stress reliever/insanity reducer

A must have during the wintry season.

It's amazing how the somewhat painful experience of spicy food is one of foods on the list that relieves stress and takes the form as a 'comfort food.'

Pain in the mouth relieving sadness in the soul.
It's like self-mutilation. Ha. Let's not get to there!

Okay. That was the weirdest comparison ever.

Korean tofu is my absolute favorite during the cold weather. Everything is just nice, warm, and bubbly with that white soft goodness inside.

School and college applications give me another reason to just let go and eat more tofu. As the December SAT rolls in (which is oh so soon! Ack!), I wonder if I should really study for the exam. Over the past few months, I have been quite unsatisfied with the results that I have been seeing from the grades posted. I question after the hours of studying and relentless reading that I absorbed myself in, "Was it really worth it?" There are times when I want to experiment one day and just not study at all, hoping to find an inverse relationship between the length of time that I study to the quantitative results that I get from it.

After getting a perm last Saturday, I look at myself more like a China doll. It feels awkward seeing people stare at my hair.

I'm quite excited for the choir concert next week. I hope that I kept my weight low enough to fit my dress without suffocating.

sugar high: a substitute for alcohol.

I miss my homemade French toasts.

With the exception of burning out my oven in third grade, I picked up my cooking skills during sixth grade. In retrospect, I had the time in the morning to look up recipes and enthusiastically apply them to my everyday breakfast and lunch. But now, I only cook the somewhat normal eggs and bacon in the morning my twin brothers and myself since I only have -oh...- about 10 minutes to cook and eat. Because of the lack of time, I would normally eat and cook simultaneously.

It's heartbreaking to not enjoy the food itself: it's color, it's redolence, and most of all, it's taste. I feel as that humanity will soon fall under the express meal solutions from the Jetson's, swallowing a 'dinner' pill that is composed of a steak dinner with vegetables on the side.

Ugh. I feel sick after eating two instant cinnamon rolls. Disgusting.

sticky situation

Perfection is a subjective thought.

Many seek perfection in everyday life. From work to food, people perform their own best in order to fulfill their expectation. But really, where is the "bar" to flawlessness? Is your limit at the same measure as someone else's? Does a measure exist at it's most dispassionate perspective? I think not.

As sad as it is, one of the few people who will think that we are perfect is our mothers. Sometimes, it gets to the point where they think we can excel in every activity, curriculum or skill. They think we can do it, even though we are conscious that we can not. Sadly, my mother is like that.

Food is also another thing that people expect perfection in. In my area, most restaurants become "American-ized," where any cuisine tastes different from its native culture. Targeting Chinese food, many restaurants cook dishes that are no where related to any province in China or Taiwan. Panda Express becomes the overwhelmingly sweetened while others lack the quality ingredients that are only found in their indigenous country. Thus, the dishes taste dry and unfulfilling.

I am normally dissatisfied of the many "Chinese" dishes served in restaurants. However, Apo Apo has welcomed many with authentic Taiwanese dishes such as 炸排骨 and 豆腐花. One of the only Chinese restaurants that I recommend.

Apo Apo (阿婆 阿婆)
(626) 912-2113

sandwiching everything into one.

Geometrically Balanced.

Senior year is a drag.

Other than complaining about how ridiculous and hectic senior year is with the burden of college essays and SAT, I decide to be happy and grateful for late starts.

Did I mention that I don't have a first period? Oh, the utter joy of not getting to school till 11:00AM.

So a couple of friends and I decided to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to go out for breakfast! It's was quite shocking seeing Hong Kong Plaza at its emptiest state. Feast your eyes on a completely empty parking lot!

Anyways, we decided to try out the Garden Cafe since Connie said its food is quite delicious during lunch/dinner. Although the selection of its breakfast was somewhat limited (and full of macaroni soup), we were still willing to try out their fairly well-priced meals.

Most of us were first served with macaroni soup served with ham, carrots, and peas. The oddest thing about Hong Kong style cafes are that they add some of the most random ingredients and smash them together. Staring at a mumble jumble of pasta with chicken broth, I felt very annoyed that the macaroni wasn't submerged into some other sauce such as cheese or marinara sauce. I would conventionally see it with meat or melting cheddar cheese waiting to be eaten. However, these poor macaronis felt sadly misplaced.

We then moved on to the main course. Jono and I decided to share a spam with scrambled egg sandwich, which tasted pretty normal. Props for making it look very Asian with the sliced off crust and square shape.

The restaurant serves Hong Kong cuisine aka "myriad-of-different-recipes" cuisine since the restaurant seems to experiment with different types of foods and just smash it into one. The more I go to restaurant that serves this unique cuisine, the more I begin to dislike it.

Maybe I should avoid experimented food.

Rowland Garden Cafe
18406 Colima Rd # H
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 913-1188

One potato, two potato, three potato, four...

