3.31.04
I just finished reading Angels and Demons and I'm all smug cuz I've been to some of the places in Rome that are mentioned in the book like the Vatican, the Pantheon, and the Piazza Barberini. It makes me wanna go back though, aiming for a huge Europe trip in April 2005.

3.30.04
I love how this house has all these curves and lines that suggest motion. It's created by Art Busse, an architect with no formal training. This house is nestled in the Oakland hills.

3.29.04
Being 24 has definitely been awesome so far. My friends and family have been spoiling me rotten. Heehee, Mark and Tim asked me if I wanted ice cream or ice cream cake. My eyes totally lit up when I heard ice cream cake because I haven't had any in over ten years. I was very adament about cookies and cream, so yum! Thanks, you guys!

Mark gave me a Totoro sootie! Crissy is so jealous and keeps on trying to steal it away from me. He also got me a huge popcorn bowl and tons of yummy popcorn, perfect for a movie buff like me.

3.28.04
Happy Birthday to me! Thanks to all the people who remembered with birthday greetings and to those who spoiled me with presents.

I had a birthday brunch at Rick and Ann's across from the Claremont Hotel with Chris, Jason, Jean, Katie, Louise, Nathan, Sandy, and Steve. And it's not a far walk from the Rockridge station at all, though my sense of direction was screwy and I walked 15 minutes the wrong way on College. Haha, you guys need to walk around more; you forget that I'm an urban hiker. Anyway, the potato pancakes were yummy especially with the applesauce. B says I should try the Midwest special next time.

A few people overslept but I don't blame them cuz 10:00 am on Sunday morning is a bit early. Ken and Richard, we'll go out for a meal to catch up, or I'll help plan a RSF event. Leslie, let's have lunch with our favorite nephew Mike, who shouldn't be living on corn dogs and cup of noodles, ick.

Thanks Kent for the restaurant notebook; I know it'll come in handy. I'm gonna try Gregoire soon and I'll be sure to order the potato puffs.

Jean's so cute, she managed to convince us that we should all go out and buy Reef flip flops, which Sandy and I did later. So I now have a lovely, baby blue pair.

3.27.04
I'm so full, just had an early birthday dinner with the family at our fave Chinese restaurant in Milpitas. Yay, and my mom bought me a Black Forrest cake from Oakland Chinatown. I've always wanted to have one for my birthday. =d It's basically chocolate cake with a layer of cherries and custard.

3.26.04
My parents bought me a Chagall-esque oil painting for my birthday. Who knew framing was so expensive? =/ The oil painting was $50 but the frame was a pricey $100. Eep.

On a side note, Faerie Queene Chocolates in the Castro closed. =/

3.25.04
Here is a photo of my new house.

3.24.04
I watched the Nederlands Dans Theatre at Zellerbach. The period costumes were great with all the petticoats, top hats, and suits, giving us a glimpse of the 1900s or the Victorian Age. I liked the wall to ceiling revolving mirrors in the first act, a bit matrixy. The second act was painfully slow but it reminded me of those Greek tableaus. Here's a review of the performance I watched.

3.23.04
I'm sad, I can't find my favorite lipstick in stores anymore. =( I like Loreal's Shine Delice because they come in yummy flavors. Ironically many expensive lipsticks has this weird taste when I accidently lick my lips.

3.22.04
Smoked Chicken Apple is my favorite hot dog from Top Dog. I've tried a few of the others kinds but I still like the Chicken Apple the best.

3.21.04
We have a new coffee maker so I can have a fresh cup of coffee anytime now and be a coffee snob. I've discovered how yummy cold coffee with ice cream is, mix everything together and voila instant coffee milkshake. =d

3.20.04
Since I'm not about to cut seven inches of hair that took three years to grow out I decided to give myself bangs. Now, I'm not sure if it was a good idea. They make me look young and old at the same time. And they're a pain to style. But I do look different without sacrificing length.

3.19.04
I want to visit the Paris Opera House (yes, the same Opera House made famous by the Phantom of the Opera) and look at the awesome ceilings by Chagall who repainted the ceilings in 1964. I love any kind of art that uses vibrant colors. I tried explaining to a friend before that I appreciate and admire all kinds of art but I'm picky about what I want hanging on my walls.

