Another few blinks of an eye, and we're at Week 8! Pretty crazy stuff. Yesterday night, I enrolled in my classes for next quarter. It's a pretty stressful process, I must say, so I'm glad it's over...for another 10 weeks. And then the whole cycle starts up again....
Today, I wanted to talk about something that I'm very passionate about. It's an unbelievably important and significant topic: the price of higher education. Like so many other students, the cost of education has been rising consistently over the past decades, which is making higher education more and more inaccessible to many people. I have a very big problem with this, as I do not at all agree with the fact that education has become a huge privilege rather than a right, as a result of its absurd prices.
Anyway, I mean to be more specific. My blog post for today pertains only to the UC system. Let me give you a simple breakdown: last week, the UC Regents proposed a 5% tuition increase over the next 5 years, which will continue until the tuition for all UC schools (including graduate schools) has been increased by 27.7%.
As an out-of-state student at UCLA, I'm already paying WAY more than in-state students from California. OOS/International tuition fees are going to be EVEN higher. That's rising from around 35K to 41K, just to attend school here. I don't even think-- I KNOW that this price increase is absolutely absurd.
This doesn't just apply to us, the current students in the UC system. It applies to all future students who are interested in going to any school in the UC system, either for undergraduate or graduate school. So many more people are going to have EVEN larger struggles with student loans and paying off college debts.
Needless to say, the effects of this tuition increase are absolutely massive and awful in the long run.
The UC Regents, including Janet Napolitano, the head of the UC Regents Board, held a meeting at UC San Francisco on Wednesday to vote on this proposal. This is another issue because of the inaccessibility of UCSF. Although the UC Regents are supposed to bounce around from UC to UC, these meetings have been held here in SF for the past 5 years, because if they came here to SoCal, we'd probably be so good at protesting that they wouldn't be able to discuss anything without constant disruptions and rallies.
Anyways, UCLA held a protest last Tuesday, where we marched to all of the major parts of campus, chalked and flyer-ed the hell out of campus, and held a sit-in at Chancellor Block's office in order to demonstrate our discontent and anger over his approval for this tuition hike. I attended the protest and helped the chalking team write lots of big messages on walls and slabs of concrete the night before.
UCLA students weren't stopping there. To make their voices heard, they were traveling up to UCSF that Tuesday night to make it to San Francisco on Wednesday morning, just in time to join the student protests at UCSF with the rest of the UC schools.
We would be driving all through the night to make it in time, since the UC Regents purposefully made such a late public announcement about this meeting that it was extremely difficult to mobilize in time.
That Tuesday, I made a snap decision to join the UCLA delegation going to SF. This was such a great opportunity to raise my voice about something that I truly felt strongly about. Not only did I witness student activism in action, but I also wanted to be a part of it! I wanted to be able to say, "Yes. I took every opportunity that I could in college. I fought as hard as I could to create better opportunities for current and future students. Was I there in SF when students were protesting? Yes, in fact, I was!"
The only thing keeping me from immediately jumping on board was my Philosophy discussion at 10 am on Wednesday morning. After emailing her, my TA actually encouraged me to "go and fight the good fight", saying that she would be happy to fill me in once I got back! With this reassurance, I was officially cleared to go!
I emailed the USAC EVP office to reserve a spot, and then began rapidly making preparations for this trip from SoCal to NorCal. Thus, after my USAC meeting that night, I showered quickly, packed a backpack of essentials, and met the rest of the delegation at Kerckhoff Hall.
Let me just say this: Going to SF is no easy feat, my friends. I thought that we would be taking buses there, as the drive is around 6-7 hours long.
Well, there was the first caveat: we would be driving ourselves. In cars, like large SUVs.
Okay, so that's interesting...I guess I'll sign up to drive then! I have a license and I've been driving our family's SUVs for a number of years. If you need drivers, I'll volunteer as tribute!
Second caveat: You can drive, Melissa? GREAT! Here's the keys...to an 8-PERSON VAN. Go crazy, girl!
Hmmm....well I've never driven a van before. I've never driven in the state of California before. And we're doing this at night. Are we sure you want me to drive? Okay....?
.....and that's basically how it came to be that I ended up driving a massive white pedophile van with 6 other college students inside, from around 12:30 am to 4 am on California's lovely freeways. Hahaha. I'm very glad everyone in my van is alive and well. That's a rather large understatement.
So I drove over half of the way, and then a girl in our van from UCSD drove the rest of the way. She was...a less than stellar driver who thought it'd be fun to freak the hell out of me the whole time and play with her numerous braids while driving. Sometimes, she wouldn't even have her hands on the steering wheel, cause she was undoing a braid. Like, really??
Sorry for giving you multiple heart attacks right now, Mom. I'm okay, don't worry.
On the drive there, I got to know the people who had randomly jumped into my van. I was the only UCLA student, as well as the only first-year in our van. Everyone else was from UCSD or UC Irvine or a community college nearby. I was at first confused by why they were dedicating themselves to such an arduous student protest, but they later said grimly that they were planning on transferring to a UC school.
We stopped twice at gas stations on the drive over for snack and bathroom breaks. Once our van rolled into SF, then came the process of finding UCSF, which proved extremely difficult as well. It was freezing cold and raining, for one thing. Also, we had parked in the medical district of UCSF, which meant that we were NOWHERE near the Mission Bay campus, which was where the protest was being held.
It wasn't anyone's fault; we had simply driven to the address that we were given. However, it required me taking charge and asking business people walking by about how to get to the actual protest. We had to get on a shuttle, and then drive around 45 minutes to get to freaking Mission Bay. Not fun. At all.
So once we got our cold and tired little butts over to the rest of the crowds, it was finally time to protest. People were angry about this tuition increase, to say the least. Students from all UCs had come to protest.