Let's play hot potato.

America's favorite vegetable is the potato. Unlike their green predecessors, potatoes are probably one of the most popular comfort food vegetables that no one can refuse. Filled with starch, it is no wonder that many people love potatoes for their rich smooth texture. However, I regret to say that I disagree with it. I like green colors. I love biting into things and be able to chew. I like purple colors too. Go eggplants!

Well, potatoes can probably be one the the top vegetables that I adore (after carrots, spinich, broccoli, beets, cabbage, and tomatoes...oh wait that's a fruit!). After all, it is practically an all purpose type of tubular. Smashed, chopped, deep fried, or steamed, it's great for any occasion.

Especially with that rich, sweet, creamy, yet artery-choking, butter.

Yes, butter. And olive oil!

Since we had a couple of bags of red and russet potatoes, my mother decided to have a potato fest. From baked potatoes to hash browns, we went crazy with the different dishes we can make out of these babies. Stirring up a new dish, I decided to grab some of the red potatoes we had and cook it with butter, olive oil, and garlic.

Garlic butter is the greatest thing ever. Besides it's overwhelming effect of bad breath.

I was quite satisfied with it's soft yet solid texture that is not too mushy. Also, the somewhat crispy surface gives a tangy garlic taste that was just satisfying. One thing that kind of bugged me though was the burned garlic. After all, garlic does burn out after cooking it under butter and olive oil for about forty minutes. Those poor little things!

So, college applications are coming out *gasp*. Ugh, and I despise physics because of my teacher. He cannot teach for beans! It's so bad that even eight people dropped out within one week.

I need a vacation!

Confession #1

I'm a happy hypocrite for eggplants.

I absolutely love eggplants. It's ridiculous that I always request for eggplants for dinner and grab a generous scoop of it on hot, steaming rice. It's simply the most satisfying dinner that I can ever had after a long day of school. Chinese cooked eggplants should be added as comfort food that is as effective as chocolate. Too bad there's so much grease it in it.

Even more ridiculous: I used to ABSOLUTELY hate it just because it had a odd name and it was a purple vegetable. Hey, we can be discriminate when it comes to food yes? Unlike those who just eat anything edible.

School is simply busy and fun. Homework's a drag though.
My shift button on my laptop is also being a drag. It took me three attempts to hit the damn "M" letter of "My."

I need a new laptop.
I am the supreme workaholic!
I need sleep.

Inscrutable fear of... SHH

Medium rare? I think not.

After spending three or so gruesome hours at the medical center of UCLA (Okay, maybe it wasn't that gruesome. After all, I did meet some very good looking and young doctors though!), my family minus my father and I decided to eat in our oh so favorite prime rib restaurant, Lawry's. With $200 worth of coupons in our hand, it would be outrageous to say no.

I recall those days when my family would drive 45 minutes there, wait another 30-60 minutes to be seated, and wait another 10 minutes or so to order and eat.

Lawry's, though, is a definite milestone of one of our many familial memories. Especially one of my younger twin brother Jonathan. Let's just say he had a sensitive stomach when he was small. Oh he was definitely stuffed after the main course. However, after taking a few bites of the free Häagen-Dazs ice cream, he would immediately regurgitate all the food he consumed from the beginning. Not only did this happen once, but twice. And as a loving family, of course we can't help but poke fun at him.

So after surviving the hysterical downtown Los Angeles traffic, we arrived at the restaurant greeted by what it looked like homemade potato chips and meatballs. Looking around the restaurant, I was quite surprised that not much of the restaurant has changed from the last time I dined there (which was about...at least four years ago?). It still had the paintings of what it looked like prominent European men and the same furniture. I guess the only change was that the waitresses didn't wear those head dresses anymore.

Once we sat down, we were greeted by a waitress who immediately gave us our menus. From her accent, she sounded like she came from England, which was pretty interesting. One thing I would definitely give Lawry's kudos for is the service. The waitress don't just give you your menus and wait for your orders of steaks and prime rib. Instead, she fraternizes with you and entertains the whole table with jokes or stories.

Of course, we got the old fashioned. Starting with the sourdough bread with butter. Although the center of the bread is warm and fluffy, I still can't help but complain about the incredibly hard crust. Of course, we all looked forward to the original spinning salad bowl, which was nicely seasoned with beets, baby spinach, romaine lettuce, carrots, grape tomatoes, chopped boiled eggs, and croutons. After eating what it seemed like a meal already, the sumptuous Lawry's Cut prime rib, mashed potatoes, and creamed corn arrived.

Wow. I looked at the prime rib again just to make sure it's not too rare. Personally, I like my prime rib without anything but the Au Jus sauce. I tried the creamy horseradish and I couldn't help but tasting very very rich cream. The prime rib was I guess not so much of a problem. In all, it was pretty smooth, juicy, and tender. I don't know, I'm not too much of a steak fan.

