COOL vs. HOT

This image of my friend Mikey and me is cool. Fallingwater is housed (ha!) and running in the background (ha on so many levels) and we're framed by delicious lush green trees. It's summer time. It's cool.


But this image, while taken in winter, is paradoxically white hot.

I don't even need to explain why. OMG. Gah. Which do you prefer?

Isn't it time for JT to make another album?

Because I can only listen to the opening chords of Summer Love like.. 20 more times and I need another sweet album to listen to.

Let's go on a musical journey shall we?

Go to: Rock Your Body
Witness: Senorita
Enjoy: Love Stoned

and for the finale: MOTHER LOVER.

Excuse me, sir, I know you've not met me before but I do believe it is time. Collaborations with rappers just isn't enough anymore (see.. Ayo Technology, before 50 cent stopped being cool, all because of some side bet with Kanye? It's sad but hey, he owns Vitamin water so I actually don't. feel. bad. at all. - and.. T.I.'s Dead and Gone. - srsly, when did JT become SO LEGIT?

Who likes reading a blog that is never updated?

Not even me. That's why I'm getting to work, son.

Egg Tarts

Because my cousin likes them so much, I took pictures of the ones I ate abroad. The KFC was incredible, freshly out of the oven, it tasted like heaven that only fast food a la Asia can produce. The Lord Stow ones were well known, the perfect marriage of Portuguese with Macanese cuisine.. and the others? Well, when in Hong Kong, you have to eat them where ever you see them!

Banquet in Beijing

Dining in Beijing is best done in groups. I learned this the hard way when I was alone for the first two days of my trip. Meals of one are hard already, but in China where the style of eating is banquet style makes things extra lonely!

Fortunately, soon thereafter, my friends Fei and Auggie came into town, then I met up with Hayes who was already here. Them combined with new friends Annie and Greg, who ended up meeting us in Hong Kong made for some big meals that really brought back what it was like to be a students with masses of friends in Beijing.

Together we went to a restaurant that we refer to in Chinese as 漂亮杯子, otherwise known as Beautiful Cup. I have no idea what the actual restaurant name is, which makes it hard when you're trying to give people directions on how to get there.

Ordering more than 10 entrees in a private room combined with 3 750mL beers each will always remind me of Beijing. Good times :)

The summer after I left Beijing in 2007, all of my friends that stayed in the city discovered this restaurant - Alameda. Alameda is Brazilian cuisine with a 60 kuai business lunch special that was truly a delight!

Here's a peek at our dishes!

I'm glad to see that it was still there two years later. Clockwise from the Left: Pumpkin soup, Peking Duck, Filet with Gorgonzola sauce, Risotto.

There were plenty of missed restaurants that I didn't get to go to: 123, the Hunan place with the spicy fish, Dog Meat City, the French place, the German Tankstelle next to the Saudi Arabian embassy, Che - the "Spanish" restaurant that had Destiny's Child songs playing on projector in the background - the songs were so good I couldn't concentrate on hanging out with friends, Pure Lotus.... that Beijing doesn't even exist anymore I think.

On a separate note, some people have voiced their incredulous opinion that they do not understand why I post pictures of food on my blog. THIS is a food and travel blog, not that they will ever read this.

A Tribute to R. Kelly

R. Kelly feat. Nas: Did you ever think?: R&B at its glory, you can really tell that they are rolling in money because why else would Nas be dancing in nothing but pants and a heavy gold chain? That's right. That and the fish-eye lens spell RICH.



Puff Daddy feat. R. Kelly: Satisfy you. This video doesn't really show anything except the fact that Diddy used to put down really awesome songs.



R. Kelly's Fiesta: Fiesta. After the show, it's the after party, after the party, it's the hotel lobby. I'm not gonna lie, I've never gotten past the after party.

