Saturday, December 29, 2007

Comrade Eden's Blog!

Eden will now also be blogging the trip side-by-side with me (because we are huge dorks). Visit her at: Eden's Escapade to the Equator. Our respective blogs will no doubt be filled with vitriol towards the other person as the time wears on. Hah!

It's really funny so I recommend you read it :P

Backpack meets shallow city girls

I can never sleep before impending travel. Also, my right leg is in pain due to the muscle atrophying from the last 10 days of complete disrespect for any sort of healthful eating or activity, I think. (The impending travel is referring to my return to Chicago--not yet leaving for South America).

Conversation with Eden, the travel buddy:


Eden: There is a guy in Ecuador named 'party boy' who
will be hanging out with us a couple days
Panda: (Laugh) What? Uhmm, doood, we will look like
such crap.
Eden: Um. Yes.
Panda: Plus I'll be super fatty since I have just been
stuffing my pie-hole non-stop this past week as
I've been using the "I'll just lose the weight
there" excuse.
Eden: SAME!
Panda: One tapeworm away from our goal weight!
Eden: Seriously. Are you even bringing make-up?
Panda: I guess now I'll have to!


Into the backpacking bag now goes the make-up bag: Burt's Bees, eyebrow pencil, mascara, eyeliner, foundation, blush, and one shade of eyeshadow. Totally reasonable.


Fret not Boyfriend if you just read this. "Party Boy" sounds like a total douche anyway! Teehee.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Christmas's all around us...

"Love Actually" is one of those Christmas movies I watch every year even though it's not a particularly good movie, and I can't stand the look of Underbite Girl (Kiera). Nonetheless, it's somehow become my "Miracle on 34th St".



"I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toesssss... Christmas's all around us, and so the feeling growwwwsssss..."

Now that that's over, time to dismantle all that holiday cheer. It's kind of sad, no? I sure do like Christmas decorations.

In case you haven't noticed, I am starting to use Google's Picasa Web Albums service. Flickr is a lot prettier, but Google--bless your taking-over-the-world soul--is already part of my flesh and blood! Plus, the Picasa program is actually really fantastic. Highly recommended, 5 stars! Everyone should start uploading photo albums--that means YOU, MOTHER!

So, once I'm on the road, I will hopefully be able to share my travels and photos with with relative ease.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Insert here!

My Pops gave me this Chinese book of the top natural phenoms the Middle Kingdom in anticipation of my eventual pilgrimage back to the motherland. It's all in Chinese and being illiterate, I just flipped through gawking at the photos of the lovely natural sites--very lovely indeed.

Of course, I wonder what the editors were thinking when they juxtaposed these two little photos... Hmmm! Curious photos, no?


UPDATE: Everyone I've interrogated or shown this to has been unfazed by the images. They're like, "it's not really sexual". HELLO? ARE YOU BLIND?

Friday, December 21, 2007

Mobile: Cost of Living

Holy crap! 8 pieces of dry cleaning for $18 (including 4 sweaters)! Its $8 a sweater in chicago.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Cream of [Insert] without the calories

I've made variations on this a few times now, all to great success. This is such an easy recipe and will satisfy all creamy-soup cravings without hurting the scale.

These proportions make 2-4 servings depending on how much soup you like!

Ingredients:

  • 3c. of your veggie of choice, cubed (potato, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
  • 1/2c. of chopped onions (and shredded carrots opt.)
  • 1-2c. of broth (depending on how thick you like soups; I prefer using 1c.)
  • 1-1 1/2c. of skim milk
  • 2tbsp. flour
  • salt/pepper
  • other spices you like
  • olive oil for sauteeing
  • shredded cheddar/mozz (optional)
Directions:
  1. Sautee onions in large pot for a few minutes. I also like to add shredded carrots for colour and additional vitamins, but it's not really necessary.
  2. Add your veggie of choice, broth, spices, salt and pepper. Don't worry if broth doesn't immerse all veggies--there should be enough to just barely cover everything if you use 1c. of broth and more if you use more. Bring to boil then lower and simmer. Simmering times varies depending on vegetable. If using potato, it might take 30+ minutes for everything to become tender. With broccoli, 10 minutes if more than enough.
  3. In another bowl, prepare milk & flour mixture. Add to the pot once veggies are tender. Stir and continue cooking until soup thickens.
  4. Once done, you can use a blender to liquify the soup even more if you don't like chunks. I prefer cutting the veggies small enough so that they kind of disintegrate on their own while still keeping some chunkiness.
  5. Lastly, add as much or as little cheese as you want and serve!