I do admit, I am somewhat the oddball of the family.

Unlike my family, I'm like a rabbit. I absolutely adore eating my fruits and vegetables. I don't particularly like eating too much rice or meat, unless it's Mexican food or Japanese curry.

So after eating about a third of my food (big portions = huge and yummy leftovers), we had an English Trifle, which was a light creamy sponge cake with a subtle touch of rum and sherry. Although it was a bit sour (which may have came from the raspberries), it was a different cake. It was just different, not implacable or horrible, just different.



So after two and a half short months of summer, school began yet again with the same routine. Wrong. Great thing about this year is that I don't have a first period. Thus, I can sleep in on those very late start days and laugh at the hapless teenagers who have to listen to insignificant lectures while I'm tucked away in my dreams. I guess the downside is since I have to drive to school, I have to wake up my buttocks up at 6:20AM and be ready to leave around 7:00AM. Any later and the traffic is horrendous.

I reallyreallyreally miss sleeping in. It's kind of funny how vitamins is like an alternative solution for waking me up instead of caffeine. Boy, I'm already sleeping in Physics. Ah!

I guess one subject that kind of irks me at the moment is Economics. Although the class is rather small (only 13 students!) and interesting, I can't understand the abstract theories that we are expected to memorize.



Lawry's The Prime Rib
100 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-2827

Kampai for Happiness,

Up close and personal. Maybe too personal.

I have a tendency to limit how much I should write in blogs. I'm sure bloggers have the same problem too, unless they enable some kind of friends filter that enables only people that they know and trust to confide their true feelings against certain issues (haha and I was one of them!). I guess the reason why I wanted to create Beautify Love is that I was kind of sick of hiding things from readers and forcing them to grab a free ID on LiveJournal just so they can read my oh-so-pointless entries.

Despite the fact that I've kept a blog for about 3-4 years with subdomains, livejournal, and now blogspot, I'm not really sure I could define myself (one of those teenage self-identification crisis that seems overrated but atypical at the same time). If you ask me, "Who are you?" I would answer, "I am Stephanie K. Huang." However, Stephanie K. Huang is merely a label of my physical identification. I even took the nerve of writing a letter to myself, reminding myself to learn from my mistakes and the lessons that my family taught me.

What is wrong with me?

Anyways, I decided to do a meme and reveal the progress of which I have learned after losing someone.

Seven Definitive Facts About Stephanie
1. I'm a veryveryveryvery(!) difficult person to handle. Self-explanatory.
2. I don't believe there was a week when I would not cry. Haha, it's amusing that I'm such a crybaby. There for legitimate reasons mind you.
3. I'm having a very difficult time following God again. I was never a devoted Christian when I was in private school, and I guess I lost my faith around middle-early high school. But I've been praying and seldomly attending church, so there's improvement!
4. I rarely trust people. But when I do, I trust them with my life.
5. I'm an oddball out of my four siblings when it comes to interest. I sometimes feel that I was adopted from a family in Taiwan. It's ludicrous how my siblings are all Americanized while I still occupy myself in Asian interests.
6. (For once an optimistic note) I love to wrap my agenda that is provided by my high school every year. Sophomore year, I wrapped it with Starburst wrappers and junior year I wrapped it with an adorable Japanese stationary paper that I got from Taiwan. This year is a surprise! (well not really)
7. My favorite food is sushi! I have a particular liking for salmon and crunchy rolls.

T'was the night of July 27th that things started lighting up. I meant the charcoal. Just Kampai is a petite Japanese barbeque restaurant that seems isolate from the Chinese plaza not so far from it. Because that restaurant constantly changes managers (I vaguely recall the last restaurant that leased that vicinity was Fujiya), my family and I were never really crazy visiting that area and spend $10-$15 for what maybe a mediocre dinner. Because I had a get together with a couple of friends, Connie introduced us to the area and recommended their food.

Kampai was probably not the best restaurant that I've ever eaten, but it has definitely stepped up its plate. Not only is the environment nicely lighted, but the ambience and good service kept me satisfied.

We started with a boneless short rib. Although the meat was not marinated, seeing the lovely seasoned scallops made up for that. I was quite satisfied that the scallop tasted relatively fresh with its lovely white flesh.

Because many asian restaurants have lost their authenticity in America, Kampai is probably one of the few places to have a nice dinner at a decent price with a nice dark vibe to the side.

Just Kampai
18902 E. Gale Ave. #A
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626)854-3000

Don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens - The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

-John Steinbeck, 10 November 1958

One lesson to learn. One less mistake made. At least I hope.

Mood Swings are like Assorted Flavors

Sweet, sour, or bitter. Your Pick.