There were a few problems though. First of all, a bunch of people deviated from the original plan that UCSA (The UC Students Association) had organized and set up, which made our presence a lot less effective. Instead of following a specific sequence to give public comment, then march, and then storm the building, a lot of people just went straight to storming the building, which is when a student got arrested and the police smashed a window trying to restore order.
Anyways, here's a brief summary of what happened: we stood in front of the building chanting for a while, with police men in riot gear staring back at us stoically. Then we broke off into smaller groups based on our individual UCs, and heard a lot of students raise their voices and make their opinions heard. Then, there was more chanting and protesting in front of a different entrance to the building, in which people got more riled up and heated.
Lunch (and breakfast as well for all of us starving protestors who hadn't eaten anything yet) was finally served around 1 pm. Fresh from the trunk of one of our UCLA cars, we had granola bars, bananas, water, an assortment of chips, and more granola bars. I was thankful for anything I could get my hands on; I was starved.
A kind person who was part of the protest ordered the largest pile of pizzas I've ever seen. Seriously. There were probably over 60 boxes of pizza. It was crazy. My friends and I found a dry sidewalk underneath a car garage to sit and eat our food like groveling homeless people. Since all of the building had locked down, there were no bathrooms or seats in the area that we could use. Thus, everyone found a random sidewalk or section of pavement and called it home for the next few hours.
As bad as our time at UCSF sounded, I had a lot of fun bonding with my friends during this time, and I'm truly glad that I went. My best friends from the SF trip became: Andrew and Chloe (fellow OP interns), Sanjana (Andrew's friend and fellow first-year), Tony (a fellow first-year), and Christine (a third-year). I really didn't have any attachment to the people in my van, since they were all UCSD or UCI students. Plus, they had dissed UCLA last night a few times before they realized that their (ahem), DRIVER, was a UCLA student. Bad move.
After lunch ended, we stayed for a few more hours before we headed out. By then, all of the news anchors had showed up and were interviewing students. It was great to watch other protestors make our case to local news channels.
The Berkeley group actually left first, on their coach bus, which is so ironic. They're supposed to be these effective, amazing protestors, and yet their supervisors actually told them that if they did anything stupid that got them in trouble, they wouldn't have a ride back to campus. And then they took off early before the Regents decision was actually released. Professional protestors? Really?
Eventually, everyone headed out after the decision was announced: the Regents (obviously) passed the proposal, 7-2. So it wasn't even close. Which is sad, but it's even sadder that I wasn't surprised by the decision. Time to go home, boys!
My group and I found the SUV (I was able to ditch the non-UCLA group, thank God) and then headed back. Tony and I got the trunk space to (kind of) stretch out and take naps. It was so interesting to drive back down to SoCal...I was able to really get a glimpse of the terrain here, which is so incredibly different from that of New England and what I'm used to. The amount of land here is immense. It's also so FLAT and brown. There were these massive hills on our right, that didn't have an inch of green-ness on it. Just windmills.
It was weird, I had this strange moment where I was just hit by the reality of the fact that I'm not nearly anywhere close to home right now. I am, and always have been, completely out of my element here. It hasn't been a bad thing, but it's just easy to forget sometimes when you're on campus at UCLA all the time.
Here, out on the freeway somewhere between SF and LA, I was finally reminded of this truth. And I was proud of myself for coming out here. It's been an amazing, trying, indescribable ride so far.
Well, we made it back to campus eventually, thank the Lord. I truly am thankful, from the bottom of my heart, for everyone making it to and from SF safely. There were a HUGE collection of things that could have gone wrong during the 7 hours of teenagers driving other teenagers. However, we all got back in one piece, which is incredibly important.
I'm so thankful for the memories and friends that I made, and I'm proud to be able to say that I did as much as I possibly could to stop the tuition increase from happening. It really is important, as it affects so many people.
ALSO, it is Thanksgiving today, so happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! I'm chilling in San Diego (first Thanksgiving away from my family! Hollah...) with some family friends. It was too short of a break and too expensive of plane tickets to go home for real, so I'm hanging out in San Diego and exploring a new part of SoCal for this year.
Not to worry though, I'm going home in like, 3 weeks anyways. So it really isn't all that bad. I'm excited to finally go home soon....it should be a crime to be separated from my cat for this long.
I'm thankful for so much. This year, especially, I think, because there's so much that has been going on. Honestly, it means so much to me that I'm at UCLA, able to take these amazing classes and pursue my dreams. Even though it may be difficult or stressful at times, I am blessed with the most amazing support system. My family and friends are more than I could ever ask for, and I have such an incredible community.
If any of you are reading this, I have so much love for all of you and I'm sorry I can't be with you this Thanksgiving, but I'm 100% there with you in spirit. Thank you for everything. I am so, so grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving <3
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
So...it's already Week 5 of Classes?
Whoa. It's been a long time since I've done any blogging. I feel really awful, sorry for completely checking out! I've been navigating my way through the first few weeks of college, and I can honestly say that things have been ridiculously hectic. So many other things have taken priority. Examples?
Well, I had a math midterm the third week of college, papers due around the same time, and readings the length of novels assigned in my classes.
That's the quarter system for ya, folks.
Anyways, after a few hours in Powell (one of our main libraries on campus) finishing an outline for tomorrow, I figured I could use an extended break and fill y'all in on what's been happening in my life lately.
CLASSES & ACADEMICS
Up first for this post: the most fun topic, duh!
So, I started this 1st quarter taking:
Math 31A (Differential and Integral Calculus),
An Introduction to Philosophy of the Mind (Phil 7),
and a General Education Cluster called Interracial Dynamics in American Society and Culture.
