Deep food coma

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
10 September 2013
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The first few days we got back from the UK, I was doing pretty well with the getting up in the morning thing. I’d wake up around 5 or 6 and decide that it was too early, so I’d let myself slowly drift off again until about 7. By then my body couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to get up. Because of these earlier starts, I also got tired earlier in the day. In fact, as soon as we’d get back from dinner, I’d jokingly wrap up in my new sherpa throw and say, “Good night!”

curled up on couch with new super soft and comfy sherpa throw blanketNext thing I knew, Panda would be getting ready for bed and turning off the lights. For some reason that always woke me up, though I very easily slipped back into sleep. Then another hour or so later I’d wake up and force myself to get up to blog for the night. I am dedicated to my craft, after all! If the only thing I get right is that I post every time I tell myself I will, at least I will have that. Most recently I have a goal of one post a day in addition to my 365great post at the end of the day. I’ve been doing quite well and throwing in posts about random things, mixing in reviews and pictures and whatnot. I was not about to let some strange sleep schedule jeopardize that! 😛

But what I’ve learned is that jetlag + sherpa + dinner = major food coma/crash. I mean, 8 PM I’m sound asleep as if I’m 5 again. Actually, I’m not even sure I slept that early as a child. It’s just not my thing! So I’ve got to say, this sherpa and plush blanket is one magical thing to get me to fall asleep so well. I can’t get enough of it and I’m already thinking about getting more (much to Panda’s chagrin, lol). I’ve had to resist using it tonight for fear of falling asleep before either of my blog posts are up. Alas, work now keeps me busy in the day and I need to write posts at night! This will take some getting used to.

When bugs try to enter

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
09 September 2013
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large bug crawling up car window to crackI don’t know what it is about bugs and Panda, but they sure seem attracted to him. I previous shared a video of a bumblebee that wouldn’t go away from the window. It almost seemed to be searching for him each time it flew by and I was afraid to open the porch door because it nearly came inside. Just last night, this bug acted as if it wanted to enter the car as Panda was trying to get out. We kept the door closed hoping it would fly off again but it climbed up the window until it found the crack (and thank goodness it didn’t come in!!). I got out on my side to take a picture from the opposite view but as soon as it saw me it went off. Apparently I do not hold the same attraction that he does.

Then of course there are the mosquitoes that have gotten a few tasty meals out of Panda’s blood. That one at least makes sense, since they like to feed off us. But when it comes to the variety of other insects that have a strange fascination with Panda, I am just baffled. Does he emit some odor that only bugs can detect? Perhaps they find him fragrant as a flower? Or do they just like how he looks? 😉 It’s kind of a funny situation, especially considering how he is not a fan of bugs. While I will play with them, he avoids them. And it might be just that that attracts them. Ironic.

closeup of cicada sitting on stairsOh, and on a separate bug-related story, when we were heading out earlier in the day yesterday he told me about a grasshopper sort of thing on the stairs. We get to that part and I find a cicada lying upside down. Just as I was saying something about it being dead and he was trying to explain how it was alive, I went to pick it up by the wings and flip it over to show him what a cicada looks like up close. Suddenly, it started to flap its wings manically and I screamed so loud as I quickly let go! I nearly threw my phone from my hands from the shock. I really expected it to be dead. I mean, what cicada lies on its head? Must be a dying/weak one. So yeah, lesson learned – poke it first before trying to pick it up. This is like the time I was young and saw a cool fuzzy rock. I went to pick it up only to find it was actually a grey bumblebee and it stung me. I had no clue bees could be that color! And hey, how cool is a fuzzy rock?! Yeah… maybe my interest in bugs isn’t a good thing.

August Favorites 2013

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
07 September 2013
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collage of august 2013 favorites including lightweight jackets, ipsy bags, jcpenney businesswear dress, olay eyelash serum, instant udon noodles, gogobot canvas bag, basin products, and american eagle clothing

1. lightweight jackets – In the summer months, it’s so uncomfortable wearing heavy jackets but I still needed something to keep me warm in air-conditioned areas. Literally the day I decided to look for a new jacket, I happened upon the blue on at Kohl’s! It was pretty much exactly the kind I had in mind – this sort of super thin and lightweight material that had a lot of texture on the inside to trap more heat. Perfect. Then I headed over to Target and discovered the purple one, which is the same sort of cloth but with a hoodie. It was on sale for a good price so I decided to get it as well. Now I can choose between hooded or not!