Fried Chicken! in NYC

Courtesy of Grubstreet on NYmag

I can't stop drooling over the Momofuku Noodle Bar Fried Chicken. For $100, you and up to 7 other friends get two chickens, one fried Southern style, the other Korean style. This plus all the accompanying delights have brought me an unnecessary lust to go to New York.

Apparently all three Momo chefs have been eating and testing fried chicken non-stop for the past month in order to get this recipe right. According to NYmag, David Chang has said that "What you're trying to do is separate the skin from the meat and almost create a pomme souflée effect. You want the skin to be super-crisp and crunchy. In a way, it protects the meat while it's cooking."

I. can't. stop. drooling. Go here for more.

An Update on Ed Westwick

Maybe it's because I haven't watched Gossip Girl in a few months but, dare I say it, I think my love for Ed Westwick might be fading.

After reading Daily Intel's I Love You, Ed Westwick article, I felt excitement and the need to pass on the word but .... the love that once was, is no more. Can it be possible?

Am I OVER Chuck Bass?

Sweet Eats in Shanghai

Let's not kid ourselves. I thought that I could continue blogging without thinking about the awesome food that I had a month ago - no way. Here's what I landed in after I arrived in Shanghai.

I'm not sure where this was, but it had basil martinis that were incredible. With sweet sugary rims that threatened to cut your tongue at any moment, the risk was definitely worth it.



We followed up with some yummy bubble tea at this place called COCO milkteabubbleteadeliciousyumyum. Katie brought it after visiting the gym so I didn't have the pleasure of being able to get it myself (pictured above).

Then, we brunched some place that might have been cool, had it not sucked. The burger that Gigi and I shared was not good. It had the consistency of the McRib sandwich, which sadly, while paying about 14$USD was not what I had in mind.
Presentation:A, Tastiness: C-




By myself, I went to DTF (hehe not like Superbad!), DingTaiFung - where I got the Soup Dumplings, the Shrimp Shaomai and a sweet dessert that had sago and mango in some sort of sweet soup delight.
Presentation and Tasty DELIGHT: A+ always.

Hong Kong Krazy

It was a dark and muggy night on LKF in Hong Kong. I was there with 4 friends and naturally I was attracted to the place with the loudest, poundiest music playing some sweet mixes that most likely included Ace of Base and Michael Jackson. We walk in. There are men everywhere, and they're good looking and they're all dancing. I realize something immediately.

Shit, we've entered a gay bar.

I ask my friend who used to work next door to confirm my suspicions.... and she denies my claim. She speaks to some sort of proprietor and he informs her that it's gay night of the month. I nod my head. Of course all these men are gay. Keep in mind that this is Hong Kong, not China - so all the gay men are Aussies and Brits. One is dressed like Tranny Pollyanna and more men have mohawks.

I look longingly at the men as they're dancing. My friends are sitting down in the booth. We watch them as they dance crazily. I dance in my seat. I should be there - on the dance floor. Sure, I'm no dancer, but it's not about that. It's about music appreciation. I see this Tranny Pollyanna making her rounds around the bar and she's dancing with this really hot guy that's like.. tossing her around and putting his face in her boobs. At one point they are so lurid that I scream in I'm pretty sure is delight.

I'm laughing until he/she comes over. He/she catches my eye and I keep it. I ain't afraid of no gay. In fact, the opposite is quite true. I love gays. He sit down next to me and is chatting me up. He tells me that I need a drink, I agree and get a beer. He sashays away and I'm left with a drink and 4 friends that aren't dancing.

More minutes pass and the music is amazing. Amazingly loud that I'm afraid that I might have gone deaf. A man in a mohawk passes me. He'd passed me before but the same thing happens that happened with Tranny P - he catches my eye, I keep it and I smile. He smiles at me invitingly and little did I know what was in store for me. He spoke to me because I handed my camera to my friend -

He and his 2 friends proceeded to love on me. Love me as only a gay can. The pose, then they kiss me and lick my face, and in case they might be seen as boring, they wrap their legs around me. Let's not lie. They might seem scary in the photos, but we both know they're harmless and can't help but love thisssssssssss.
You see, I had been staring at them all night, hoping that somehow I could grab pictures of them, but as fate would have it - I needed not to move at all. Like flamers to a flame, they came to me!