I dub this the Korean version of the Chinese Bao Bing, but fruity style! The watermelon gives a refreshing touch behind the sweetness from the red bean and ice cream. A pity that that this cool dessert melts really quickly at room temperature.

Oh my goodness. This is a good summer. Wang Leehom (王力宏) and Nan Quan Mama (南拳媽媽)'s new albums released just a few weeks ago! I was really surprised when many people who reviewed on YesAsia.com were disappointed in Wang Leehom's new album because he didn't carry much of his "chinked-out" R&B/Hip Hop feeling from Shangri-La (心中的日月) and Heroes of the Earth (蓋世英雄) to his new album Change Me 改變自己. On the contrary, that's the reason why I didn't really like his past albums as much. In his new album , he revived most of his older style songs and actually sings! As much as I love Wang Leehom to the bottom of my heart, his rapping didn't captivate me as much as his talented vocal techniques.

Why does it seem like summer is slipping away like the Hi-Chew candies that I'm chewing away on? As each day lingers on, the older I feel. I know this is quite early, but I'm still under disbelief that I'm turning eighteen. You know, the big 1-8. Well, it might not be as big as a deal as being 21, since people that age can gamble legally in Vegas and drink like no tomorrow (of course, as long as they follow below the DUI scale). In a way, I do regret that I haven't lived my teenage years to the fullest. I only have about four months till I can vote and purchase tobacco, but I also lose alot of the excuses that I took advantage of as a child. It's amusing and randomly coincidental that my sister, my mom, and I are turning in a certain prime age. My sister is turning 21, my mom is turning 50, and I'm turning 18. What a shocker.

Take Revel in Reading

Venture the taste of blue and red.

I realized that I take pictures of food at a faster rate than posting entries. Well, I blame for the lack of time...or lack of productivity. The bag of potato chips that my friend Jono brought was very interesting. Because we Americans usually consume the ordinary brown (yet dirty and starchy) potatoes, I found it shocking to see blue potato chips that I was a bit scared they were molding. However, with a taste of salt and little seasoning, these delightful little crisps was a lovely treat. Never hurts to try!

Speaking of food, after a night of reading another tortuous seven paged article (okay, it wasn't that tortuous since I have to read an article almost everyday), I came across another article that would really strike the interest of many people who are conscious of their weight (Ehem, girls).

For those who diet almost everyday of their lives since I don't know... twelve? Do you ever realize that we all fall in that perpetual cycle of gaining weight or losing weight. And after each change, you either praise for joy or fall under deep depression? In A Weight That Women Carry by Sallie Tisdale, Tisdale mentions that many girls follow the diet by numbers: mostly either calories or fat. By expressing her feelings toward dieting, the author mentions that dieting is presumed to cut most and almost all pleasures of eating. After undergoing the experience of losing weight and regaining back her original weight, she undermines the use of dieting and sees it as mostly an unhealthy plan to lose weight happily.

Of course, there were certain points that made me disagree with Tisdale. For example, she mentions that people are unhappy and irritable during the process of loing weight. After slowly losing a couple of pounds since fourth grade (yes, I was a bit "weighty" during my elementary/middle school years), I can safely say that I am happy with the changes of my shape and body (thankfully with puberty) through my motivation and self-control. Maybe that's one problem with some people. Many Americans lack the self-control of taking reasonable portions of food. Like what my classmate said, "Sure it doesn't hurt to take the pleasure of eating a cookie once in a while. But consuming ten cookies might be a problem."

However, there's one thing which she mentions that she considered skinny people "a pinnacle not of beauty but of will." Beauty is really skin within, but the power of one's motivation of losing weight can be clearly shown by one's shape and size.

Which also brings another question in mind. I sometimes wonder if I ever build up a wall into myself, isolating myself in dedication of being a doctor, would it be worth it? Throughout my high school career, I contemplate whether or not I'm working hard enough, fulfilling enough, or even satisfied enough to say that there will be nothing that I would regret out of high school. Despite the fact that there are people who say, "I never regret what I did in the past," I cannot help to say that they are not stating the unconditional truth. Most of us live in a life of regret, it's only those who move on that are happy.

Disarming Passion Underneath the Subtle Sweetness

My mother calls it the "Summer Passion". Bashful and Coy.

What would you do for someone you love?
Would you lie, cheat, steal?
Break the law and call it justice?
Would you say yes? Scream no?
Would you kill? Would you give up your own life?
Would you move mountains,
Swallow fire, keep a promise?
Would you change the world?
Would you change yourself?
What would you do for someone you love?
-- Jodi Picoult

Thought provoking no? Well, it got me for a while. Despite all the humdrum that slowly drizzles our lives, we must also learn the goodness of affections and memories from our loved ones. To be frank, I am immersed in my daily routine so much that I would be oblivious of how much people do care about me. From parents, relatives, siblings, friends, and to even that special someone will fall under that category of what would one sacrifice with utter self-abnegation for the sake of others.