I'll be honest with you, I've got nothing to hide. Math turned out to be a huge wake-up call for me. I didn't take calculus during my senior year of high school, since I knew that I was not going to be even going close to math or engineering, career-wise. Instead, I decided to load up on almost every other AP class my school offered (throughout high school, I took Chinese, Biology, US History, Spanish, English Lit, Microeconomics, Psychology, Government & Politics, and Statistics) that I thought would be more useful to me in the future.
It was really, really freaking hard to jump into a fast-paced, quarter-system-style, calculus class where everyone except for me had already gotten an introduction to calculus in high school. Yep, Pre-calc just wasn't gonna cut it when we covered limits and derivatives in about a week or two. The professor was really nice and fair, but it was really hard to understand him in lecture because he would go off on a lot of math-related tangents.
Professor: "Isn't it so cool how the limit laws can be connected to physics as well through these proofs??"
Students: *Crickets*
The reason why I'd decided to try 31A was because it was one of the first math pre-requisite courses I needed for Econ if I wanted to double major in Psych and Econ. However, through this very preliminary run through calculus, I kind of realized how much math was going to be involved in Econ. So I took a step back and seriously reevaluated what my plan was. I didn't think I could be happy (or even successful) with Economics.
It took me a ridiculously terrible midterm in math to realize all this, but I finally decided to drop the class and move away from Econ. My parents were obviously freaked out that I dropped a class my first quarter of college...and they had every right to be.
"Dropping out?? That's like what you do when you realize you're failing every class! Are you even going to be able to graduate, Melissa???"
I was pretty scared too. This was NOT what I'd expected for my first quarter of college. College kind of slapped me in the face, and I learned how hard I'd have to work to do well at a school like UCLA. To be blunt, this sh** isn't gonna be easy.
However, my mom and I talked it over with an academic counselor and I feel like I definitely made the right choice. I know which classes I'm choosing next quarter, and I'll be completely on track with what I want to do even with my dropped class. Also, I don't want my GPA to get destroyed this first year...and there's no point in struggling through a class that won't even help me if I don't use it towards my major.
Okay! On to the next class: Philosophy.
I've never taken a philosophy class, and I have to say: it's a lot more challenging than I thought. I mean, I always knew there were a lot of existential questions that philosophers tackled, but just getting your head wrapped around these ideas and theories that we've been covering is difficult. We're currently talking about the different theories on the relationship between the mind and body (interactionist dualism, physicalism, and naturalist dualism). I really feel like I've learned a lot in this class, which of course is great.
The professor is a really fascinating character to me, and I definitely am not the only one who feels this way. He's really young (late twenties, early thirties), hails from Vermont, and dresses like a skater dude. Both of his ears are pierced, and his regular outfit to class is a pair of skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and high-top sneakers. I guess it's not as surprising that he teaches philosophy, but I'm still intrigued and ridiculously impressed.
My GE Cluster is also a class that I find very interesting. This whole interracial dynamics is something that I've always wanted to learn about, and by taking this class year round, I'm getting more GE units, as well as knocking out the Writing II requirement for graduation. The topics we talk about in class are things that I can actually discuss afterwards on my own time with friends and classmates. To incorporate some SoCal vocab I should probably start using, race is "hella" important.
The only downsides to this class are the 2-hour long discussion sections and the amount of reading we have to do each week. That being said, I'm slowly learning to endure through discussion by talking and participating more, as well as making friends in my section. It's not as awful now.
Also, I don't really mind doing all the readings. It kind of reminds me of the Harvard glory days when I had to do sit in Annenberg, doing piles after piles of readings for Psych and International Law. God, do I miss Annenberg. Powell is beautiful, it really is, but it doesn't even come close to the majestic qualities and grandeur of Annenberg. *Sigh wistfully*
There are 4 professors that teach the class: Stevenson, Ortiz, Matsumoto, and Decker. I've actually ranked them here in terms of my personal preference, except Ortiz and Matsumoto are kind of tied (Matsumoto hasn't actually lectured yet, so I can't really judge how much I like her yet. She seems really nice, though). Decker is...boring and monotonous, to put it nicely. I just don't like the way he does his lectures. It's not exciting or interesting. I love Stevenson, though; she seems like a great person to be friends with. I really want to get to know her better.
We have a huge lecture twice a week, on the Hill, which is really nice because it's way closer to my dorm than most classes. I have my first midterm in the class coming up later in the week, so I'm probably going to start blogging again after I finish that exam. Priorities, people!
Okay, well that's basically it for the low-down on classes and such. I'll cover the many other facets of college life in the next post! Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for checking in! Stay awesome, my friends.
Well, I had a math midterm the third week of college, papers due around the same time, and readings the length of novels assigned in my classes.
That's the quarter system for ya, folks.
Anyways, after a few hours in Powell (one of our main libraries on campus) finishing an outline for tomorrow, I figured I could use an extended break and fill y'all in on what's been happening in my life lately.
CLASSES & ACADEMICS
Up first for this post: the most fun topic, duh!
So, I started this 1st quarter taking:
Math 31A (Differential and Integral Calculus),
An Introduction to Philosophy of the Mind (Phil 7),
and a General Education Cluster called Interracial Dynamics in American Society and Culture.
I'll be honest with you, I've got nothing to hide. Math turned out to be a huge wake-up call for me. I didn't take calculus during my senior year of high school, since I knew that I was not going to be even going close to math or engineering, career-wise. Instead, I decided to load up on almost every other AP class my school offered (throughout high school, I took Chinese, Biology, US History, Spanish, English Lit, Microeconomics, Psychology, Government & Politics, and Statistics) that I thought would be more useful to me in the future.
It was really, really freaking hard to jump into a fast-paced, quarter-system-style, calculus class where everyone except for me had already gotten an introduction to calculus in high school. Yep, Pre-calc just wasn't gonna cut it when we covered limits and derivatives in about a week or two. The professor was really nice and fair, but it was really hard to understand him in lecture because he would go off on a lot of math-related tangents.
