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
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!
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!
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?
365great Day 261: UCLA
It’s a happy day to be a Bruin! In honor of the fabulous win in football against the Trojans tonight, I had to write about my alma mater. Not only are we a world-class educational and research institution, we have an amazing history and super successful sports programs. We are located in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with unbeatable weather, a gorgeous campus, and a diverse cultural composition. There’s something for everyone here, including very accomplished professors if you’re looking at academics or hundreds of student organizations if you’re looking at extra curriculars. If you like going outdoors, there are beaches and mountains nearby. If you like going to exhibits, there are tons of museums and galleries. If you like eating a wide variety of cuisines, there are choices ranging from Asian fusion to African. Students here have it good, with one of the best college experiences you could hope for. I love UCLA because of everything it has to offer. It’s a great place to get your higher education!
365great Day 260: parents
Happy birthday to my mom! I’ve written about how stupendous she is before, so I won’t go into detail again, but she’s really somebody to be admired. I mean really parents in general are pretty amazing (particularly mine :-D). They’ve worked so hard to bring me to this country and provide me with a comfortable upbringing. I’ve never had to worry about anything serious because they’ve set me up for a path of success. I can hardly believe how fortunate I am with everything I get – parents who aren’t overbearing, who teach me enough but let me learn on my own too, who show their love for me in all sorts of ways, who are always there if I need them, who allowed me to grow up in this country, who set fantastic examples of what it is to work hard and be a good person… they’re great in every way.
365great Day 259: holidays
Holidays are a time for people to celebrate, remember, and connect. They also make for a wonderful reprieve from the daily patterns of weeks gone by. They’re the perfect excuse for a vacation, whether a quick one over a long weekend or an extended one stretching for a week or more. For ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are ripe with traditions and they’re an important time for families to unite. For many years now I only get a chance to spend time with my parents around this time, so it’s a time of year that I always enjoy. We often try to travel together to make it even more special, but hanging around at home is quite nice too. This year, that’s all I want since I’m so far from home I don’t get to stay much anymore. It’s great when we get to take some time off to reconnect with our loved ones.
365great Day 258: elephants
I got a chance to ride an elephant when I was traveling through Thailand and it was one of the coolest things ever. I’m in such awe of these creatures. Even though they’re so large, they’re very precise and delicate with the way they approach many things. Their gait is a funky jolt that makes riding them a bit of a rollercoaster, which is fun. It was amazing to be up so high in the trees as we passed by – I could see so much more! I enjoyed running my feet on their rough skin, which provided a sort of massage for my achy soles. They didn’t seem to mind that we were climbing atop them and touching them and basically being these annoying little distractions. There’s an air of wisdom and zen about them and it was great to be able to get up close to interact with them.
365great Day 257: Marines
These are the Marines I first fell in love with. They trained my JROTC unit in New York and taught me so much about drilling, discipline, and determination. They were fun yet serious and crazy fit. They barked out orders in those gravelly voices and shaped us into strong cadets. I only spent a few days with them, but I have never forgotten them. Ever since then, I’ve had immense respect for the Marine Corps and all its members. I even wanted to join at one point, before I decided that my path didn’t quite belong that way. Still, it’s one of those dreams I’ll always carry – to have served as a proud Marine. I still hold out hope that I get to work with Marines somewhere down the line. All the ones who have trained and drilled with me have been amazing; truly great people.