After copying this poem from my mother's vente Starbucks cup, I've kept the paper written with beautiful words in my bag for months now as a precedent of demonstrating altruism and generosity for others.

Enough of that, now to explain that lovely drink posted in today's entry. My mother, brother, and I decided to make some lemonade using the strawberry lemonade powder drink that we bought in the grocery store. Because the powder is mostly composed of sugar and other artificial flavors, we decided to use some lemons to strengthen the flavor a bit. Little did we know that we got a bit carried away. With some ice, a blender, and a tad bit of vodka, we made a nice little summery drink that was perfect for the sweltering heat a few weeks ago. Don't be hyperventilating now, we didn't get drunk at all. There was probably 6 parts lemonade and less than 1 part vodka. But after an hour or so of experimenting and having fun, my family and I discovered a nice sweet drink that is easy to make.

After weeks of doubt and stress, I think I realized how powerful praying and having incessant faith is.

Harrowing Complexity of the Number 13

Because I was too ashamed to show mine.

I was never a fan of Friday the 13th. No, I was never suspicious of black cats coming my way or falling under stacks of ladders. But after yesterday, I guess it doesn't hurt to believe in it a little now.

Just to warn readers now: This is for the deli savvies. You might find this pretty boring.

After a week of what I thought was the perpetual horror of SATs, Civics, and Calculus BC tutoring, I finally had a day off for the weekdays. Since Jono and I had an interesting conversations (which may involve some hostile attitude and languages), we decided to have a meal together at 三年2班 (Class 302) off the plaza near 99 Ranch Market. Because the restaurant gives off a nostalgic ambiance of Taiwan's elementary classes, I was quite eager to explore the different things that made up alot of my Taiwanese friends.

三年2班 was also food critiqued by one of our school newspaper's staff a few years ago. After reading his article, the restaurant seemed like a petite yet lively place that portrays the simple pleasures of Taiwanese deli food. Jono also mentioned that they serve their entrees in a metal container (which is common among elementary school students in Taiwan), I presumed it would be a vicarious thrill to be Taiwanese student enjoying his daily lunches.

Boy, I was wrong. The picture above is Jono's order. Reason why I was so ashamed of taking a picture of my order was the way the restaurant serves mine.

After staying in Taiwan for about two weeks and ordering from numerous Taiwanese delis, I assumed that it was custom for each Taiwanese deli to have 炸排骨飯 (fried pork chop entree that is usually served with rice, stirred fried vegetables, and mustard vegetable). As I looked into the menu, I found a picture of the entree and asked the waitress for that order. Although I called it 排骨飯, 炸排骨飯 and 排骨飯 can be used interchangeably mostly in Taiwan and other delis.

When the waitress served my meal, I could have sworn the fried pork looked like lumps of feces. Because Jono and I knew that we were both thinking of fried pork chops, we immediately asked the waiter why it looked so...horrible. They explained that their custom for pork chops is to first fry it then soak it in a sauce. Not only was the pork chop inadequate for looks, but also the vegetables appeared plain and clearly unappetizing.

Since my mom asked me to get some take out for her, we ordered a couple of other entrees along with 雞卷 on the side. Who puts 雞卷, which is clearly crispy, and covers it with steaming rice that can make the rolls soggy and gross!?

Ugh, I don't want to say anymore. I clearly didn't enjoy the food. Food for thought: ALWAYS ask specifically and meticulously what you want to order.

Overall, 三年2班 was a cute restaurant to take a look. However, the pricey orders and mediocre food is enough to eschew from the colorful black boards and school desks.



Apparently Friday the 13th plagued my brother too. After my nanny took my brothers home from Elite, one of my brothers forgot to take his schoolbag back home. Since he needed it for the following day, he had to ask our nanny again to bring it here. Since my mom would be upset with my brother since she would have to pay gas money, my brother decided to fork up the $8 and ask our nanny to keep it a secret.

Oh and I am still in utter disbelief of what my AP scores are. It's scary.

All I can do now is hope and pray.

Measuring knowledge.

Source of Stress Reliever: 天仁 (Ten Ren)'s 水密桃綠茶

The Ten Ren restaurant in our area seems to lose quality as the months go by. Not only have the drinks become so sweet that the drink is practically syrup going down my throat (well to tell you the truth, kiddies, it is syrup), but I don't taste that distinctive yet subtle green tea taste that I should normally perceive. My mom also noticed that her Rose Black Tea was too sweet and bland and began to complain to the Ten Ren's employees for its poor quality. It's good that Ten Ren gives pretty decent service by replacing our drink free of charge. Well since we did have to pay at least $3.00, they're bound to give some sound service.

I really really really dislike Elite. Ugh. The weather is just unbearable too.