Seriously, this is such a great cream-of recipe and so healthy & easy! I will make some right now.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

List: Books 2007

Books I've read or reread, 2007 edition. The list is pretty short since I've not read much this year though that seems to be changing.

* denotes it's highly recommended (which isn't to suggest that the ones without *s are no good--they are.)
strikethrough denotes I couldn't finish it (these are probably no good)

  1. Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
  2. Memories of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  3. Neuromancer by William Gibson (perhaps unfair since I took an 8 month break and couldn't get back into it)
  4. The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch
  5. My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
  6. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut *
  7. Elizabeth Costello by John M. Coetzee
  8. The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
  9. Harry potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
  10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
  11. Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamonby Jorge Amado
  12. The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson
  13. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez *
  14. Possession by A.S. Byatt
  15. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami *
  16. Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima
  17. Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster by Dana Thomas *
  18. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
  19. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
  20. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
  21. For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander

Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Great Escape

While Chicago was suffering a white-out, I was enjoying the pleasant winter-desert air. Arizona certainly is one of my favourite states. From the mountains up in Flagstaff to the arid deserts of Tucson, there is so much variety! There is also some of the most amazing natural scenery in the US including Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Sedona's red rock mountains... etc. Anyway, this brief trip was spent in the Phoenix area, which is pretty boring but its proximity to nature hikes and the awesome beds of the JW Marriott Resort & Spa made the trip totally worthwhile. The parentals should really move from Dallas-suburbia to Phoenix-suburbia if you ask me.

So what did I do while away? Mostly I gorged (In-n-Out for lunch, surf and turf for dinner). Also did some hiking, hit some golf balls, and watched Law and Order: SVU (heh heh).




Clockwise starting Top-L: View of urban-suburban sprawl (boo) from the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix (hike & climb was pretty tiring but so satisfying! My butt's still sore!), Me defacing nature, view of a white Chicago on the way back, and Saguaro cacti!

Also really wanted to make the drive to Sedona (only 2hrs) but it's a little chilly at that elevation and I only had a sweatshirt. Ah well... here is someone else's photo of Sedona's juniper trees & red rocks for you to enjoy:

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Mobile: burgers, fries x2

Yay. Phx has in-n-out!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

South America Itinerary (More or Less)


Start in Guayaquil, Ecuador... and work my way south!

I shall be going with the ever delightful Mz. Simmah from Jan. 3-Feb. 7, and then I will be flyin' solo unless my dad decides to join me for a potential detour to Patagonia.

That Easter Island trip is looking less and less likely. That LAN airlines really does have a monopoly on that route..

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST (minus Galapagos and Easter Island): $3,000!
That's freakin' cheap for a whole 2 months! It will probably end up costing even less than that to be quite frank. Just think--$5 steaks in Argentina. We're talkin' about big, honkin' steaks too!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Flight Info

DEPARTING:                     ARRIVING:
Flight ORD 01/03/2008 MEM 01/03/2008
4426 Chicago 09:55AM Memphis 11:40AM

Flight MEM 01/03/2008 MIA 01/03/2008
4508 Memphis 01:00PM Miami 04:25PM

Flight MIA 01/03/2008 GYE 01/03/2008
933 Miami 05:20PM Guayaquil 09:35PM


DEPARTING: ARRIVING:
Flight SCL 02/26/2008 MIA 02/27/2008
912 Santiago 10:40PM Miami 5:05AM

Flight MIA 02/27/2008 ORD 02/27/2008
1487 Miami 6:45AM Chicago 9:05AM


Only fear is missing the flight from Miami to Guayaquil and being forced to stay overnight at the airport.

I also wanted to visit Easter Island, but those round-trip tickets are over $1000 from Santiago! Ugh.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Sore arms, bad tv

Got my first Hep A vaccination and a Typhoid vaccination today. Heading in on Friday to get my Yellow Fever vaccination. My poor, poor sore arm.