2. Ipsy bags – Over the months I have acquired quite a few Ipsy bags and I am still thinking of uses for them all. I plan on putting one or two in the car and using some in my purse once I start carrying a larger one again. They are perfect for organizing small items like foil samples, hair ties, and lip balms. I think I might also use one for receipts since they always get so mangled in my purse. I enjoy all the different patterns, textures, and shapes that Ipsy comes up with. Certainly keeps things fresh!

3. JCPenney clothing – The last time I shopped at JCPenney must have been in high school and that was to buy a purse. For the longest time, I never gave their clothing a chance, thinking the quality and style choices might not be suitable. Panda convinced me to swing by though when I needed something to wear to an interview and I’m so glad he did! I found this dress, which was just the kind of thing I wanted – a dress with pencil skirt bottom and blouse-like top. I don’t have to worry about matching and I only have one article to put on. 🙂 We got it for such a steal too! In the future, I will keep them in mind for my clothing needs.

4. Olay eyelash serum – I got this as a sample from VocalPoint awhile back and then I lost it. Ever since, I’d been searching for it at a good price (most stores offered the eyelash serum and eye cream set for around $30-35). Then I came across it at Costco at such a deal!! I forgot the exact price, but it was like $25 for two sets of the eyelash serum and eye cream duo. Oh, that was another thing – I only wanted the eyelash serum, not the eye cream, but Olay doesn’t sell them separately! Anyway, I got them for a price I was happy with and I probably remember to use it about once a week. I really do feel like my eyelashes have gotten better since I started using it and I’m not sure if it’s my imagination or just that I didn’t notice what my lashes looked like before. Whatever the case, I’m happy to use this as long as I see results!

5. Nongshim instant udon – We discovered this at Costco as well and I pounced on it. Instant udon?! I don’t really see that around and I love udon noodles. I wasn’t sure how the quality would be and while it’s certainly not healthy for me, I sure do love the taste. This is such a fun and easy meal to have when I don’t want frozen food or leftovers or instant ramen. I try to limit how much I eat since it is priiiicey (about $2/bowl compared to like maybe a quarter for ramen) and very salty. I’m not trying to kill myself with over-consumption of salt here. This is a new staple in the house and I expect it will stay that way as long as they are sold in our area.

6. Gogobot bags – I received this super cool canvas tote bag from Gogobot when I became a Pro. Ever since, it’s been my go-to travel bag. The UK trip and that Panda and I took was no exception, which this bag and my suitcases carrying all my stuff. I also love the toiletry bag I got for writing a certain number of reviews on Gogobot. I can’t seem to find a picture of it and I’m too lazy to get one for you but it’s quite a large bag, with various compartments for all your toiletries. I love it and keep it on the counter at home as well so I can (somewhat) organize my various products. Both of these bags were essential for my travels and I’m so glad I have them.

7. Basin products – I’ve been using the pink grapefruit solid shampoo and conditioner for my showering needs. They smell fabulous and I love how well the shampoo foams up. These bars will last me months and months. I even brought them with me on the trip so I wouldn’t have to worry about liquids. Unfortunately I didn’t realize how abused my checked luggage would get on the way home, because I decided to throw them in the checked bag and now my shampoo bar is one crushed mess. I will need to find a container for it! I’ve also been using the charcoal face wash, which smells nicely of something sweet and makes the skin on my face feel calmer.

8a. & 8b. American Eagle sales -I mentioned Hukkster about a month ago when I got these skinny jeans and dress from American Eagle. If it wasn’t for that service, I never would have known the amazingly cheap jeans I could have gotten! I ordered three pairs of pants and then just a few days later was browsing their site again when I found some cute dresses. This one was on sale for one of the lowest prices so I decided to get it too. I love AE free shipping! Now I am the happy owner and wearer of these articles, three of which made it to the UK with me!

secret passage ipad game screenshot loading screen9. Secret Passages game – For some reason when I tried to open this picture in Picasa to add it to my collage, it wouldn’t work, so here it is shown separately. This is a game I’ve been playing a lot lately, where you basically search for items in a picture. It’s designed so you can’t play more than four searches in a row so I have to put it down a lot. While that made me frustrated at first, I kind of like that since it forces me to do other things in my life. Sometimes I can get into games with no end and play for hours!