Soon thereafter, my friends and I boogied unto the dance floor where we danced until I could hear no more. Sweet bliss! It was by far the most hoppin' bar of the night!

P.S. Their mohawks were wigs and were fake. Can you imagine real men having hair like that?

What! July is almost over!

So I just realized that July is almost over and I've hardly posted. Sure I've been overseas and I've had tons of stuff due for the FS people, but that's hardly an excuse.

I've just spent over 20 mins on Forever 21 and Anthropologie trying to catch F21 on some sort of intellectual property rights violation. No dice people. ALTHOUGH, I did just buy an inspired shirt that looks almost identical to this shirt found on Anthro. It satisfied my pocket a little and I'm glad I saw it at F21 first. Admit it, it's gorgeous.

AWK

This is super awkward and makes me ashamed to be an Asian girl. Witness this Japanese girl who is a super fan of Harry Potter talk to Rupert Grint.

What is creepier? That she is riding on his back and thanking him?

Or when she touches his eyelashes and then smells her finger?



This level of adoration can only be achieved with Asian girls. I just don't think white, black or Latino girls could be this awkward or asexual. Have a watch!

I am a Spinster!

Definition of a spinster according to Merriam-Webster: \ˈspin(t)-stər\ noun

1: a woman whose occupation is to spin (this one does not apply and never will when you hear of the term spinster)

2 an unmarried woman of gentle family b: an unmarried woman and especially one past the common age for marrying

3: a woman who seems unlikely to marry

It's true. Even at my age, apparently I'm a spinster, I'm on the shelf, destined to live alone. All I need are some cats!

According to visa forms to work in Hong Kong, you're either a bachelor/spinster, married, divorced or widowed. What about just being single? I wish the marital statuses on Facebook were so strict. Then, maybe I'd be motivated to get out there. HA! ... and why does being a bachelor sound so awesome?

ZOOM :
Horrifying!

Blogging Fatigue?

Just fatigue in general actually. A combination of being back home and trying not to consume caffeine has left me unable to operate like a normal human being. That plus the non-stop reuniting with home friends has left me to be a rather useless person. The good news is I've been going to the gym, the bad news is, I can't tell if it's working and I kind of need immediate results (i.e. lose the 10 lbs I feel I gained while in Asia, I probably had them before, but why won't they just go away like I want them to?)

On another note, I've decided never to read Perezhilton.com again. Wish me luck! He just updates so much! I've decided that most of his blogging has become a little too self serving and sadly, I just don't care about the same things as he does.

On yet another note, look at this cute handicap bathroom sign denoting a bathroom in the Bird's Nest Stadium. I tried to go inside, but the door was locked. Misleading, indeed.

Bottomless Mimosas

At first, they may seem like a delight, but once you add in some extenuating circumstances such as those brought on by Allegra and it's blood thinning properties, I quickly realized that I was entering into the danger zone.

After finding myself flat on my back and not recalling exactly what was going on (at 5 in the AFTERNOON), I realized that gay disco brunch with endless mimosas are a nightmare that I will never repeat. It's at Cobalt on the corner of R and 17th, if anyone would like to sample my mistakes. PS I'm in DC.

Lesson learned. Mimosas have been blacklisted.

Oh, Salivation

Does plane food make you drool baby?

This is all the plane food I had during my trip. Enjoy!

From ATL to PVG aka Shanghai. This was a 15 hour flight so it had many tasty delights.