Given that I have no job, I watch a lot of Law & Order. I mean, at any given hour, there is always some version of Law & Order on the television. Sadly, I've seen pretty much all the syndicated Law & Order: SVUs and the old Law & Orders they play on USA, TNT, and other such stations. Anyway, this leaves only Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Boy, does that show suck. That's all.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Insomniac's don't dream--think about buying things instead

The sleep schedule is all effed up. Thanks a lot 6am flight. Thanks a freakin' lot.

In other news, that book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, is really excellent. I now hate Miuccia Prada--the woman. I still like the clothes. But I probably will not ever buy another Prada or Miu Miu garment again (not that I could afford to given the current state of unemployment!).

You can tell Dana Thomas, the author, loathes what Louis Vuitton has become--and forced its competitors to become--in the Arnault era. She practically says their bags are made assembly-line style in China. Apparently a lot of luxury brands have clothes and bags made in China. You knew it was always true for some brands who don't hide their "made in China" tags (ex: Marc by MJ which is cheap luxury), but apparently some brands disguise their "made in China" tags or find some loophole to get around pronouncing their products' origins.

For example, "made in China" tags are hidden deep inside an inner pocket; or "made in China" is stamped in unrecognizably small letters somewhere; or they by-pass the "M in C" altogether by having a handle for a bag lovingly "made in Italy". Even shoes fall victim to these falsehoods (I had no idea!).

Well, Ms. Thomas never explicitly says LV is hawking Chinese wares as all people involved (the Chinese manufacturers, their workers, all the brands they produce for) are under strict confidentiality agreements stating they will not disclose what goes on inside said manufacturing facility. Of course, when LV's mark-up is 13-14x cost on their bags (vs. their competitors' at 11-12x cost), you know some of that is getting made in China.

Not to poopoo the Chinese manufacturers, because let me tell ya, the "run off" from these factories--that is to say, slightly imperfect or over-produced goods--are pretty damn sweet! My dad gave me this flawless North Face bag for my upcoming backpacking trip that he got and used while he was in China for 120RMB. Compare that with $200+ USD! Also, you can find some great deals on Marc by MJ, Burberry, and so forth on Ebay all from the excesses at the manufacturers'. Be warned though: some of that stuff is legitimately illegitimate (total fakes). Let your eye for quality be the judge.

The only big name that hasn't, it seems, sinned in the eyes of Ms. Thomas is Hermes. Everything at Hermes is still individually handcrafted by trained "artisans". Of course, everything at Hermes is also depressingly expensive.

This was a long post. Anyway, read the book! A lot of its accusations you probably already knew, but its [fashion's] history is rich and fascinating.



(I admit... despite all the accusations against LV, I do want an Epi leather Alma bag... and a monogram bucket bag.... and a Damier check speedy.......... teehee; oh like you'd refuse one as a gift! Pssh)

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

I iz so full... like immobile. (In Texas)

Friday, November 16, 2007

What do we do now?

I have no idea what to do with myself today. I'm up early as a force of habit... with NOTHING TO DO! Holy shit, it's unbelievable!

Official planning for my world tour begins after the Thanksgiving break. That seems fair. It's hard to believe, but I actually MISS the obligation of work? For the first time in my life, I have absolutely zero obligations. It's scary & uncomfortable!

To do: find a subletter, pack my things, rent a storage room (?), plan trips, get necessary visas, fix up my finances to get bills somehow automatically deducted...

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Corporate Monkey No More

,Panda gets the axe; must vacate offices today; must forfeit ID card & other bank-supplied privileges; paid until end of month and then comes severance; guaranteed bonus in February.

Better make my doctors visits soon!

The entire floor was pretty much let go--we're all going out boozing in a few minutes. One last time with free, company supplied booze! Oh happy day!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Other Toronto Confections

Ah, I love food. I could definitely host one of those shows on Food/Travel/Disc Network about trying bizarre foods. Bull testicles, come to me! I'm willing to try mostly anything at least once--like that one time I had pastries with ants as toppings (for crunch).


My cuz got us some Korean "Walnut Cakes". Not sure if this is at all traditional, but they sure are tasty! They're little balls of cakey dough made with walnuts stuffed with either red beans or a mashed potato and almond blend. Both fillings are sweet and delicious.

