The Vow And Always Meeting Back At Thierry

On a super dreary, miserable, rainy Friday afternoon, I trekked down to downtown to meet up with Wendy and Karen. Downtown is not my most favorite place to go on an ugly evening especially during rush hour, but hanging out with some of my bestests somehow overrides it all. As I'm slowly weaving my way through small streets in hopes to get downtown in record time (because God forbid that I'm late meeting up with punctual Wendy), I'm listening to some of my favorite David Choi tunes. It calms me somehow. Made it in record time indeed. I have my mystery back road to downtown during rush hour that never fails me.

We had a quick dinner at Guu Thurlow. Why we picked one of the most busiest and smallest restaurants in downtown when we're in a rush... who knows. We spent more time waiting for a table than eating, but the food was so yum. I always enjoy dinner time with these two 'cause the craziest conversations come out of them... so much so that I wish we weren't in a rush to go watch a movie. 

But, Wendy was set on watching The Vow. And it had to be that day. And nothing was getting in her way of it. We already made her wait an extra week trying to coordinate our schedule to watch it together. 

Of course, Wendy being Wendy wanted us to buy tickets in advance... while Karen and I laughed at her anxiousness, and said, "You seriously think The Vow's going to sell out?". 

........ who told anyone to listen to Karen and I anyway?? 

Yes. We made it in time to the theatres to find out that it was indeed full. 

"OMG, I AM READY TO MURDER SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!", said Wendy. 

She didn't mean any one of us. She meant anyone. Karen and I looked at each other and then looked at her. Leave it to Wendy to become melodramatic over missing out on a rom-com. Karen and I laughed. "Who would have thought that they would be full." 

Luckily, we were suppose to watch the 8pm show. And there was still the 10pm show left. "Did you want to watch the 10pm show then?", Karen proposing the question to Wendy. 

"YES. WE ARE WATCHING THE 10PM. WE ARE WATCHING THE VOW TODAY!!". 

So, we were left with two hours to kill. I'm not sure where we killed time before Thierry opened, 'cause it's now starting to become routine to always end up back at that same place. With a birthday party inside, we were forced to sit outside. Under covers and a heating lamp, it was probably better anyway. So on a cold, dreary and miserable winter night... we missed our movie and ended up hanging outside. And even so, we're always in good spirits.

Fuzziness is what you get when trying to take a photo too quick.

Wendy kept complaining about her soggy socks. The rain had soaked through her pants and socks leaving her super uncomfortable. "I really don't want to sit through the movie with my wet socks. I know, I'll take off my shoes during the movie and air them out." 

Karen and I then argued about who should be the lucky one to sit next to her.

"Why don't we go to the Bay and you can buy some clean, dry socks?" Karen proposed.

So, right before the movie, we ended up at Roots. Wendy had to choose one of the most expensive pair of socks out of the most expensive place (that was still open). She rolls like that. And to boot, (or, to socks), she had to pick these. 

The most colourful socks to mismatch her neon yellow and grey runners. And wore them hiked up just like that. I doubt Wendy's fashion sense will become the next trend setter. 

But then again, The Vow did sell out.

Korean Food Night

Few weeks ago...

On a whim, we decided to do a Korean Food Night. We would pick a Korean dish (or two), and we would make whatever we chose... mostly in one kitchen. Just another excuse for the gals to hang out, share some cooking recipes and tips, and of course, devour good food. 

This is what I started off with. A marinate for my bulgogi. To be honest, before I started researching recipes for bulgogi, I didn't really know exactly what it was. I just knew that bulgogi is a Korean dish and had something to do with meat. 

The place to hit up for Korean ingredients would of course be a Korean supermarket. I chose H-Mart (just because I happened to be in the area of one). Got myself some ribeye.

Marinated my meat two hours prior to heading over to Kat's.

When you go to a Korean restaurant, very often, they will give you a starter side dish of this potato dish. There are times that I'd like it so much that I wish it was more than just a side dish. Kat chose to make these potatoes... and since we decide on our portions, umm... let's just say the potatoes was enough to feed a family.

Kat concentrates on making her Japchae just right. Starting off with the colourful vegetables.

This is what the potato noodles look like before cooked.

The finished product! Doesn't that look so good?? (One of my favorite Korean dishes).

My turn. Made Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake). 