Professor: "Isn't it so cool how the limit laws can be connected to physics as well through these proofs??"
Students: *Crickets*
The reason why I'd decided to try 31A was because it was one of the first math pre-requisite courses I needed for Econ if I wanted to double major in Psych and Econ. However, through this very preliminary run through calculus, I kind of realized how much math was going to be involved in Econ. So I took a step back and seriously reevaluated what my plan was. I didn't think I could be happy (or even successful) with Economics.
It took me a ridiculously terrible midterm in math to realize all this, but I finally decided to drop the class and move away from Econ. My parents were obviously freaked out that I dropped a class my first quarter of college...and they had every right to be.
"Dropping out?? That's like what you do when you realize you're failing every class! Are you even going to be able to graduate, Melissa???"
I was pretty scared too. This was NOT what I'd expected for my first quarter of college. College kind of slapped me in the face, and I learned how hard I'd have to work to do well at a school like UCLA. To be blunt, this sh** isn't gonna be easy.
However, my mom and I talked it over with an academic counselor and I feel like I definitely made the right choice. I know which classes I'm choosing next quarter, and I'll be completely on track with what I want to do even with my dropped class. Also, I don't want my GPA to get destroyed this first year...and there's no point in struggling through a class that won't even help me if I don't use it towards my major.
Okay! On to the next class: Philosophy.
I've never taken a philosophy class, and I have to say: it's a lot more challenging than I thought. I mean, I always knew there were a lot of existential questions that philosophers tackled, but just getting your head wrapped around these ideas and theories that we've been covering is difficult. We're currently talking about the different theories on the relationship between the mind and body (interactionist dualism, physicalism, and naturalist dualism). I really feel like I've learned a lot in this class, which of course is great.
The professor is a really fascinating character to me, and I definitely am not the only one who feels this way. He's really young (late twenties, early thirties), hails from Vermont, and dresses like a skater dude. Both of his ears are pierced, and his regular outfit to class is a pair of skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and high-top sneakers. I guess it's not as surprising that he teaches philosophy, but I'm still intrigued and ridiculously impressed.
My GE Cluster is also a class that I find very interesting. This whole interracial dynamics is something that I've always wanted to learn about, and by taking this class year round, I'm getting more GE units, as well as knocking out the Writing II requirement for graduation. The topics we talk about in class are things that I can actually discuss afterwards on my own time with friends and classmates. To incorporate some SoCal vocab I should probably start using, race is "hella" important.
The only downsides to this class are the 2-hour long discussion sections and the amount of reading we have to do each week. That being said, I'm slowly learning to endure through discussion by talking and participating more, as well as making friends in my section. It's not as awful now.
Also, I don't really mind doing all the readings. It kind of reminds me of the Harvard glory days when I had to do sit in Annenberg, doing piles after piles of readings for Psych and International Law. God, do I miss Annenberg. Powell is beautiful, it really is, but it doesn't even come close to the majestic qualities and grandeur of Annenberg. *Sigh wistfully*
There are 4 professors that teach the class: Stevenson, Ortiz, Matsumoto, and Decker. I've actually ranked them here in terms of my personal preference, except Ortiz and Matsumoto are kind of tied (Matsumoto hasn't actually lectured yet, so I can't really judge how much I like her yet. She seems really nice, though). Decker is...boring and monotonous, to put it nicely. I just don't like the way he does his lectures. It's not exciting or interesting. I love Stevenson, though; she seems like a great person to be friends with. I really want to get to know her better.
We have a huge lecture twice a week, on the Hill, which is really nice because it's way closer to my dorm than most classes. I have my first midterm in the class coming up later in the week, so I'm probably going to start blogging again after I finish that exam. Priorities, people!
Okay, well that's basically it for the low-down on classes and such. I'll cover the many other facets of college life in the next post! Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for checking in! Stay awesome, my friends.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Adjusting to Life in SoCal: Orientation
Well aloha, friends! Melissa here, writing to you from the opposite side of the country. It's been a whirlwind of a few days but I've finally gotten a few minutes to sit down and blog about the first few days in California. Boy, has it been interesting.
I've been here for orientation the past few days..today is the final day of Session 111, which is reserved for international and out-of-state students, which means that almost everyone here is unfamiliar with California. To be honest, around 50% of the students seem to be from China, Singapore, Korea, or Japan.
Translation?
Asians. Everywhere.
It's not a bad thing, of course. It's cool to meet so many people from such a variety of places. I've made friends from Russia, France, Singapore, China, New Zealand, Canada, and of course, places in the U.S. I guess our session is a great example of how diverse this school is....which makes me realize just how white Massachusetts (and the rest of New England, I guess) really is.
I mean, in my community, I knew basically all of the Asian families because there really weren't that many. I was the only Asian on my volleyball team, one of the only Asians in my friend groups....I guess it dawned on me when I got here that the place where I grew up was an extremely Caucasian-dominated place.
I feel like I'm in a bit of a weird situation...of course, on the outside, everyone can see that I'm clearly Asian. At the same time, I act and think so much more like the Americans here, not at all like the hundreds of international Asians. It's just weird, I guess. Sometimes I feel like you're automatically judged because of your appearance, but that's nothing new. I'll just have to get used to it.
Orientation so far has been pretty good! I arrived on the 13th for early arrival, and was picked up by my mom's friend and her husband. They live in Irvine, so it wasn't too long of a drive for them to come to LAX and bring me to UCLA.
After checking in at Rieber Hall and moving all of my luggage into my temporary room at Rieber Terrace, we had lunch and then they headed back to Irvine. I spent the next few hours exploring, meeting new people who were just arriving, and walking around with them.