Then there's also the great franchise of Yogen Fruz--doing what Pinkberry did for god knows how long. I have no idea why these franchises never expanded to the States. It's been a long, long time since I've had Yogen Fruz (I totally forgot about them until the cuz reminded me), but it is exactly as I remember! The fro-yo is slightly tangy and blended perfectly with a variety of fresh/frozen fruits--you pick em; they blend em.

Each bar of yogurt is only 108 calories (pretty good size) and unlike Pinkberry, there's been no contention as to whether or not it's "real yogurt". Then just add in the fruit... and voila!

(Photo is not mine--just googled it; please don't sue me!)

Let's see, what else... oh yes. Toronto has amazing Asian supermarkets. Also, like New York City, downtown Toronto features tons of street-side fruits/veggie vendors (all for cheap). Can you imagine ever getting navel oranges for 38 CENTS/lb in Chicago? Methinks no.

Anyway, as to Asian supermarkets: I've discovered some new wonderful snacks. As always, there are the beverages I love. Namely, Vitasoy soya drinks (brown carton, bottom left). Shit's addictive, yo! I know you can get that at most Asian supermarkets all over the US but check out that vast selection! It was literally a grocery-store aisle long of beverages, lunch box style.


Aside from the beverages, the cuz introduced me to a "nutritional bar" that is anything but nutritious. Essentially, it is a cheetoh (sans cheese dust) stuffed with cream. It's heavenly.

(Notice the cleverly disguised "health food" with images of healthy beans and grains... Little does one know, it's just FAT! Fat, fat, fat! But so good.)

Other enjoyable snack foods: various dried fish, squid, tofu in snack-form; preserved plums of all different stripes; persimmons; extra-large dragon fruit; sticky rice stuffed things (ex. mochi); curried fish balls on a stick; and so on!

Xiao Long Bao (Little Dragon Basket Buns)


I give unto you, faithful reader: little soup-filled treasures

So how do they get the soup in the xiao long bao? They freeze the bao filling! Once the frozen filling is wrapped and then steamed, you have perfectly soupy xiao long baos. Careful when eating; soup may burn.

Enjoy with black vinegar and fresh ginger.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

The Beginning of the End

Sunset at 4:38pm. Low of 28 degrees F.

And thus we are welcomed to five months of hardship. It only goes downhill from here. Hopefully I'll be able to escape to the more temperate lands across the ocean for some solace.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Mobile: Pigeon Hordes

Pigeons having a gourmet feast.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Goal for the Weekend

No tacos after booze.


(Goal was successful, more or less. My costume sucked--as in, I had none, really. I will try to assemble a REAL one for next year... or perhaps for Wednesday.)

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Chef Panda: Homemade pumpkin pie

Made two pumpkin pies--my favourite--nearly from scratch today. Admittedly, purchased the graham crackers pre-made.

Best thing of doing it this way: low cal substitutions!


1 medium sugar pumpkin makes enough pumpkin puree for 2 pumpkin pies


Graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crush low cal / low-fat graham crackers--enough for 3 cups of crumbs. Use 1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs per pie crust. Blend each 1 1/2 cup crumb portion with 3.5 tablespoons low-cal / low-fat plain yogurt. Add in 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

I did not add the cocoa powder as the recipe recommended, but turned out just fine as is. Also increased the amount of yogurt used.


Spread the graham, yogurt mix into pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Take out & let cool waiting for the pumpkin filling.


Pumpkin filling: Oven is still at 350. I tried cutting a raw pumpkin and had a hell of a time. Instead, pierce pumpkin a few times, stick it into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes. It will be much easier to cut then. Take out and let cool. Cut into pieces, remove seeds, and remove flesh. If you find the insides are still hard, just stick the cut up pieces into the microwave for a few minutes. Need to get the pumpkin flesh into a puree-able consistency.

Again, I altered the recipe a bit.

Up the oven temp to 400 degrees. Mix 2 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 tbsps. "pumpkin spice" (or 1 tsp. of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon), 3/4 cups honey, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup whipping cream, 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites, and 1 tsp. salt.

Pour into the graham cracker crust! It will be quite runny but never fear! It will cook up well.


The edges of my crust burned a bit, but I don't mind carcinogens :P. To avoid this, just cover the edges with a little foil.

Anyway, this is THE BEST PUMPKIN PIE EVER! So much better than canned purees and healthier too!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Chef Panda: Cornish Game Hen

I made a game hen. Yay.