Ta-da!

Made a little dipping sauce on the side.

Then it was Bran's turn. 

A little bit spicy and a lot of yummy!

While Bran was at the stove, I was at the grill. Bulgogi coming right up.

Super flavourful marinate. (I made it again the next day and bro also liked it). 

Bran also made a second starters side dish. The seaweed one. Mmm....

Some things we learned : Korean food is pretty easy to make. Everyone's food was super yummy. We made so much food, we called a few friends to come over to feast. Another thing we learned, Korean dishes are almost always sprinkled with sesame seeds.

It was one successful night! So much fun spending hours cooking up a storm in the kitchen with the girls.

At the end of the night, Kat had goodie bags for all of us. The last time I got a farewell goodie bag was probably at someone's birthday party in elementary school. I got the same delightful feeling as I did when I once got those as a kid.  What could be inside?

Here it is! A Korean soap, David Choi (korean youtube singer) CD, and some Korean face masks. Hostess with the mostess! Thanks Kat :)

Been A Little Busy

There are days when you find you don't have anything else to do but chores. And then there are other days when you feel a little bit extra creative, inspired or motivated. What was suppose to be a quick drop-by-and-say-hi to a friend turned into a four hour long macaron making class. I loved all the little tips and secrets that Kat taught me, and much of it was time, patience and precision. Making macarons perfectly is no easy feat! It isn't fast either.

So, just a little tidbit of what I've been up to. So many more posts and photos coming up. I've been updating my blog in a not so chronological matter. Depends on the photos I have on hand. Either from my cameras or my phone. Depends on the length of what I write. Depends on when I decide to hit the "publish" button. So, if you are so inclined to read every post... I've been posting randomly from December 2011 till now. You can click around those three months and see what you've missed.

Broken Conversation

Me : All this buzz about Jeremy Lin
Me : (Watching youtube video of Jeremy Lin playing) Can you play bball like he does when you play on the weekend??  (purposely asking a stupid question) Maybe you're so tall because you're meant to be a basketball player just like Jeremy Lin but you missed your calling.
Ming : He's on a roll...
Ming : But he has a high turnover vs. assist ratio
Ming : and... you won't understand what I'm talking about ...
Me : LIN-SANITY!!
Ming : ...turnover means giving up the ball to the other team due to your own error

Perhaps that's why we get along. We're not listening to each other half the time and talking to ourselves while believing the other IS listening. There's a whole lot of "Are you listening to me??" from both parties.

Always answered with a "I always listen to you".

Christmas... Or Horlick, In A Cup

Even though our winter has been mild, the nights have been still pretty cold. I was comfortable in my bum clothes, and layers of it too, but still needed to pull my thickest wool jacket over me like a blanket. And even then, my hands were almost numb. I made a brief comment, "Gee, it's cold tonight." Moments later, I've forgotten. I was too engulfed into my TV show. The Walking Dead has finally come back after their prolonged Christmas break and I was excited.

So much so that I didn't realize Ming had left the room and come back. It wasn't until a commercial break that I noticed a cup placed right in front of me. "Is this mine?".

Without turning away from his computer screen, (probably checking his facebook or redflagdeals.com for the millionth time), he said, "Yup."

Ahh, it was hot, hot, hot and creamy Horlick. I could feel my fingers again after wrapping hands around the cup. I was content before, but now I was also warm and cozy.

Hmm, I didn't even have to ask. Y'know, despite all the grief he puts me through with all the horrible name-calling and teasing, and jokes he throws at me that make me shake my head while he chuckles to himself... he can be a nice guy.

( But... maybe I should stop letting him read my blog. 'Cause after more than one  different occasion, he would intentionally or unintentionally do something nice, and then say, "see, small gestures". (Re : "Small gestures" post. ) Buddy, you don't have to say it... ).

Rubens Chocolates

Some call these chocolate. Some call these art. Some call these chocolate art. 

I call these dangerous. 

Y'know, my favorite is still a good ol' piece of plain milk or dark chocolate. Although I enjoy and eat pretty much any chocolate under the sun (minus the flavoured-cream filling ones), my favorite is still a plain ol' piece of milk or dark chocolate. Lindt balls. Dove. Ahh, you name it. 