I went into Westwood with a group of friends we roped into joining us, we watched the UCLA/Texas football game in one of the lounges (Although it was a stressful and nerve-wracking game, we came out on top!!), and then headed back to another lounge to congregate with the rest of the Early Arrival kids.
There were a ton of us in that room, and we played some ice breakers with the NSAs (New Student Advisers, who were current upperclassmen at UCLA) and figured out where everyone was from. Then they brought us into Westwood for the night, where everyone either pigged out on Diddy Riese or In-N-Out. Some of my friends and I got bubble tea at a coffee shop nearby, and then joined our other friends who were eating burgers. I am still an In-N-Out virgin, but that cherry will surely be popped soon. It's only a matter of time.
Over the past few days, we've done so so much walking. That's one thing UCLA will do for you: it'll tone and firm your calves, thighs, and butt, no question. Literally, there are hills everywhere, as well as lengthy sets of stairs on the Hill (the residential area of campus), so you're getting a good workout in just by walking from your room to class.
On the first actual day of orientation, we met our NSAs for the next 3 days. My NSA has been Ollie, who's been a lot of fun to hang out with. In our group of 8 students, I am the only American. Everyone else hails from India, China, Canada, Singapore, and Russia. Crazy!
We had a lot of speakers (funny ones, sleep-inducing ones, etc.) that day, welcoming us to orientation and the first year of college. In the afternoon, we explored some of the clubs on campus who'd gathered at dinner to give us more information about joining. I signed up for a bunch of interesting clubs, like Model UN, the Daily Bruin (student newspaper), Running Club, and even Ballroom Dance! We'll see which ones I end up sticking with....
That night, there was a cute show put on by the NSAs called Cabaret, which was essentially a collection of skits, songs, etc. There were a lot of jokes and insults directed towards our rival, USC, and a lot of parodies of well-known pop culture bits, like SNL and Frozen. They also had Club Jamba that night once the show was over, which was like a dance party. We danced for a bit, but it really wasn't all that great or fun, so we left and headed back to the dorms.
Since so much is crammed into every hour, each day has felt like 3 or 4 days. For me, orientation reminds me of summer camp because we get split up into little groups and we get to know each other and walk around carrying identical knapsacks and whatnot...which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's been fun to experience everything with so many people.
The second day of orientation gave us a lot more free time and independence regarding choosing what we wanted to do with our time. There were a bunch of different workshops regarding your major, internships, research, living in America, etc. We had a lot more free time today to choose what we wanted to do.
We also had to meet with our NSA twice on this day in order to figure out our desired class schedule, and also to just get to know them better. I went into Westwood with a few friends that night, and had to sprint back to the Hill to meet with Ollie...let's just say there's a ton of walking every day.
The third day of orientation included a few "discussions" and presentations on social life in the morning. In other words, they educated us on alcohol, sex, rape, and other related topics. Sounds super fun, right?
We also went for an all-inclusive tour of the campus, laden with crazy stories about anything from pranks pulled on USC, to secret treasures in different buildings. There are tons of ridiculous, interesting facts and stories that I learned. It really makes me want to be a tour guide during the school year. I feel like that'd be a great job for me...but I'd also love to work at the gym or the Student Activities Center.
The tour finished up with us getting "bruin-tized"in the Inverted Fountain on campus. We all repeated the official oath and then dipped our hands in the water. Apparently, you can't touch the water again until you've finished senior year....and if you do, you have to spend an extra quarter at UCLA. I don't want that to happen, that's for sure.
It was a fun three days of orientation! I'll post soon about what I've been doing since then...it's just been a crazy few days! Can't believe I've been here for around 2 weeks...it feels like so so much longer! I love it here, though. Really, really happy so far!
I've been here for orientation the past few days..today is the final day of Session 111, which is reserved for international and out-of-state students, which means that almost everyone here is unfamiliar with California. To be honest, around 50% of the students seem to be from China, Singapore, Korea, or Japan.
Translation?
Asians. Everywhere.
It's not a bad thing, of course. It's cool to meet so many people from such a variety of places. I've made friends from Russia, France, Singapore, China, New Zealand, Canada, and of course, places in the U.S. I guess our session is a great example of how diverse this school is....which makes me realize just how white Massachusetts (and the rest of New England, I guess) really is.
I mean, in my community, I knew basically all of the Asian families because there really weren't that many. I was the only Asian on my volleyball team, one of the only Asians in my friend groups....I guess it dawned on me when I got here that the place where I grew up was an extremely Caucasian-dominated place.
I feel like I'm in a bit of a weird situation...of course, on the outside, everyone can see that I'm clearly Asian. At the same time, I act and think so much more like the Americans here, not at all like the hundreds of international Asians. It's just weird, I guess. Sometimes I feel like you're automatically judged because of your appearance, but that's nothing new. I'll just have to get used to it.
Orientation so far has been pretty good! I arrived on the 13th for early arrival, and was picked up by my mom's friend and her husband. They live in Irvine, so it wasn't too long of a drive for them to come to LAX and bring me to UCLA.
After checking in at Rieber Hall and moving all of my luggage into my temporary room at Rieber Terrace, we had lunch and then they headed back to Irvine. I spent the next few hours exploring, meeting new people who were just arriving, and walking around with them.
I went into Westwood with a group of friends we roped into joining us, we watched the UCLA/Texas football game in one of the lounges (Although it was a stressful and nerve-wracking game, we came out on top!!), and then headed back to another lounge to congregate with the rest of the Early Arrival kids.
There were a ton of us in that room, and we played some ice breakers with the NSAs (New Student Advisers, who were current upperclassmen at UCLA) and figured out where everyone was from. Then they brought us into Westwood for the night, where everyone either pigged out on Diddy Riese or In-N-Out. Some of my friends and I got bubble tea at a coffee shop nearby, and then joined our other friends who were eating burgers. I am still an In-N-Out virgin, but that cherry will surely be popped soon. It's only a matter of time.