Life just seems to be utterly simple yet complicating and boring now. Like school, summer school and SAT Prep is just a routine that I undergo nonstop from Mondays to Thursdays. I learn almost nothing in each class but to understand simple Algebra and Geometry that I learned some three or four years ago, some grammar here and there, oh and being bribed with candy. I guess the only thing I will find useful in preparing for the infamous and overrated SAT is the vocabulary. However, since I cram about 100 words per two days for a mere quiz, I've realized that I have no other purpose of learning these words but to avoid getting a demerit, nothing more.

Preparing for the SAT made me realized how unprepared I am for the real world out there, not to mention it just shows how mediocre my knowledge is. After looking at my scores, I just stare at it and contemplate whether or not I can even survive in the universities that I'm aiming for. In college, students learn more than just simple math or reading that the SAT gives. Instead, students are required to write pages of extended essays and reports from varieties of subjects. Staring down at my menial four paragraph essays that I write about propositions that are impossible to prove as absolute is simply useless. What kind of intelligence does the SAT measure? It cannot measure how smart one is in math since most of it is reasoning, and not straight-forward math. Writing just seems like a pattern of just looking for the same repeated mistakes that appear endlessly. Essays also follow in the same pattern, just decorated and elaborately ornamented with pretty words in which half of it is rubbish. Reading is full of passages that seems to be unanswerable and can be answered in different viewpoints.

What exactly does SAT prepare us for? Definitely not for college. The test appears to be just too elementary to measure our intelligence for college. Is it the only thing that can potentially determine where most of us will go? Sadly, most likely.

After getting a straight 4.0 unweighted GPA, I'm appalled that I still cannot surpass a score that many people in my age can achieve for the SAT Reasoning Test. Not only is it embarrassing, but it's also somewhat shameful to not be able to measure up to the scores of others. That's what's so pitiful about high school, the competition is so high in our school that we cannot help but know our classmates grades and hopefully surpass them in the next exam. You know who you are.

I'm just going to close it here. Sorry if I end up offending anyone. Constructional criticism is welcomed.

Concocting is good

Wonderfully colored.

I find that utterly amazing that I made that all by myself. Gosh, it took me two tiresome hours to stir-fry, chop, and beat all those ingredients to two large dinner plates. But boy was I proud of how it came out *smiles*. I never knew that a few dashes of white pepper can skew the flavors into different directions! I like that. I was a little sad that we ran out of tomatoes since it would give the dish a nice warm color along with it's beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. I was freaking out while I was cooking the rice since there was too much rice and too little of the combinations. Without thinking, I just hurried and sliced three more slices of bologna and corn into the concoction to compensate for that imbalance. Then to finish it off, I sprinkled ever so gingerly the extra green onions that I saved for the last touch.

Not only that, I spent another two hours cleaning around the house (tables, floors, etc.). Boy, was I dead after those hours of cleaning/cooking. It was kind of worth it since my mom gave me $20 for all that work (bleh, even though it's under minimum wage, it's better than nothing). Yay, I was pretty happy that I got that $20 and spent that for my sister's belated present since I haven't had the time nor the opportunity to go to the mall. I also helped out get Jono a pair of Puma shoes since his K-Swiss shoes are waiting to "retire".

I'm beginning to resent my summer. Not only is it simply boring, but it's simply busy. From Mondays to Fridays, I leave home around 10:00 AM and come home around 7:30PM. Because I was forced to enroll Elite Boot Camp, my schedule during the week is increasingly hectic by the day. After surviving just one week of torture and boredom, I don't know if I can handle it. Are daily homework is roughly:

• Critical Reading: Read a 7-page article and pass the quiz full of analysis question the next day, memorize 100 vocabulary flashcards and get quizzed every other day, and occasional practice SAT questions.
• Writing: Quizzes every other day and 20+ problems due the next day.
• Math: 40+ questions due the next day.

All that and I'm not really worried about the writing and math sections as much, but more of the critical reading. One can say "oh, I can just BS all the work and fail all the quizzes." No you cannot. You have to have at least a 90% in most quizzes or you can get "demerited". Get demerited four times, and they may consider expelling you from the program and not even refund the tuition. Pretty strict no? Because of the ponderous amount of homework, I normally sleep around 1:00-3:00 AM depending on the amount. Nice. I'm was pretty upset that we don't have a holiday on July 4th. Great, I won't even have the time to really enjoy the barbeque nor cherish the fireworks. Nope, I have to sit and read either about politics or literature.

Since my parents knew that I had to get a car someday, we began searching for our family's future car. I was pretty bummed out that I couldn't get the Lexus IS250. Although it's within the price range that we were saving for, my mom was convinced that the new Camry is alot better since it's named "America's best sedan". Also, the back seat in the IS is extremely squishy, even a person my size would have a uncomfortable ride. Since I have to take my brothers to school next year, it would suck sitting in the back. One can barely fit his/her backpack in the back. To top it off, I didn't want my dad to fuss over the fact that we got another luxury car. The moment my sister drove in her new Mercedes C240, my dad was yelling his head off.