Even though I don't love flavoured chocolates as much as plain chocolates, they are considerably more dangerous. 'Cause... I want to try out all the flavours. Caramel. Vanilla. Citrus. Lavender. Green tea.  Whatever they have inside... 

You pop one, then you want to pop another. Eek. 

Ming's friends should really stop giving him food, sweets and treats. 

Or... I should stop digging into all his edible gifts. 

David Choi at The Rio Theatre

I was excited for this one even though the last YouTube concert was a bust. C'mon, it's David Choi. If you're a YouTube junkie, specifically for independent music artists, you'd know about David Choi. I love his music. And I think that says something when it comes to YouTubers. I love his music. Not the covers that they all seem to do. But music that he wrote and performed himself. Anyway, without much further ado...

A group (which you can also find on YouTube) called New Heights opened for him. I've never heard of them before tonight but glad that I did 'cause they're also pretty good. The one on the most right is called Taco. I loved him 'cause he was quite the character. Kat was swooning over their mad guitar skills. Serenading with a guitar is sometimes all a girl needs...

Check out a New Heights video here :

Kat, Bran and I all agreed on really enjoying the opening act put on by New Heights. The night was off to a good start. Other people on our friends list who were also at the concert facebooked the same thoughts.

Then, David Choi came on stage.

I loved every single song he performed from his Forever And Ever album. Some sad. Some joyous. But all amazing. He was entertaining. And real. You know the things he said on stage were not rehearsed, and kinda went with the flow.

Those aren't really empty seats but just that half the room had gone up to the side of the stage.

After the show, I am even more in love with his music. Definitely have to check out getting his album. Glad I made it to this considerably smaller gig as I'm imagining David Choi becoming more and more mainstream. I've already heard his music playing at a supermarket. Go David Choi!

Thanks Bran and Kat for joining me on my YouTube music adventures! Next up... Kina Grannis.

Check out a David Choi original :

No Cancer - A Visit To An ENT Specialist

When I walked into the room, I saw three chairs that I could've taken. Two were right by a desk. And one was on the opposite side of the room and looked something much like a dentist chair. Dr. M asked me, "Why are you so anxious?".

"Do I seem anxious?".

"Well, you're still standing. Why not grab a seat?".

Well which seat do I take?

I was in for an ear cleaning. Nothing major. Dr. had referred me to this ENT (Ears-Nose-Throat) specialist just to be thorough.

He looks into my ears and says, "Holy cow. What have you been doing? Q-tipping?? Are you trying to keep me in business or something?".

Instead of the usual syringing that I've seen and heard, he took out a pair of really long tweezers. "Don't move," he said. "This is going to hurt like hell."

He had me sit in the dentist chair. With my head tilted slightly towards the other way. "What??" I had to ask, unsure if I really heard what he just said.


He repeated himself. "I said DON'T move."

And yah, it hurt. But only for a second. And certainly not to the extreme he put it. Now that I know he's full of sarcasm, I relaxed a bit and subconsciously spoke to him in the same way. "Why the heck did it hurt so much?? What did you do?".

"Did you skip your human anatomy classes?? You have your C2, C3, and C4 nerves running all around here," he said while whirling his fingers around my ears. "Anyway, your ears aren't bad. Practically nothing. Although, I do recommend with any kind of ear cleaning, you come to me. You want to dry your ears after a shower? Use a hairdryer. If you want it clean? You come to me. Got it?".

When the whole process was done, I was ready to get up and go. He then swivels the chair so that I'm now facing him, and tells me to tilt back my head. He proceeds to stick something metal up my nose. He then was  about to squirt something in my nose, when I interrupted him. "Can I ask what this is for?".

"I'm an ear, nose, throat specialist. Of course, I gotta check all of them. You'd be surprised how many Asians get nasal and throat cancer. Most of the time, asymptomatic. Best to catch it early and save your life." Wait, how did getting my ears cleaned turn into screening for cancer?

"And what is this you're sticking in my nose?".

"Xylocaine. C'mon, pharmacist. You see this stuff all the time."

True. Only, never used on myself. Xylocaine is an anesthetic. So automatically, I asked, "Xylocaine? Is this going to hurt?".