Over the past few days, we've done so so much walking. That's one thing UCLA will do for you: it'll tone and firm your calves, thighs, and butt, no question. Literally, there are hills everywhere, as well as lengthy sets of stairs on the Hill (the residential area of campus), so you're getting a good workout in just by walking from your room to class.
On the first actual day of orientation, we met our NSAs for the next 3 days. My NSA has been Ollie, who's been a lot of fun to hang out with. In our group of 8 students, I am the only American. Everyone else hails from India, China, Canada, Singapore, and Russia. Crazy!
We had a lot of speakers (funny ones, sleep-inducing ones, etc.) that day, welcoming us to orientation and the first year of college. In the afternoon, we explored some of the clubs on campus who'd gathered at dinner to give us more information about joining. I signed up for a bunch of interesting clubs, like Model UN, the Daily Bruin (student newspaper), Running Club, and even Ballroom Dance! We'll see which ones I end up sticking with....
That night, there was a cute show put on by the NSAs called Cabaret, which was essentially a collection of skits, songs, etc. There were a lot of jokes and insults directed towards our rival, USC, and a lot of parodies of well-known pop culture bits, like SNL and Frozen. They also had Club Jamba that night once the show was over, which was like a dance party. We danced for a bit, but it really wasn't all that great or fun, so we left and headed back to the dorms.
Since so much is crammed into every hour, each day has felt like 3 or 4 days. For me, orientation reminds me of summer camp because we get split up into little groups and we get to know each other and walk around carrying identical knapsacks and whatnot...which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's been fun to experience everything with so many people.
The second day of orientation gave us a lot more free time and independence regarding choosing what we wanted to do with our time. There were a bunch of different workshops regarding your major, internships, research, living in America, etc. We had a lot more free time today to choose what we wanted to do.
We also had to meet with our NSA twice on this day in order to figure out our desired class schedule, and also to just get to know them better. I went into Westwood with a few friends that night, and had to sprint back to the Hill to meet with Ollie...let's just say there's a ton of walking every day.
The third day of orientation included a few "discussions" and presentations on social life in the morning. In other words, they educated us on alcohol, sex, rape, and other related topics. Sounds super fun, right?
We also went for an all-inclusive tour of the campus, laden with crazy stories about anything from pranks pulled on USC, to secret treasures in different buildings. There are tons of ridiculous, interesting facts and stories that I learned. It really makes me want to be a tour guide during the school year. I feel like that'd be a great job for me...but I'd also love to work at the gym or the Student Activities Center.
The tour finished up with us getting "bruin-tized"in the Inverted Fountain on campus. We all repeated the official oath and then dipped our hands in the water. Apparently, you can't touch the water again until you've finished senior year....and if you do, you have to spend an extra quarter at UCLA. I don't want that to happen, that's for sure.
It was a fun three days of orientation! I'll post soon about what I've been doing since then...it's just been a crazy few days! Can't believe I've been here for around 2 weeks...it feels like so so much longer! I love it here, though. Really, really happy so far!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Heading West: LA Bound!!!
Welcome, friends! At this point, I'm still living at home and working at my internship everyday. Most adults seriously have begun to question my assertion that I am, in fact, going to college. In California. When? Soon.
Ohhh, quarter system. Whatever; I don't mind having a longer summer. AND, I leave on Saturday morning. Isn't that friggin' insane? One. Day. Left.
There were some points this week and last week when I started to get serious jitters. What craziness was going through my mind? Here's a collection of examples:
"Hooooly crap. UCLA is like, huge. The freshman class ALONE is 5,000? Competition is going to be insane! What was I thinking??"
"I'm gonna be a straight-up mess dragging my luggage from LAX to UCLA. A straight-up mess. I have, like, 3 huge suitcases!! It's gonna be awful. Why did I say I was going to do this all on my own??"
"The flight is 6 hours...think about it. You're literally flying to the opposite side of the country. Why didn't you just choose Brandeis?"
"Are people going to hate me because I'm from the East Coast?"
"All of the people on my plane are gonna be so pissed at me when I lug all my crap to my seat. Sorry, people. I have my entire life for the next few months in these bags....it's all legit, I swear. They're my essentials."
"Everyone in LA will be tan and perfect and gorgeous....and then there'll be me. Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea."
"Wait....I'm not gonna see Bella (my cat and the love of my life) for how long??"
Soooo yeah. I freaked out here and there, once or twice, about random things. However, I've gotten past that hump and am just psyched and beyond excited to go. I finished packing last night, and obliterated all of my fears and doubts as I crammed and finagled all of my crap into my suitcases. Getting everything in order for my departure made it all real, and I was just so excited when it finally sank in. This is real. I'm going to California and I'm going to college and I am so flipping excited!
It's not that I'm not nervous or scared about going anymore. I'm just focusing on the excitement and adventure and thrill of college that has always been by my side while I fret and wring my hands. It's so much better to focus on the positives, don't you think?
I trust that everything will be fine. I really do. Time to head to the glittering Los Angeles, folks.
Are you ready?
Ohhh, quarter system. Whatever; I don't mind having a longer summer. AND, I leave on Saturday morning. Isn't that friggin' insane? One. Day. Left.
There were some points this week and last week when I started to get serious jitters. What craziness was going through my mind? Here's a collection of examples:
"Hooooly crap. UCLA is like, huge. The freshman class ALONE is 5,000? Competition is going to be insane! What was I thinking??"
"I'm gonna be a straight-up mess dragging my luggage from LAX to UCLA. A straight-up mess. I have, like, 3 huge suitcases!! It's gonna be awful. Why did I say I was going to do this all on my own??"