Since my mom wanted to look at the Honda Accord, she, my sister, and I drove over to the Honda dealer in Diamond Bar and test drove it. My my, the brake and gas pedal was extremely sensitive, even more reactive than my sister's Mercedes C240. The back was quite spacious though.

Well, even though I won't get the car of my dreams (that we potentially can afford), there were some reasons that made sense after some thinking. Besides the reasons two paragraphs above, it's also the self-image. Getting Lexus IS would show one is pretty spoiled. Also, getting a really nice new car also means keeping a "low-profile". I guess getting a typical car like the Honda or the Toyota will keep one from getting pulled over numerous amounts of times because of the discrimination. Also, I wouldn't have to feel too guilty for crashing it (after crashing my mom's Mercedes S500, I was VERY guilty finding out how much the accident cost).

So, help me out here. I have the choice to either take my sister's C240 or get the new Camry. You wanna help me choose? Reason why I don't really favor the Camry is because it looks like a bulging rhino. I heard from my sister and Clarice that it's very roomy and quiet. I really like my sister's car since I'm already used how it works and it has a nice spoiler in the back.

Authenticity

Flaunt your veggie side.

No, I am not a vegetarian. As much as I enjoy crunching through apples and romaine lettuce, I think I would be very sad if there was no meat on the side. Yes, I like my chicken on the side!

When it comes to looking for authentic Chinese food in America, I always find that I eat the best at home. I'm really blessed for having a nanny that can cook really good dumplings and 包子 during the weekdays. Can you believe that my family eats homemade dumplings every Fridays ever since I was in third grade? Yes, from scratch. It's amazing how my nanny works from the ground pork to the handmade flour in a matter of a few hours. Usually people get their "enjoyment" of dumplings from purchasing a few in the nearest grocery store or from those 50-packs in restaurants directly from their freezers. Bought it, tried it, didn't like it.

I'm beginning to feel that many Chinese restaurants are losing their essence as well. No, I'm not talking about the happy woks or Panda Expresses that are around the corner, I'm talking about restaurants that used to have a name in particular dishes. Today, my family and I decided to celebrate late Father's day since my parents came back from Taiwan a few days after the actual holiday. So, we decided to come back to 古月 in Life Plaza. The moment my sister and I took a step into the restaurant, we realized that there were a lot less people than we expected. We would usually see a full house, but there were only about 4 tables occupied. Now we know why. The food wasn't as great as the last time we came. The rice was mushy and all the dishes that we ordered were extremely greasy. Not only that, but the waiters had no class at all. Because my mom was really unsatisfied with the food, she didn't pay the full 15% tip. Before we left the restaurant, the waitress told my mom that she didn't pay enough for the tip. My mom said that the food was blatantly unappetizing and not as good as before. The waiter just said that we ate it all so they couldn't do anything about it. Wow, nice hospitality there lady.

This isn't the first time this thought came across my mind. I realized now that almost "authentic" Chinese restaurants that I've got to around my area is slowly losing what they had. It's so sad that restaurants are more worried about the money that they lose the taste return. I guess my family and I have to drive all the way to San Gabriel next time to have decent Chinese food.

After watching a recent 蔡依林 (Jolin Tsai) concert, I get the feeling that she's just another version of Britney Spears. I really don't understand how many people thinks she's the most beautiful and popular female artist in Taiwan. I disagree. Her costumes were a bit horrifying and her dances weren't as great as her MVs. What really annoyed me was that she copied the theme from Madonna in "Die Another Day" and the whole kissing controversy between Britney Spears and Madonna. Ugh, disgusting. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed Jolin's album that came out last year, but I think she can do better than that. She's a great dancer and gymnast, but why copy ideas from other artists to make yourself look better?

It's pretty sad that many Chinese people are losing and forgetting the aspects of their culture. I look around and many Chinese people don't remember particular holidays and the traditional routines that each holidays does. I remember it was shocking that one day when Jono didn't know how to 拜年 to my mother before she would give him a red envelope. I realized that many Chinese families doesn't do that anymore, it's depressing witnessing how the culture is slowly atrophying away in the younger generations. I'm really thankful that my family goes through the trouble to still preserve our culture each year.

Well, even though 端午節 (Dragon Boat Festival) was last Tuesday (5/5 in the Lunar Calendar if you didn't know), my nanny is going to make homemade 粽子! I can't wait to take pictures of them! I love homemade Chinese food.

because it disappoints my sole

The other side of linguini. Strictly seafood.