"No. Because I'm using xylocaine." And he proceeds to squirt the gel into my nose. Then instructed me to snort it in. I was wary but then the thought of not getting enough xylocaine inside may result in more pain made me sniff harder. He then stuck a long, thin tube done my nostril going towards my throat. He did the same thing on the other side. Surprisingly, the whole process was not as bad as it sounds. The worse part was the numbing feeling all around the nose area of my face.

"Good. You don't have cancer."

Well, great to hear. I was ready to say thank you and run out the door before he springs any more surprises on me. But he then walks me towards a closed door, and goes "Now you're in trouble."

The whole talk about the "C" word put my head in a whirlwind for a moment so I was a little disoriented to which door was which. I thought he was walking me back out of the office. But, I walked through the door to find myself in another room full of equipment.

He then made me sit in a tiny closet of a room with a window and told me to put on headphones. Ahh, a hearing test. Haven't had these since elementary school.

Result? I have a bit of hearing loss. He says it's a bit surprising with my young age. I was thinking to myself, with all the headphones and concerts, is it really? He asks if hearing loss runs in my family.

Yup. My dad is hard of hearing.

"Well you can thank your dad for that then," he commented. Apparently, it has all to do with genetics.

"Can I go now?". I was certainly ready to.

Overall, I was glad he was thorough and went beyond what I went in for, and his crazy sarcasm helped to ease the uncomfortable topic of cancer and hearing loss ... but, what an experience.

Snowshoeing On Mt. Seymour

I managed to scrape  the back of my foot with my boots on the walk up from where we parked to the lodge where we picked up our snowshoes. While patching up my cut with a bandaid, I somehow managed to cut my finger. Then... I lost my toque. Or so I thought. I also thought I lost Jen's gloves. The ones she told me to help her hold on to. All of that before we even made it to pick up our snowshoes. Might as well get all the mishaps over with.

After an hour or so of waiting, we finally picked up our snowshoes.

We strapped them on and are ready to go.

Finally hitting the trails.

Our beautiful playground. We are pretty lucky to get this so close to home.

Ming leading the way.

It was a pretty busy day up at Mt. Seymour. The weather was absolutely perfect. Glad I spent the morning enjoying the great outdoors and the crisp and cool winter air. It was a good workout even though the hills were no where near the infinite climb we did at Mt. Baker a few years ago with hardcore Freddie and company. A great day for snowshoeing.

On the way back to the car, I almost walked into a rusty pole that was sticking out of a truck. Would have smashed my face into it had my friends not yelled out, "WATCH OUT!". 

Ahh, mishaps aside... it was a good day.

The Keg and Jason Chen

This was the reason why we ended up at the Keg. 

I had to take a photo of Kat's stack of gift cards. She chose the Keg so we could use up her Keg card. Didn't realize it was Dine Out Vancouver until we got there... so we thought, what the hey. Might as well. 

I know about Kobe beef and Wagyu...  and Gotham's and Joe Forte's. But when I want steak, I always go to the Keg. And for me, they never disappoint. I love it. Au naturale. Their creamy mashed potatoes... and that ice cream dessert... oh my goodness, absolutely to die for. Don't believe me? Seriously, you gotta try that dessert (which is on their regular menu). We quickly fell into a food coma, but were alert enough to make our way to the Vancouver Croation Centre for Jason Chen's concert. 

If you haven't heard of Jason Chen, he is a YouTuber from the States. He does many song covers over YouTube, and I've listened to his songs and watched his videos enough to want to buy a ticket and attend his concert in Vancouver. I dragged Kat and Bran along. 

Sad to report however, his concert just did not deliver. The opening act was longer than the actual concert... if you can even call it a concert. (The first opening act was good though. Unfortunately, I didn't catch his name. All I remember was that he's Italian and likes to drench balsamic vinegar in everything he eats). Jason Chen might have sang all of two full songs, and snippets of a few other songs here and there. I'm surprised he charged people admission for a show that was obviously not really well prepared. Very disappointing. 

(He didn't even play one of his originals like this one!)

But... at least I got to hang out with my girls.

Where's The Remote?

This drawer was, and still is, apparently meant for remote controls.

I had to take a picture of the "Ken-Ken Prepared Cuttlefish" because it claims it's the chewing gum of the orientals.

This was seconds before Ming said, "Don't take a picture of my drawer" and pushed it closed. He will probably shake his head when he reads this post.

And I'll shake my head right back when he claims he doesn't have that much junk food.