365great Day 185: soup

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365great challenge day 185: soupI love soup. Hot & sour, chicken noodle, egg drop… if it comes out steaming I probably like it. I like that it’s moist and hot so my mouth doesn’t feel dry and my stomach doesn’t get cold. It’s also such a healing type of food – perfect for when you’re under the weather. I also really enjoy noodle soups of all kinds, like tom yum and pho. Perhaps it’s because soups tend to be quite flavorful and salty, which is exactly how I like my food. Or it might just be that it’s less effort to drink than chew, haha. My favorite thing as a kid was always what I referred to as “the family soup” – a blend of tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms, wood ears, yellow flowers, and sometimes other random vegetables. In Chinese my parents and I called it “tomato soup” and we always knew that the family version was what we were talking about. Most of the time when my mom asked me what I wanted to eat, I’d request the family soup. It was one of those things that I loved to drink even on a hot summer day, as I sweated and practically panted through the meal. For the ease of consumption and soothing properties, soup is great.

365great Day 184: backup cameras

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365great challenge day 184: backup camerasOne feature of my car that I find really useful is the backup camera. It’s hard to gauge how much room you have left when you’re in reverse trying to back out of somewhere. This is what makes parallel parking such a challenging task for many, since you want to fit into a small area but you don’t always know how close you are to the curb or the cars next to you. I’m going to get totally spoiled by this feature though I’ll still practice trying to see through the back of the car so I don’t get too rusty at doing it manually. I might even try backing up into spots! That’s really popular in some countries (like Singapore) but not as much in the US. I’m thinking about giving it a shot since my head-in parking has been rather crooked with this car so the opposite approach might work out well for me. Whatever I decide to do, I have my trusty backup camera to help me drive more accurately in reverse. So useful it’s great.

365great Day 183: Teavana

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365great challenge day 183: teavanaTeavana offers a wide array of teas and accessories for all kinds of preferences. While they have some delicious teas, what I really enjoy are the products they sell that help me enjoy my tea that much more. My favorite these days is this PerfecTea brewer that makes just the right amount of tea with no mess and exactly the concentration I like. They have this available at the office and I’ve been making good use of it. You put in your tea leaves, pour in hot water, close the lid and let it brew… then when it reaches the right concentration for your taste, you simply place the PerfecTea over a cup or mug and the tea drains out the bottom but the leaves don’t. Then you have a nice steaming cup of tea that isn’t over-brewed and you don’t have tea dripping all over the place. It’s so great I’ve hogged this thing for days in a row.

Yay I’ve officially crossed the halfway point with this series! Stayed tuned for 182 more. 🙂

365great Day 182: sea buckthorn

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365great challenge day 182: sea buckthornSea buckthorn is a fascinating fruit. Much like acai, it holds a certain mystique and is purportedly an amazing super fruit. One of my goals in life is to see these berries fresh, since you’ll usually find it harvested for various skincare or supplement uses. I certainly have my fair share of soaps, cleansers, lotions, and oils with sea buckthorn. I doubt many will ever really know what these berries are like in real life and that is fascinating to me. This berry in particular is cool because it survives in harsh climates, which is what gives it a lot of the nutrients that make it so sought after for topical application or consumption. I love the bright orange color with redder hues that make it seem really rich. The coloring reminds me almost of a persimmon. I wonder how it tastes (for some reason I imagine it to not taste so good… I wonder how accurate that is) in comparison. Whatever the case, I love seeing sea buckthorn as an ingredient. It’s a pretty great little survivor fruit.

365great Day 181: remembrance

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365great challenge day 181: remembranceI meant to get a picture of the flags at half-mast today but it didn’t happen. Sooo here’s a picture of some fantastic hats I got at Leadership Academy back when I was in NJROTC. I wore that hat and every other patriotic thing I could find (including shirt, pants, flip flops, earrings, and more) for the first anniversary of 9/11. By then I had moved from New York to California but my heart was still out east. It was a way for me to remember and honor the heroes of that day and feel a bit more connected to my previous state. I think it’s important even if you just take a brief moment to remember the important events that shape our lives and our histories. That’s why holidays and anniversaries and other celebrations are meaningful to us. While the shock and pain has faded over the years, I hope we as a nation never forget to look back at the people who lost their lives on 9/11. Remembrance is a great (and simple) way to pay respects to those who have gone before us.

365great Day 180: care packages

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365great challenge day 180: care packagesOn my first day of work, Panda prepared a little care package baggie for me. I knew he had put in some snacks and tube of lotion in there, but I had no idea of the surprises ahead. So yesterday I got up and headed out first to Chick-fil-a to redeem a free breakfast offer. I got those little bite-size sandwiches (so cute) and sat back in the car. The next stop was Dunkin’ Donuts, where I was going to get my free iced tea. That one required a coupon ad thing so I went to pull it out to make sure I had it. That’s when I discovered that the pen holding together the ad and the insurance info had more items clipped in! Turns out he’d written me a sweet note about starting my new job and he put a $20 bill there for good measure (lunch money, you see). I was really happy and enjoyed the wonderful surprise. Hours later, as I was reaching in the baggie to pull something out, I discovered that there was more! This time I found an adorable little picture frame with a picture of us soon after getting engaged. 🙂 I made sure to put that on my desk. By the end of the day, I was ready to head out and go home. As I was cleaning up my bag and putting things away, I wondered what that paper was at the bottom of the bag. What I pulled out was two band-aids! Hehe, apparently Panda really wanted me to be prepared. I loved discovering more and more little thoughtful gestures each time; it certainly brightened my day. Care packages are such a great way to share meaningful, practical gifts.