From Tokyo to Taipei:

From Taipei to Hong Kong:


Hong Kong to Macao (via ferry, SuperJet First Class has food)
From Hong Kong to Tokyo:


From Tokyo to ATL:

Jetlag makes me scatterbrained

So - on this trip, I went to Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, and Hong Kong. I've not blogged about these places necessarily in order, with little mention of Hong Kong but I will get to it as thoughts come into my head. The organization of thoughts in my head is a bit hazy, you'll have to forgive me.

But look, here's the sweet ass Hello Kitty gate at the Taoyuan Taipei airport. I think it's gate C3. Visit it if you get a chance. (Click to enlarge, totally worth it!)

Latrine Cuisine

Following articles in the Times and in Time, I made sure to stop by Modern Toilet when I was in Taipei.

This is the branch closest to my aunt's house in Shilin Night Market. It's filled with excrement like goodies with a creative slant as to what food should look like. For those that subscribe to the idea that all food is that same since it all goes to the same place, this MIGHT be the place for you.

There's a $3 minimum which my cheap aunt bristled at, as it was right before closing time and the only things that were available to order were shaved ice. I took a few quick photos, although I heard that the cuisine is actually a bit too similar to shit. A pity, but I'm glad that I didn't waste the calories. Here are some shots of the entrance and interior. Cool. It was definitely worth the 4 minute visit.You sit on these to eat. They don't connect to water, so don't get any ideas!

Some of my clothes still smell like Taipei

and it's a good thing. Taipei clothes has a certain smell, it's a combination of the musty humidity and sulfur along with the homeyness of my grandmother's house. Home doesn't have to smell great! I'm in the middle of doing laundry and soon all my clothes will be the same. I have a hard time believing that I've been gone for three weeks.

I'm back in the States and it feels like I never left.

Being in China these past few weeks made me face reality. I saw the places that I had gone in the past and realized that I no longer fit. I'm not a student anymore, I don't belong in bars where the average age is 21 because I'm not longer that age. What happened in the past stays there. I'm glad that I went and saw how everything has changed.

So..What's next? I've passed the first portion of the Foreign Service Exam. I have 5 essays to write in the next 2 weeks. I'm taking the LSAT again. I'm moving to DC.

72K

BAM. I'm on a plane and my seat is 72K. I thought that it would be in the very back of coach next to the bathrooms. I had never been seated so far back before in my life - until now. It is an amazing seat and let me tell you why. It is the UPPER DECK BUSINESS ELITE SEAT!!!! Readers of my blog, I have had an incredible 3 weeks of traveling all throughout China. I don't even know where to begin.... except perhaps where I left off.

After leaving Beijing, I went to Taipei, with a 5 hour stop over in Tokyo. I sat, read, and blogged while eavesdropping on the dirge of America. Taipei was a very short 2.5 day trip, but just long enough to get my hair washed twice, get two massages, and go to Shin Yeh for the ultimate delicious buffet. I didn't see any family except my aunt and my grandmother, my grandmother being the most important. 

Up until this point in my life, I had no idea that the dumplings in Taipei were so delicious. I had a view guotie after getting there, then I went to this dumpling  restaurant next to my grandmother's apartment in Tianmu. INCROYABLE.

Better than DTF (Din Tai Fung!), the meat was a sumptious pleasure of flavor that only Taiwan can create.

I bought 5 pairs of shoes here.. and some Jill Stuart make up that I later introduced to Flora, who was the most gracious and brilliant host in Hong Kong... which is next. 

I ate the sweetest, juiciest fruit in Taipei - I thought it had been soaked in syrup. Apparently, Taiwan has created some cross hybrids of fruits that make them bigger and better than anything I've had that I can recall.

Paging Paula Deen?

Someone at the Narita Airpost just paged Paula Deen! I went to look but I didn't see a thing. 

Happy America Day!

From Hong Kong, I've just come back from an adventure in Macau, where I won 2500 credits on a 10 cent slot machine, drank a glass of Petrus, and lived it up with Flora d'OR.

Still traveling and I cannot begin to recount all the good times.