This incredibly easy and delicious game hen was made sort-of using this recipe. But I'm not really one for following recipes as I really loathe measuring things. To me, that's only really necessary when baking pastries and the such.

Anyway, here's what I did:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cornish game hen
  • rosemary, fresh or dried
  • 1/2 large lemon, cut into 2 pieces
  • 1 head of garlic, cut into thick slices (thick to prevent burning)
  • salt & pepper
  • few tablespoons of olive oil
  • few tablespoons of white wine
  • few tablespoons of chicken broth
  • (carrots, optional)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Rinse off game hen and arrange in baking pan. Pour olive oil over game hen. Use enough olive oil to cover the hen and have a nice sheen on the bottom of the pan. Rub salt, pepper, and rosemary over hen. Place thick garlic slices on and around game hen, making sure there is olive oil on the garlic. Leave a few pieces of garlic for the body cavity (eww). Squeeze one quarter of the lemon over game hen and rub it in.
  3. Stuff a quarter of the lemon, the rest of the garlic, and a good amount of rosemary inside the body cavity (eww).
  4. Stick that bird in the oven for 25 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix together the white wine and chicken broth with some pepper. Leave aside. My mixture came out to be about 3/4 cup but if you like sauces, add some more to the mixture for the gravy.
  6. (ADDITIONAL CARROTS: 15 minutes or so into the cook time, I placed my 2 chopped carrots around the bird and stuck it back in the oven)
  7. After the 25 minutes, reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the hen from the oven and pour the chicken broth & wine mixture over the bird. Use a brush and brush some of the juices that have run to the bottom of the pan over the bird.
  8. Stick that bird in the oven for another 25 minutes at reduced temperature.
  9. Check for any pinkness after 25 or so minutes. If done, change the oven setting to BROIL. Broil on a high temp for 3-5 minutes to get a good brown skin on the bird.You might also want to flip the bird to get the skin on the bottom also crisp. No one likes mushy poultry skin.
  10. Remove bird from oven & place in serving dish (with carrots, if you chose to make the carrots).
  11. Pour the juices & garlic left in the pan into a sauce pan on the burner. Burn on high to evaporate most of the moisture yielding a really nice white wine reduction gravy. Took about 5 minutes for the amount of wine/broth mixture I used.
  12. Serve hen and carrots with gravy.

It turned out excellent despite my having to partially microwave defrost my hen. Unlike most poultry that tends to get dry, this hen was tender and cooked perfectly throughout! I'm definitely making this again.

Remember, cook times will vary depending on your appliances so just be sure to check for pinkness.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Lotus Root Soup

I have been having huge cravings for lotus root soup! I wish one of the restaurants here made it--of course, it probably would not be as good as Mom's. I was searching for recipes online and while it's pretty easy to make, it is rather time consuming. I'm an impatient cook. I want everything done within an hour from start, max.

This recipe
is most remniscent of my mom's, I believe. I don't think it's necessary to have a slow cooker--just heat with a regular pot on low for a few hours to get a good pork stock as the base. Any old cheap cut of pork with the bone-in will do, but spare rib is most popular.

Anyhoo, I'll be back in Toronto in a few weeks with all the lotus root soup I can eat!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Prada Sfumata? Nine West?


Nine West's take on Prada. Though these are kind of a poor imitation, must say nine west is upping the ante.


Here is the real Sfumata by Prada. It's really a lovely shoe!

Was out shoe shopping Friday after work since I realized my simple black pumps were getting pretty beat up--beyond repair. It's a pity; I really like them! The style is just perfect (slightly conical heel, slight platform, a rounded but still angular toe). All the details make it far more interesting than your usual run-o'-the-mill black pump. Being that I hate work shoes more than anyone, the fact that I found that nice pair of black pumps with details that exalt its status beyond that of a mere work-shoe (and yet is still work-appropriate!), well, let's just say it's a real loss.

/End mourning the shoes.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Jamaica - Photolog

Richie, my travel buddy, has his own huge catalog of photos. I will share any good ones once he gets his uploaded.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Jerkin'

Sooo, made it out to Jamaica sick as a dog. While there, I slowly recuperated and just arrived back in home, sweet home an hour ago. Unfortunately, this cold is a tough one. I've still got the cough and sniffles.