What I missed about the UK

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
05 September 2013
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A few months ago, Panda and I made plans to go out on a UK trip for the summer and I could hardly wait! There are so many things there that I wanted to share with him. I studied abroad there back in 2006-2007 and I’ve only been back once since. We were hoping to try to go for the London Olympics last year, but that got a little crazy and we opted for a different trip instead. This year is still a great time to go though, since it’s the 50th anniversary of the University of York where I studied and while we’re at it, I figured we might as well find some fun Prince George memorabilia too. 😛

Here are a few things I’ve missed about living in the UK!

traditional british sunday roast with yorkshire pudding, roast beef and gravy, carrots, broccoli and cream, and potates

Sunday roast

~British food – There are a variety of things I loved eating, especially Yorkshire pudding. I also love how they put sweet corn in their tuna sandwiches. Yum!

small cobblestone side street in europe

Cobblestone streets

~Cobblestone streets – I don’t know what it is about cobblestone – perhaps because oftentimes it’s pedestrian traffic only and if cars do drive on them they tend to go slower… and the slower, quieter life is quite alluring.

quiet riverfront community in europe

Quiet living

~Quieter lifestyle – I like the more peaceful pace I find in European towns and I love how there is a lot more walking and generally a cleaner air quality.

row of houses in europe

Cute little towns

~Cute little towns – tying in many of the other things I mentioned, I enjoy the overall atmosphere and lifestyle you find in smaller towns. So adorable!

boxes of celebrations and quality street candies

Celebrations & Quality Street

~European candies – I love Celebrations and Quality Street the most, but there are also a bunch of other amazing delicious candies I treat myself to while there (like Crunchies!). I find European milk chocolate to be much creamier and oh so smooth.

mcvitie's original digestives cookies

Digestives

~Digestives – When I first heard of these I thought they sounded like Pepto Bismol. Luckily, they are nothing of the sort and taste delicious! I guess you’re supposed to drink tea with them but I just eat them like cookies!

bags of sensations roasted chicken & thyme and thai sweet chilli chips and hula hoops potato rings

Sensations & Hula Hoops

~Sensations & Hula Hoops – The Brits seem to enjoy two extremes: heavily meat flavored stuff and sweet flavored salty stuff. I love the sweet and salty combo for sure and I sometimes like the meat taste. As for Hula Hoops, I can’t get enough of their super crisp texture.

Well, that rounds up the things I craved about life in the UK. Apparently it was pretty much all lifestyle and food. 🙂 What’s your favorite foreign good?

That Asian (American) couple

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
04 September 2013
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Are there not enough Asians who live in the UK? Everywhere we go, Panda and I have been grouped into the Asian category. People see us and assume we came from China. We’ve had ladies on the street ask us for directions in Mandarin and restaurant owners who speak to us in Chinese dialects. They seem shocked, bewildered even, when they hear us speak English with American accents or act like we don’t understand Chinese. It’s as if the only Asians in all of Great Britain are tourists or something. I mean, I feel like we’ve seen our fair share of Chinese people milling about, but I guess it is true that each and every one of them was a Chinese tourist (at least all the ones I heard say anything).

tourists in plaza by buckingham palace in london

Chinese or American tourist? Do I have have to choose between them?

Still, it’s been quite an experience for me to relive the times in my childhood when my American-ness was a big deal. Whenever I’d go back to China as a kid, I got a fair share of attention for being “that American girl” who grew up not like the rest of them. As I grew up it became less and less unusual. In the US, particularly in the Los Angeles region, not only is it normal, it’s practically expected that you grew up in America. The majority of my peers are born and bred Americans. I don’t often run into those who have recently emmigrated and are still new to American culture, though there are still plenty of those. For the most part, Asians of all sorts in California have likely been in the country for a least one generation if not more. I’m of a slightly less common variety of those who moved as a toddler. Most of my Asian-American friends are true ABCs and a lot don’t even speak Chinese. I’m glad that I do, or I’d feel even more awkward out here!

A few weeks ago, I started to learn Cantonese partly because it is so weird to sit around not understanding what’s going on at a Cantonese restaurant when Panda is conversing with the staff. I always wonder if those people think I’m an ABC who has little to no ties to the mainland, or if they realize that I’m just a Mandarin speaker who can’t make sense of the Cantonese going on around me. I hate feeling left out so I figured I might as well learn basic terms to get me through standard day-to-day conversations!

It’s funny how we’re now mistaken for tourists from mainland China when Panda’s never even been and I’ve always been identified as an outsider. I never could understand how I’d go back to China and people would know right away that I wasn’t raised there. When I was younger, my extremely tan skin probably gave it away. Now that I’m paler have I lost my scarlet letter? Or is it just that people abroad can’t tell as easily as those in China? Whatever the case, I’ve suddenly become a lot more conscious of our outer appearance not always matching up to what people assume us to be. I feel out of place already as a foreigner and that just adds another layer. It will be nice to return home where our Asian-American-ness is not questioned!