I think I'm not particularly used to Hong Kong cuisine. Is it just me or do they like to experiment with different cuisines in one? Or should I say it's multicultural? Or even colorful? It's so difficult to put in words! Unlike most other Asian cuisines that I've had, Hong Kong has various tastes that appears incompatible. Like fitting a circle into a square hole, one may think that different types of food wouldn't complement each other. Hong Kong is unique from their culture. Although it's technically Asian, it's so open with other cultures that it just mixes in like a stew. I found it really cool how they can add linguini, an Italian pasta, and stir fry it with seafood into this new Asian taste.

After ordering the same dish twice, I think I learned my lesson to never get anything that has the word "sole." I'm sorry, but I don't find eating fish with a rich creamy sauce appetizing, which is pretty common in Hong Kong cafes. I always thought that there would be a grilled only sole available, but they always add the creamy sauce. Bleh. Actually, I'm not used to having seafood smothered with cream sauce in general, I normally eat them raw or grilled/cooked/fried/anything that is not smothered with creamy sauce.

I think Hong Kong is too ahead of me. I find that I'm more conservative when it comes to food, does that even make sense? It's weird really. I think it's the mix of cultures...I'm not used to the fact that Italian cuisine is mixed with a sense of neo-"Chinese" taste, or how the way they cook the filet mignon in a "French" style but really it's Hong Kong style. It's just different for me. I need to get used to it!

Enough of my I'm-not-used-to-this rambling. Anyways, I must say, Red Ant Cafe was not bad, besides the fact that I got the same dish that I didn't want. The environment is very small, yet personal and clean.

Red Ant Cafe @ Life Plaza

I really wish I had a part-time job. My mom has been nagging me to work at her office and help her out. I love my mom, but I particularly love her office. Not only are her office hours overlap my sleeping hours (I stayed at her office till 1AM once), but it's unbearable at times. I would really enjoy babysitting on of my friend's younger sister because she's simply adorable, but his mother refuses to pay me. What a pity. Oh well, I still visit anyways.

It's sad how it's hard to convey my feelings into words. Beautifylove is a piece. A chunk. No. A shred of the accumlulated feelings that are shoved into this puny brain of mine. There are times I feel like I have so much of these abstract feelings that I can just explode into a million pieces. For some odd reason, my heart is heavy, wanting to shout, ramble, or simply say how it feels into thousands, millions, billions of words. But. It simply can't. My inability to speak is tortuous, consuming my soul and plunges me into this never ending cycle of happiness and insanity.

I'm sure many people have the same problem.

Levey made a good point about something that I'm always bothered/annoyed around my head. I don't nor can't understand nor see how I'm considered kind and caring. Really, isn't everyone like that? It's simply respect and following up to the golden rule. What do I do that makes people think the same way about Levey about me. I'm not trying to downplay myself to make myself appear better, but for the worse. I'm just any other ordinary person that is raised that way? I'm just too cynical. Or people just like to say that to flatter me.

SAT II scores are out in a couple of hours. Not cool!

Utter blandness

It sure fulfills the auspicious aura of romance, and the stomach.

I simply adore Vanille. The smooth taste of creme and mousse is just perfect. I totally recommend one piece named Romance. It's different yet so delicious and the best part is that it melts in your mouth so perfectly.
Comparing Vanille to RJ Patisserie in Azusa is quite difficult. Although RJ Patisserie has existed way before Vanille, Vanille puts a new twist with fruits and creme. However, I'm a little hesitant to try their more bittersweet flavors such as coffee and chocolate tiramisus since their fruit cakes are usually more alluring than the latter. Unlike Vanille though, RJ Patisserie is more known for its classy tastes since the all the cakes have a tinge taste of wine and are carved in very unique shapes and colors. As for prices, they both cost about the same. After having tea with Ashley though, I realized that Vanille had alot more options that were more compatible with the younger generations. Instead of having sophisticated teas such as Lavender and Earl Gray (in RJ Patisserie), Vanille serves more common drinks such as coffee and tea. In the end, I would recommend both for casual tea parties. It depends on the person really. :\

Yes, I'm pretty sure "blandness" is a word. Isn't that weird? Anyways, the first week of summer sure flew by pretty swiftly. It sure feels awkward getting ready for school again, coming back to the same campus, and learning something new again. I must say. It doesn't feel any different. Instead, it feels bland. I see the same people everyday, talk to the same people, and now work with the same people. Homework looks pretty self-explanatory. Hmm.

Hurrah! My parents came back home from Taiwan. I missed them so :).

Life is completely frustrating to the point where I can psychologically breakdown. Ew. Not good.

I hope the jumprope that I bought at Big 5 Sporting Goods will help a bit with my health. After attempting to run from a street sign to the traffic light with my younger brother, I collapsed and nearly passed out. No really. Don't laugh now, my health actually sucks even though my family says I appear "fit". It's not sad but hilarious seeing me trying ever so hard to carry my brother's 30 lb. dumbbell with both hands.