365great Day 179: Canvas

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365great challenge day 179: canvasIn honor of my first day of work, I had to mention Canvas. The moment I started interviewing for this company, I knew it was what I wanted. I loved the product and service, I connected with the company philosophy and culture, and I enjoyed speaking with everyone I met. I even stopped applying for other jobs and threw myself wholeheartedly into the interview process because I wanted it so much. Luckily, I got the job and now I’m thrilled to join the Canvas team. So what is Canvas and what do we do? Well, we help businesses revamp the way they do business to be more efficient, more accurate, and more green. We do that by providing a mobile app that people use to collect information from their mobile devices. Gone is the need for paperwork like invoices, work orders, checklists, and time sheets. By turning all of that digital, you can update information in our database in real time for access on any internet-connected computer. It eliminates the challenges of paperwork like when they get lost, are illegible, or are incomplete. We can even prevent inaccuracies by providing timestamps, GPS locations, and pictures! I mean, it really is a fabulous solution that brings paperwork to the digital age and I’m so proud to be a part of this company. I love the green and tech components, which are two of my passions, AND I love the start-up culture that I thrive in. I’m pretty stoked about my role too. 🙂 So hey, if you think you know a business that could use Canvas, be sure to let them know! It’s very empowering through its robust solutions. You know what I say: great!

365great Day 178: cuties

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365great challenge day 178: cutiesYou may call them clementines or mandarins (maybe even tangerines or satsumas) – I know these easy-to-peel “baby oranges” as cuties. It’s one of those things where the brand name becomes the commonly used term (like kleenex and band-aids). Whatever you choose to refer to them as, what I have in mind are the small citrus fruits that are so fun to eat. There are a variety of them and I’ve probably had all the aforementioned kinds before, but it’s so hard to keep track of which exactly I’m eating. What I enjoy ara e the ones that have the skin that practically falls off and no seeds to deal with. They’re nice and juicy with a sweeter taste than oranges and most other citruses. One of the easiest to consume fruits that makes a great travel companion. What a great way to get more fruit in my diet without all the chopping or washing or storing needs of most fruits.

365great Day 177: travel

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365great challenge day 177: travelMost people in the world like to travel to some extent. Some are adventurous and seek wild journeys off the beaten path; others stick to the road well traveled and visit major tourist destinations. Some may like to stay closer to home while others get as far away as possible. Whatever your style or preferences, you’ve probably been a few places and seen a few things. For me, international travel has been rather normal since my family is in China but I grew up in the US. As soon as I got the chance, I went off to Europe and then Southeast Asia to explore dozens of countries. I’ve yet to get to South American or African countries though. All in due time! On the other hand, our UK trip was the first time Panda had ever left the country (which leaves me incredulous since he lived only a 2-3 hour drive from the Mexican border his whole life). For the longest time, his travel had consisted of various places around Southern California and the occasional Vegas outing. More recently he racked up a bunch of other states through opportunities with school and work. I loved to see the wonder and freshness of his perspective when we traveled abroad. I was so used to customs and tourist attractions and cultural differences that I’d grown immune to many of those things. It was so nice to share all of that with him and remember some of how I felt the first time I encountered these things! I think travel is important not only because it’s fun, but because of all that you learn about how different things can be yet what similarities you share nonetheless. It’s a great eye-opening experience that everyone should try.

365great Day 176: sherpa throws

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365great challenge day 176: sherpa throwsO.M.G. !! I think I have found heaven. Sooo basically it started when we were up in Scotland, wandering the streets of Edinburgh. There was a Woolen Mill store selling a variety of Scottish items, perfect for tourists like us. We stepped in to browse and see what we might want to buy. Near the door, I saw a pile of sherpa throws on sale. They were originally £40 and currently being offered at £20. It took one touch for me to want one. They’re sooo soft! But Panda was skeptical… did I really want to get that? I thought about it for a bit and decided I’d “think about it” and go back to the hotel to research what sort of price I could get them for. I mean, their bright red Scottish fabric pattern wasn’t really my style so maybe I could get something more neutral. Then today, there we were at Costco and what greets me just a few feet in but sherpa throws?!! One look and I knew I had to have them. They were $20 and solid colors. PLUS the non-sherpa side is plush so you really can’t lose, no matter which side you use. It’s so soft and warm! I love it and have been rolled up in it all night. I’m totally bringing this with me on future flights, since I always get soooo cold and this last time my stomach was aching the whole time. I have found my holy grail of blankets and I’m never letting go. In fact, I think I’ll stay in bed all day tomorrow… forget beating jetlag in time for my first day of work! (Ok just kidding there but I almost could.)

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