"The flight is 6 hours...think about it. You're literally flying to the opposite side of the country. Why didn't you just choose Brandeis?"
"Are people going to hate me because I'm from the East Coast?"
"All of the people on my plane are gonna be so pissed at me when I lug all my crap to my seat. Sorry, people. I have my entire life for the next few months in these bags....it's all legit, I swear. They're my essentials."
"Everyone in LA will be tan and perfect and gorgeous....and then there'll be me. Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea."
"Wait....I'm not gonna see Bella (my cat and the love of my life) for how long??"
Soooo yeah. I freaked out here and there, once or twice, about random things. However, I've gotten past that hump and am just psyched and beyond excited to go. I finished packing last night, and obliterated all of my fears and doubts as I crammed and finagled all of my crap into my suitcases. Getting everything in order for my departure made it all real, and I was just so excited when it finally sank in. This is real. I'm going to California and I'm going to college and I am so flipping excited!
It's not that I'm not nervous or scared about going anymore. I'm just focusing on the excitement and adventure and thrill of college that has always been by my side while I fret and wring my hands. It's so much better to focus on the positives, don't you think?
I trust that everything will be fine. I really do. Time to head to the glittering Los Angeles, folks.
Are you ready?
Thoughts on Senior Year
I thought I'd take a moment to look back at the past year before moving on to college, which is rapidly approaching as we speak. It's kind of crazy to think about just how fast everything has flown by...
Exactly one year ago, I was taking on the most challenging year of my life. I had signed myself up for 6 AP classes, was playing on the varsity volleyball team every afternoon in the fall, was the Vice President of the National Honor Society, and was the President and Founder of my club for UNICEF. I still wanted to be involved in my volunteer work as a suicide prevention hotline operator, I had arranged to go on a trip to the Galapagos Islands in February, I was working on a mural for the history wing, and I wanted to continue to be available to spend time with friends.
On top of all this, the biggest task I faced was obviously applying to college. I was terrified that I wouldn't end up at a school that I liked, or that my parents liked (they naturally were super interested in my college process as well), and I also worried that I'd get rejected from all of my choices. The typical fears of a college applicant.
Reflecting back on everything one year later, this year was insanely important for shaping who I am as a person. I learned so much from all of my classes and mastered the art of balancing my workload and schedule so that I didn't want to collapse at any second from the stress and pressure.I grew to love (some of) my teachers and form even stronger connections with my friends. And of course, I have so many memories from that year, both good and bad, that I will always carry with me.
I'm so thankful for everyone who gave me tidbits of advice on college applications, or checked in on me while I was pushing through that year. I felt so much more prepared after talking to older friends and adults, and that makes a world of a difference when you are literally freaking out about college or high school or life.
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I'd give to current seniors is this: "Keep things in perspective." There were quite a number of times last year when I thought the world was just going to implode, or that the sky was about to come crashing down on me. I thought I wouldn't be able to live a decent life, that I'd have to give up my hopes and dreams for my future, and start working at a cubicle or at a fast food restaurant for the rest of my days.
The reality of it all is this: You're still going to be just fine. You live in a peaceful area with fresh air, you go to a great high school (despite what you think, you should appreciate what your school offers), and I promise you that everything will be just fine. If you're reading this, you have the luxury and privilege of owning a computer. Most likely, you're able to put clothes on your body every day, you're able to reach into the fridge and grab something to eat without having to worry about buying something else, and you have people in your life who love and support you.
Please just try and keep things in perspective. We're not in a country ravaged by war right now. We don't have a disease spreading throughout our communities. We aren't starving or being ruled over by an evil dictator....because there are people like you and me who are going through all of that. Is it really fair to complain about our petty little issues when others have so much catastrophe in their lives? I know they're first world problems, but we shouldn't magnify them so that they dominate our lives.
Appreciate your life. Appreciate the people in your life. Work hard. Listen to the advice that older friends/family give you. Do your best. It'll be okay.
And enjoy your Thursday! Just 2 more days until I leave! Things are starting to get REAAAL, people.
Exactly one year ago, I was taking on the most challenging year of my life. I had signed myself up for 6 AP classes, was playing on the varsity volleyball team every afternoon in the fall, was the Vice President of the National Honor Society, and was the President and Founder of my club for UNICEF. I still wanted to be involved in my volunteer work as a suicide prevention hotline operator, I had arranged to go on a trip to the Galapagos Islands in February, I was working on a mural for the history wing, and I wanted to continue to be available to spend time with friends.
On top of all this, the biggest task I faced was obviously applying to college. I was terrified that I wouldn't end up at a school that I liked, or that my parents liked (they naturally were super interested in my college process as well), and I also worried that I'd get rejected from all of my choices. The typical fears of a college applicant.
Reflecting back on everything one year later, this year was insanely important for shaping who I am as a person. I learned so much from all of my classes and mastered the art of balancing my workload and schedule so that I didn't want to collapse at any second from the stress and pressure.I grew to love (some of) my teachers and form even stronger connections with my friends. And of course, I have so many memories from that year, both good and bad, that I will always carry with me.
I'm so thankful for everyone who gave me tidbits of advice on college applications, or checked in on me while I was pushing through that year. I felt so much more prepared after talking to older friends and adults, and that makes a world of a difference when you are literally freaking out about college or high school or life.
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I'd give to current seniors is this: "Keep things in perspective." There were quite a number of times last year when I thought the world was just going to implode, or that the sky was about to come crashing down on me. I thought I wouldn't be able to live a decent life, that I'd have to give up my hopes and dreams for my future, and start working at a cubicle or at a fast food restaurant for the rest of my days.
