they perch on something, there’s a certain peace about them. They’ll even stare at me sometimes, completely unphased. Because of their ability to hover, it’s easy to watch them for ages without ever moving your head. And well, I’m great at staring at things like that. I could sit and watch a (humming)bird feeder all day long. Hummingbirds are so cool! I wish I could have them as pets – wouldn’t that be great?
Photo A Day Challenge November 2013
It’s December?! I’m not ready! All too soon it’s going to be 2014… yikes! Well, at least this is my favorite month (I’m not biased – I mean, I only love it because it’s my birth month). So for this month I’m going with a theme of #light since it’s a season full of brightness and beauty. And here’s a review of November’s #color theme:
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- Gorgeous weather this afternoon!! {Lo-Fi filter} 11.1.13
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- Red is often the color alerting you of trouble. {X-Pro II filter with radial tilt-shift} 11.2.13
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- The warmth of a coffeehouse. {Lo-Fi filter} 11.3.13
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- Having fun with bright nails. Festive time! {Hefe filter with linear tilt shift} 11.4.13
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- Oh what a fantastic dinner with gorgeous colors. {#nofilter} 11.5.13 #BAChef
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- Glorious skies. {#nofilter} 11.6.13
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- The rain really brings out the colors. {#nofilter} 11.7.13
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- The ingredients for a fun meal. {Amaro filter} 11.8.13
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- Ready for some fun? {X-Pro II filter} 11.9.13
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- Fun with art in the City! {Hefe filter} 11.10.13
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- Spotted at MOMA. Is color the mantra of modern art? {#nofilter} 11.11.13
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- Free breakfast. 🙂 {1977 filter} 11.12.13
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- Serenity of yoga. {Hefe filter} 11.13.13
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- Getting icy ‘round here. {Lo-Fi filter} 11.14.13
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- Ever seen a freeze-dried orange slice? {Mayfair filter} 11.15.13
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- Drying off the lavender that the boy mistakenly used in the bath all at once. {Hudson filter} 11.16.13
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- Enjoying the surroundings while waiting for yoga class. {Sutro filter} 11.17.13
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- This does the sunset no justice. So freakin’ amazing. {Mayfair filter} 11.18.13
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- Somebody didn’t finish putting up the ribbons, tsk tsk. {Hudson filter} 11.19.13
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- Pumpkin soufflé, oh my. {#nofilter} 11.20.13
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- Brightest workout clothes ever! {X-Pro II filter} 11.21.13
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- Hey little bugger. Dropped right into my bag, lol. {Sierra filter} 11.22.13
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- Reliving some London memories! {Nashville filter} 11.23.13
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- Went shopping crazy for the first time in years and here’s a preview. {Valencia filter} 11.24.13
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- Great finalists on the Voice! Caroline’s voice is so unique. {X-Pro II filter} 11.25.13
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- Introducing my mac & cheese inspired “grilled cheese” sandwich. {#nofilter} 11.26.13
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- Yay a little snow flurry! {Nashville filter} 11.27.13
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- Chinese-inspired Thanksgiving dinner with the fam. 🙂 {Sierra filter} #happyturkeyday 11.28.13
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- It may be Black Friday, but it was a colorful birthday for my mom. {#nofilter} 11.29.13
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- Gearing up with my own Bruin. I heart UCLA! {Hefe filter} #blueandgold #gobruins #beatsc 11.30.13