Getting optimal sleep

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
02 September 2013
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After staying at so many hotels on the UK trip, I’ve learned quite a bit about what I like when it comes to my sleeping arrangement. I’ve also been noticing I need more sleep while traveling – at home I’d settled into a routine of about 6 hours, but when on the go I could sleep on for 8-10 hours if I didn’t have to get up. It makes sense since I spent so much of my day on my feet, walking for hours on end.

So what’s the best thing to come back to after a long, tiring day? Well, a cozy and warm bed. The weather is nothing like the California heat my body has gotten accustomed to and even the winter is Virginia was pretty mild so my body tends to be cold (especially with some of that crazy wind in Edinburgh!). Thankfully, the coldest place had the warmest blanket – a down comforter that kept me nice and toasty. I definitely want to get one of those for my own bed sometime! However, when I’m that snug, it’s sooo hard to get out of bed so perhaps that isn’t the best idea…

sleeping with cat resting in crook of arm and head resting on chest

I love snuggling with Missy.

Back in college I got an amazing body pillow and between that, the down comforter I was using as a mattress topper, and my cozy blanket, I couldn’t drag myself out of bed for a week. Now that’s the sort of sleep I like best. I enjoy being in a super cush environment surrounded by soft blankets and pillows. That might be why I love having my cat sleep with me – she’s so soft and warm! Plus, she purrs and that is very soothing – great for lulling me to sleep. 🙂

In high school and college I could sleep like there was no tomorrow. I’d easily stay in bed until the early afternoon and then saunter out around 1 or 2. Now that I’ve been getting enough sleep at night, with no more all-nighters to pull, I’ve discovered that 6 hours of sleep is the magic number. I wonder if it’s also partly due to changes from aging? I mean, older people do seem to sleep less, it seems. Still, that might not be accurate since Panda manages to sleep a good 10-12 hours on the weekend if he gets the chance. It’s funny how different our bodies are. I can operate perfectly fine on almost half the sleep that he needs!

What I’ve learned and relearned over the years is that if you wear yourself out during the day, you crash hard and fast at night. I sort of miss those days when I was too busy to stop and treasured my precious little sleep. I don’t enjoy my sleep nearly as much now and if I do get really deep sleep I tend to dream, which doesn’t give me as restful sleep. Ah, the intricacies of trying to find the optimal zone of getting enough restful sleep… it’s all so complex!

Are you the same and don’t need much sleep or could you win a sleeping contest?

The forgotten city of York

laelene Posted in general blog, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
31 August 2013
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When I told people I was studying abroad in York back in the day, they said, “Cool, New York!” *cringe* It was a common encounter with my American friends and one that baffled me – I mean, I just told you I’m studying abroad… which means out of the country. Somehow that didn’t click with them and as soon as they heard York, they automatically added the “new” part. It’s kind of like when they first try to spell my last name and even though I say “Q with no U,” their brains sort of filter out that fact and continue on with “Quin” as if I’d never said a thing.

People don’t seem to be aware of (or care) what New York was named after. In fact, many don’t even realize its namesake is over in the UK. I guess they’re just not curious about how New York (or New Jersey or New Hampshire for that matter) got its name. It’s kind of sad because York has gotten rather overshadowed by its far more famous counterpart. Granted, it’s nowhere near as large or populous, but it has a charm all its own. So today I’d like to share with you what the original city of York is like…

welcome to york large map in town

Welcome to York!

toffs green street in york with black fence on one side and red brick buildings ahead

Here you will find a picturesque town with many quiet streets.

clifford street in york with york dungeon entrance and lots of red buildings

The busier streets contain many attractions like the York Dungeon.

overlooking part of river ouse in york from street bridge

The River Ouse makes it way through the town and offers fun boat rides. Watch out for when it floods!

view of clifford's tower from side with staircase

One of the more distinct landmarks is Clifford’s Tower, high atop its own hill.

view of merry-go-round and york castle museum from clifford's tower

Clifford’s Tower offers great views of the town!

clock tower of all saints pavement parish in york

You’ll find very historical spots here and beautiful old architecture.

view of york minster from side

York Minster is a major attraction and the largest building around! Check out their evensong generally at 5.15pm.

mansion house at st. helen's square in york in plaza with flowers

There are some plazas where you’ll find beautiful flowers and space to sit.

university of york vistior welcome centre

Over to the southeast, you’ll find the University of York (where I spent my year abroad!).

view of university of york lake and department of mathematics building

The campus is quite nice and always improving!

standing outside browns bakery of heslington where they specialize in quality sandwiches

On the far end of campus is a teeny town called Heslington, where you’ll find this awesome deli/sandwich shop. Go try their food!