3.18.04
I had lunch with Yusing today in SOMA at a pretty outdoor restaurant near Pacbell Park. It's always nice to catch up with old friends. Anyway, I'm jealous how Yusing and his friends are actually implementing an idea that I totally wish my friends would pick up. Everyone knows how difficult it is to meet new people post college, especially for us single folks. A great idea is to have a weekly potluck and have everyone bring their friends. This way people can expand their circle of friends and not meet crazy psychos. Great idea but difficult to carry through.

Anyway, Express is having a major sale. Woot. I bought two dress shirts, a bit ironic since there's no dress code at work but oh wells, I love dressy clothes. I really want the cashmere T-shirts but I don't want to pay $20 for them.

3.17.04
Cadbury makes delicious, cheap chocolate. I like their Fruit and Nut bars, mmm and their Caramello bars are yummy too. Since it's almost Easter, there's tons of candy galore. I was tempted by those cute Cadbury Creme Eggs but I always forget how sweet they are.

3.16.04
Favorite Songs of the Moment:

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
New Found Glory - Failure's Not Flattering
Taking Back Sunday - A Decade Under The Influence
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

3.15.04
Percy isn't safe. Percy is a Gund String Bean Purple Duck that I brought to work. Tim keeps on shooting rubber bands at him, trying to knock him off my computer screen. =( Anyway, I'm excited about the sushi this Friday. Meanwhile, the guys are more excited about the sake bombing part.

3.14.04
I made my famous apple bread but I got lazy and made a simple version. Tim mentioned how the Costco sweet breads are hella good so I thought apple bread would be a good birthday dessert. I added cinnamon, sugar, walnuts, apples, and raisins. The raisins were disgusting at first, extremely dried out, but they plumped up after I soaked them in boiling water. So instead of the extravagant layers and twists, I just used one layer and rolled it up and placed it in a bread pan. It turned out really good, so much so that my mom said that I couldn't give it all away so she cut a huge slice for herself and my dad.

Another random cooking hint, one way to turn crystallized honey into a syrupy consistency is to place it inside a car on a warm afternoon. I think cars are good places to let bread rise, too since I always have a difficult time finding warm places for the dough.

3.12.04
I watched Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights with Katie and some of her girl friends, making it a cool Girls' Night Out event. Funny how random people kept on asking Katie about her Q-Cups mango dessert. Anyway, I love the Havana Nights soundtrack; it totally makes me want to go dancing.

3.11.04
Almost 200 dead and more than 1,600 wounded from the Madrid train bombs. I guess what makes this tragedy even more horrifying is that I spent a few days there two summers ago and I do recall walking by the Atocha train station. Terrorism will never cease to shake your sense of security. And the fact that I take BART to work doesn't help either. There are too many things to fear these days.

3.07.04
You guys are dumb, orange, yellow, and green gummy bears are the best. The red and white ones are gross.

3.06.04
Windy and I watched Spirited Away and at first I didn't like the movie and was sort of disturbed by it (think puking monster or huge headed witches). However, looking back, it's actually a pretty good movie about finding your inner strength and the power of friendship. The sooties made a cameo appearance. =) Anyway, I'm not sure which one is my favorite Miyazaki film.

3.05.04
If I could audit any type of class at Berkeley, I definitely would've listened in on more art history classes (anything on Egypt, the Renaissance, photography, and 19-20th Century art). Introduction to Western Art: Renaissance to the Present made such a great impression on me and thanks to the class I often understand the cultural references people make. Ironically, I don't really like Asian art.

3.04.04
Mother Nature is kinda funky this year. One week wearing wool sweaters, the next week summer dresses. What happened to spring? Winter straight into summer. That's the bay area for you. I'm not complaining, though.

3.03.04
Most people don't want advice when they tell you their troubles. They just want a caring listener that can untangle a solution they already know subconsciously. Or sometimes they just want to rant; prolly the number one reason why people start blogs. And exes tend to only want to talk to you when they're single. Hmph.

3.02.04
My parents surprised me by buying me a new slr, a Minolta Maxxum 4. It's not exactly the camera I wanted but beggars can't be choosers. However, I'm still a beginner so I can't really complain. I love how the camera has a zoom lens and is super light compared to my other camera. Play time! Now all I need is a negative scanner and more hard drive space.

3.01.04
Art deco has arrived in SF. Did you know our Golden Gate Bridge is Art Deco? The murals by Diego Rivera at the Pacific Stock Exchange are Art Deco. Art Deco architecture can be found all over the Bay Area. The Paramount Theatre in Oakland where I had my high school graduation is a good example. Other San Francisco building include the Pacific Telephone Building, 450 Sutter, and the Castro Theatre.