The trip went as follows:


(dog prints = places we stayed. dog prints are dumb--yes--but it was the only stamp readily available!)

  1. Flew into Kingston, 9/19
  2. Rented car and drove to Negril that same day (est. time 4 hrs; actual time 6 hrs. Jamaican roads = pot hole heaven; car started making weird squeaking sounds)
  3. Stayed in Negril two nights (didn't do much; sat on the beautiful beach and read; snorkeled a bit)
  4. Left Negril and drove through Montego Bay and Ocho Rios to Long Bay, making a pit-stop at Dunn River Falls
  5. As we drive into Long Bay late at night, it appears all the hotels/guesthouses/etc. were all shut down due to hurricane damages
  6. Shout expletives as desperately try to find place to stay (it was my travel buddy's, Richie, idea to not book in advance as it was off-season and hotel rates and such were subject negotiation. I was already pissed off enough due to illness, Richie's lack of driving skills, and the far-too-long drive from Negril to Long Bay--again, due to road conditions between Ocho and Port Antonio)
  7. Back-track to Port Antonio trying to find a decent place to stay in the eerie darkness
  8. Ran into a bit of luck and landed ourselves in a Villa a 1 minute walk from the Blue Lagoon (a la young, naked Brooke Shields) and ocean, swimming distance to coral reefs (ie, good snorkeling), 10 minute drive to the best jerk food on the island (in Boston Bay), 30 minute drive to Long Bay (an awesome beach, though kind of a mess due to hurricane damages), 10 minute drive to Port Antonio (a quaint little town on the north side of the island), and a 40 minute drive to Reach Falls (infinitely superior to the more popular Dunns River Falls)
  9. Stayed three nights at the Moon San Villa where we did all those things mentioned above annnd rode horses in the ocean and got free pot, care of our villa manager
  10. Departed reluctantly and back-tracked to Ocho Rios for one night just to check it out (it's lame; don't bother staying there if you go t Jamaica)
  11. Drove to Kingston and stayed a night; had tasty vegetarian food; not as scary as people make it sound; in fact, not scary at all (just stay out of the shady areas)
  12. Flew back to Chicago. Sad face. :(

Happy face to be back in a (relatively) mosquito free environment though! Holy shit, you can make constellations with my bug bites. Despite this fairly conclusive trip o' the island, regret not getting to see the South Coast (see Alligator Pond on map). Apparently the beaches there are gorgeous and there are manatee sightings!

Photos to come.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Art update

I realized I haven't made an "art" update in awhile. I have been drawing and such--just haven't photographed/uploaded. Here are a couple:


I painted over another painting that I didn't particularly care for. The transparency of the wash-out layer does make for nice upholstery on the chairs though. This is acrylic on canvas. Size: 16x12inches. I quite like the end result and might just end up hanging it in the living room. I think I'll also make a series of these... (or of furniture drawings/paintings in general)


This is just a sketch of a child's head. Being a fan of portraiture, I was thinking of painting this as a watercolour.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Mobile: Free opera

Lyric Opera in the park.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Ugly Furniture

Why is there such an abundance of ugly furniture? Who is buying this stuff? What do their homes look like? I'm surfing on craigslist for some nice vintage finds but all I come across are horrors beyond horrors masquerading as couches. I can't imagine any of that stuff in a home. Although our apartment is fully furnished, it is awash with birch-coloured Ikea stuff; it's pretty sickening. You know how it is: cheapo, vaguely attractive stuff you get because you're not really settled yet. I guess I'm still not settled so perhaps new furniture isn't such a good idea. Nonetheless...

Everything is great about the new apartment except for these vertical blinds on the huge living/dining room windows that make this place reminiscent of some 80s era bungalow out in the burbs.

The offending "window treatments" + Ikea furniture:



Thing is, window treatments are expensive to replace too--and we're just renters!

(There was a really gorgeous, gorgeous Georgian-era style sofa with new patterned white+sage upholstery on CL a few months back. Ah, if only I can find something like that again. It was only $400 or so too!)

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Mobile: Dino Egg

The juicy, fleshy centre. Mmm.