And that’s the York that I know and love. There is plenty more to see and do, which I will try to highlight another time, but you can see it’s got a character far different from the big city lights that people mistakenly envisioned (thinking NYC) when I said I was studying there. I’m happy that I got to share this place with Panda and I hope to continue coming back over the years.

Window or aisle?

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
27 August 2013
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I’ve been traveling a lot lately and in my flight back to LA not long ago, I had an aisle seat for the first time in ages. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a window seat. I always get a window seat. But, since I was given an exit row seat I figured it would be nicer than cramped in a normal aisle by the window, right? Little did I know how uncomfortable it would be for me to not be able to look outside. As it turns out, being able to stare blankly at the clouds, towns, and landscapes going by is actually really important to me. So that makes me wonder: do you prefer the window seat or aisle seat? (I’m assuming most people wouldn’t go for the center seat.)

row of airplane seats in set of three

I’m all about the windows because I love looking out. I don’t mind being squished in a small space and I rarely need to get up to move around or use the restroom. If the flight is around 5 hours or less, I almost never get up. It’s only on more long-distance (typically international) flights that I would get up. Plus, I love having the wall to lean on.

Meanwhile, Panda is an aisle seat kind of guy. He prefers the extra space to spread out a little and the freedom to get up as he pleases. He doesn’t mind not seeing out and when in first class, he gets to choose his meal earlier!

So what about you? Do you always sit in a window or aisle seat? Or do you like the center seat??

How lucky you are

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
24 August 2013
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red, black, brown, and gold cross stitch pattern with chinese character and good fortune messageOptimism begets positive things. Time and time again, this theme has come up and I keep reading articles and even hearing of studies where luck becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you expect good things to happen, you tend to act in ways that allow more good things to happen. It’s like a cycle that feeds into itself. This is not to say you can’t be lucky without trying, but to be consistently so I do believe it takes effort on your part to believe it and open yourself to possibilities. In many ways you are creating your own luck just by the way you approach the world. The good thing (for me) is I’ve always considered myself to be lucky, which is probably why I’ve been quite lucky all these years.

One thing that I think is very true about optimistic/lucky people is that they tend to notice things more (which in turn opens the doors of opportunity more).  As seen in a 20/20 episode, an experiment showed how people who considered themselves lucky were much more likely to notice stray money on the sidewalk.  It’s not that the opportunities aren’t there for “unlucky” people – it’s just that they don’t notice them, or they don’t take action on them.

Awhile ago I experienced something similar: I was walking along in Georgetown when I noticed a girl pass by me almost too fast for me to recognize.  Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed, and we’d have gone about our days none the wiser.  However, I did recognize her, though she was halfway down the block by the time I reasoned that I wasn’t just imagining things.  I reached out to her online to confirm the sighting and we ended up meeting up for dinner that night.  It had been 10 years since we last saw each other, and now here we were running into each other in a city neither of us had lived in before.

I previously wrote about another example from my own life about a time I felt lucky, when really a lot of it had to do with pure optimism that I could get my way and make things work out.  Most people will tell you when they win something that they never win anything, which is true enough.  I hear this a lot on the radio, and it makes me smile to think of all the things that I’ve won!  When I look carefully, pretty much everything I won was because of determination and effort, not luck.  So in this way, I’ve created my own luck time and time again.  I’m no luckier than anyone else; all you have to do is believe in yourself and pursue your goal.

Toothpaste preferences

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
23 August 2013
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No, I’m not talking about what brand of toothpaste you like to use. Perhaps more accurately I’m wondering about your toothpaste tube squeezing preferences.

collage of toothpaste tubes squeezed randomly versus neatlyYou see, I’m a bit OCD about my toothpaste tubes and they must be neatly squeezed toward the top of the tube, with the empty part flat and usually folded over. I don’t know how I developed this particular preference since my parents don’t appear to do it. It drives me crazy when I use a tube that is just a misshapen glob, where squeezing it causes the toothpaste not just to come out the top slowly, but sometimes even pushes some of it further back into the tube. Panda’s the type to also let his toothpaste tubes run wild and I’ll find it looking like the one on the left. I then carefully squeeze everything towards the lid and flatten out the bottom. Usually I’ll use a rubber band to keep the flap folded over so his next squeeze doesn’t undo my work.

Am I weird to be so picky about this? I can’t help it; it’s just something I have to fix. What is your toothpaste tube squeezing preference? Do you even have one?

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