The marketing whizzes of the pluots did well with the "Dinosaur Egg" name. As a younger child, these labels made pluots highly desirable. Yum!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Mobile: Canadian Geese

Hey you silly things, go back to canada

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Chicago needs ramen

One thing Chicago really lacks is a proper ramen outpost. A quick search on yelp.com reveals only a couple of asian supermarkets way out that serve the stuff or some place in the loop with a 1-star rating. Ugh. Figure it out, restauranteurs!

Friday, August 17, 2007

Passport blues no more

Oh yeah, I picked up my passport. I feel like a free woman.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Passport blues

Sent in my passport application to the Canadians at the end of May/early June so it's been about two months. No word and no charge on the credit card I used to pay for the processing fee. Find out that my credit card's security has been compromised. Citibank is sending me a new one in the mail and my old one will become inactive very soon. Thus, once the Canadians get their shit together and finally start processing my application, it will be a bust since the credit card will get DENIED!

This is a nightmare. My trip is coming around the corner and if this application is denied, there is no way (given how bloody slow the canucks are) I will be able to get a passport in time! Before you get on my case and ask me about expedited applications, the Canadians, bless their lazy, socialist souls, don't have any! The best they have is sending the application via courier to a slightly different address than the "regular" one sent via regular mail.

So I'm in dialogues with the local consulate. Hopefully they will be able to provide some sort light in the hole in which I am currently finding myself.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Mobile: Broad Daylight



Cooling off with some hefeweizen at a public park in broad daylight. Is this legal? As long as it's concealed, right? The moms with the kids were none too pleased. Also, not helping the caloric situation. Guess where I am.

Trailmix is the biggest fraud of our lives

Feeling a little unsatisfied with the soup + salad from lunch, I opted to get a small snack from the vending machine. It was a toss up between an Almond Joy* and a small (emphasis on small) bag of trail mix. Ultimately, I was swayed by the trail mix's inclusion of dehydrated apples. I do love dehydrated apples.

Knowing that nothing produced from a vending machine can ever be considered healthy, I was prepared to incur the wrath of said trail mix's nutritional label. However, as prepared as I thought I was, nothing could assuage my shock that said small baggy contained 500 freakin' calories of horror! That's pretty much an entire meal containing all five food groups right there (and a meal, I would have much rather had).

I shrugged and ate two thirds of it before conning my podmate to take the rest of the bag.

What a waste. I'm still hungry. And 333 calories fatter. That could have been a big, loaded, veggie egg white omelet with a side of bacon. Instead, it was two dinky handfuls of nasty trailmix.


* Admittedly, Almond Joys are not exactly diet food either, but I was prepared to eat only one half of the Almond Joy duo of goodness and give the other one away thereby making it a small and not-quite-as-caloric snack.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Autobots, Pandor!



Facebook graffiti kindly drawn pour moi.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Candy Thief

I purchased a bag of York Peppermint Patties a week ago and stuck them in the freezer of the break room. Today, there were only THREE left, and I've only had a couple. Someone's a peppermint patty thief. I am contemplating various ways to get back at the thief. Suggestions?

Tactic One: Inject some exlax into the peppermint patty core. Rewrap nicely and replace in bag.

Tactic Two: Write post-it note saying, "To the eater(s) of the peppermint patties: It has come to my attention that said peppermint patties were imported from China and contain toxic materials. A recall order has been placed. Please seek medical attention immediately."

Tactic Three: Write post-it note saying, "To the unintended benefactor(s) of the bag of peppermint patties: Please replace the bag. Thank you."

Tactic Four, suggested by colleague: Write post-it note saying, "To the peppermint patty thief: I am but a lowly analyst making minimum wage. Get your own damned $2 bag of candy!"

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Heads, heads everywhere..

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Life and Death in the PRC

In recent weeks, it seemed like every day there was a new "Most Emailed Article" on NYTimes.com about how some-such Chinese food/drug product was being recalled. It started with the dog food, then livestock feed, then the toothpaste, then the toy Thomas the tank engine trains painted with lead paint. China just can't catch a break, and neither could the former head of State Food and Drug Administration. I use the past-tense "could" because the former head of the State FDA is now deceased: executed after a very brief trial and denied appeals. Article - New York Times

When I first read the headline I thought, "Executed?? No, no, they must mean they fired him." No, it meant he was executed (details are not available but I guess assumption is that he was shot by a firing squad). It was a stark reminder of how different the dictatorial government of the east is in comparison to our slap-on-the-wrists attitude in the United States. The man took some bribes; what US government official hasn't? (In fact, what Chinese government official hasn't?)

In many ways, I am deeply disturbed by his execution. The point, the article states, was that the government wanted to send the message that it would not take these little missteps lightly. He shamed the nation and had to pay. Instead, the only message I hear is that China is a scary place. I am a China-apologist. You know, heritage and all, ... but I just can't condone this action! If there is one thing I hate, it's hypocrisy. And how hypocritical to throw him to the wolves while the rest get fat on their corruption.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Mobile: Torrential Rains

Ugh i have to go home in that? Two days in a row now. Good thing for patent leather.

Sweat-Free Summer

Last year at the Pitchfork Music Festival, dedicated hipsters wore skin-tight jeans and layered tops in the 105 degree temperatures. I was exhausted and falling over from heat stroke and there they were, hair shellacked across their foreheads and all. Really? How do they do it? And some nary had a dewy glow! What is the secret, oh hipsters, oh hipsters?

This past weekend of 100 degree temps really had me drenched. Dewy summer glow doesn't look like a dewy glow; no, it looks like the greasy face of a disgruntled thai prostitute. (May those photos never surface).

Think cool thoughts.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Real Life; Virtual Life

If all else is lost, there is always the internet. From the NYTimes Magazine: Reality vs. Virtual Reality

Thursday, June 28, 2007

I am going to Injah

(So it wasn't plum after all)

Dear old friend, Mitu, is going to be a married. Marrieds are a strange breed, but thankfully, she won't be one for another year and a half. This was just a teaser--a little engagement party. I think I will go to Injah for the real deal though. Goa, December 2008! Be there or be square!

I must say, it is both strange and exhilerating to hang out with old high school friends. Possum made a freaking baby with her own flesh!!!!!!

Here are photos from the engagement party at the Natural Science Museum by Dallas:

Beautiful colours

The oh-so-happy couple

I lovers my dress It is paired with a pale
coral snakeskin clutch (not seen here)


Possum displays her shots. (She has a freakin' baby boy!!!)

The event was held at a Natural Science Museum/Sanctuary
where the cute little Mr. Tarantula made his home. While he
would be far from "cute" in my bedroom, he's pretty cute out
in the wild, doing his little tarantula thing.

Holy crap! They still make ZIMA! Don't get your hopes up.
It's It's totally not as good, and I was a damned connosieur.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Rewind, Repeat

So seriously--how many times can people have the same exchange of dialogue? Whenever I catch myself engaging in one of these conversations, I want to shoot myself.

Person 1: Hi! How are you?
Person 2: Great, you?
Person 1: Great! The weather is great!
Person 2: Yeah, but I think it's going to rain this weekend.
Person 1: Oh dear. It always rains on the weekend! Ha ha.
Person 2: Ha ha.
OR...
Person 1: Hi, how are you?
Person 2: Great--it's [insert day if its "Hump Day", Thursday, or Friday]. We're almost at the weekend!
Person 1: Ho ho!
Alternatively...
Person 1: Hi, how are you?
Person 2: Well, it's only [insert Monday or Tuesday]. Have a few more days to go before the weekend!
Person 1: Ho ho!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Mobile: In Transit

On the plane. Weather in dfw means sitting on the runway indefinitely. The dude next to me is reading "thank god i had a gun; true stories of self protection". Ah texas.

An Alternative Black

Black: the colour of my heart and fabrics that are as timeless as they are slimming.

But they've started to make for a boring closet. I have numerous "little black dresses"--some not quite so little and others that could use a little more. And while these "little black dresses" are lovely and wonderful and always a stand-by favourite when there is "nothing to wear!", I've lately come to pushing past them in my closet looking for better things to wear.

The altnernative: the little plum dress.

Pony has one, and let me tell you: the right shade of plum does wonders for all skin tones! Being that plum (or purple) is a mix of red and blue, it can play off both the warm and cool. Also, being that plum is neither black or brown, all those black and brown accessories would go nicely. Gosh, what a great colour. It livens up the spirits.

Now I just need to find me a nice "little plum dress" to wear to a wedding this weekend.

I'll be writing from Texas, ya'll.