The reality of it all is this: You're still going to be just fine. You live in a peaceful area with fresh air, you go to a great high school (despite what you think, you should appreciate what your school offers), and I promise you that everything will be just fine. If you're reading this, you have the luxury and privilege of owning a computer. Most likely, you're able to put clothes on your body every day, you're able to reach into the fridge and grab something to eat without having to worry about buying something else, and you have people in your life who love and support you.
Please just try and keep things in perspective. We're not in a country ravaged by war right now. We don't have a disease spreading throughout our communities. We aren't starving or being ruled over by an evil dictator....because there are people like you and me who are going through all of that. Is it really fair to complain about our petty little issues when others have so much catastrophe in their lives? I know they're first world problems, but we shouldn't magnify them so that they dominate our lives.
Appreciate your life. Appreciate the people in your life. Work hard. Listen to the advice that older friends/family give you. Do your best. It'll be okay.
And enjoy your Thursday! Just 2 more days until I leave! Things are starting to get REAAAL, people.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Short & Sweet: Weekend Trips in New England
Happy Thursday! It's almost Friday, which means it's almost the weekend! (And for me, it's essentially Friday, since I don't have to work tomorrow...much excitement. Such joy.)
Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend :) It's weird to think that I've had such a very relaxing few days leading up to the long weekend this year, as well as after that short vacation period has gone by.
Usually, I'm already caught up in the flurry of school assignments, projects, and homework, so I lug along a pile of readings and packets to do on the car ride to the lake or something. However, this year, school has NOT started yet, which means I get to enjoy myself a little longer! You're not gonna find me complaining.
As exciting as it is to not have anything to worry about this Labor Day, it SUCKS to be the only one around town who hasn't left for college yet. I'm rather antsy to get going, actually. Seeing my friends making new friends in college, and having fun, and going out is really depressing when you're still at home, and that plane ticket won't be whisking you away to beautiful Los Angeles for another nine days...
But that's not what I wanted to talk about today. I've been traveling around New England a bit these past few months, and it's been quite lovely, so I wanted to do some reviews. Hopefully this helps you get an idea of these two places, or helps with your next trip to New England!
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
The prettiest lighthouse at Fort Williams Park
That's about it for my recaps! I know that was a lot, so I apologize...but if you take anything away from that post, it's that Cape Elizabeth, Maine is lovely and you should go visit, and Burlington, VT is also nice, but not as welcoming and ideal for a weekend getaway in my opinion. Both good places, though! Hope y'all had some great trips this Labor Day Weekend as well, or at least got to relax...
Talk to you soon!
Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend :) It's weird to think that I've had such a very relaxing few days leading up to the long weekend this year, as well as after that short vacation period has gone by.
Usually, I'm already caught up in the flurry of school assignments, projects, and homework, so I lug along a pile of readings and packets to do on the car ride to the lake or something. However, this year, school has NOT started yet, which means I get to enjoy myself a little longer! You're not gonna find me complaining.
As exciting as it is to not have anything to worry about this Labor Day, it SUCKS to be the only one around town who hasn't left for college yet. I'm rather antsy to get going, actually. Seeing my friends making new friends in college, and having fun, and going out is really depressing when you're still at home, and that plane ticket won't be whisking you away to beautiful Los Angeles for another nine days...
Is it so bad that I want to leave already?
But that's not what I wanted to talk about today. I've been traveling around New England a bit these past few months, and it's been quite lovely, so I wanted to do some reviews. Hopefully this helps you get an idea of these two places, or helps with your next trip to New England!
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
The prettiest lighthouse at Fort Williams Park
We headed up to Maine for a wedding (Congratulations, Yan and Craig!) and ended up staying an extra day to just relax and have fun. It was also the first wedding that I'd ever been to, which is rather sad, so I was super excited for this trip. Originally, the plan was to head up on Friday night, spend the night in a hotel, and then have the morning and early afternoon to wander around Cape Elizabeth before the wedding started.
Instead, laziness and procrastination took over, and my parents decided to have a relaxing Friday night at home, sleep in, and then run (walk) out of the house for some errands in the morning around town. After a lot of yelling, last-minute packing, and quick changing of outfits, our Toyota Highlander was speeding out of our driveway....at 11:30 am. Oooops.
Word of advice: DO NOT do what we did and procrastinate. Leave as early as you can to beat the hordes of people going up to Maine or Vermont for the weekend. Trust me, traffic will absolutely kill your plans and leave them to die if you leave that late. Our car barely moved at 5 mph the whole time....worst traffic I've ever experienced.
We ended up spending over 3.5 hours in the car (without stopping for lunch, only to run to the bathroom in a ridiculous frenzy, wearing our dresses/suits) and still were late to the wedding, which was at 2:30 pm. How late? We could hear Pachelbel's Canon playing as we ran to the church from our car. Disgraced, we had to wait until the bride and her father had walked down the aisle until we could tiptoe in and steal a pew. It was pretty bad.
Anyways, after the wedding, we went to Peak's Island for the day, and that ended up being terrific. There are a handful of islands around that area, and we went to the closest one by ferry. There are bikes to rent, and also cars there, but the best mode of transportation is the golf cart. You can rent them right when you get off the ferry, and they're surprisingly reasonable in terms of price!
I got to drive most of the time, and took a recommended scenic route along the ocean that was absolutely fantastic. We had the water on one side, and all of these charming, adorable little oceanfront cottages on the other. It wasn't particularly crowded, so driving was a breeze. I was on Cloud Nine the whole day.
We stopped quite a few times to just walk around, take in the sights, and watch the sailboats. We all laughed as my dad grabbed fistfuls of seaweed and mussels, lamenting the waste of not cooking them for dinner. You can take the man out of China, but you can't take the China out of the man, folks.
I'm pretty surprised by the fact that Peak's Island only had one ice cream shop, but that was the sad truth. It was in this other shop, right near the ferry dock, and there was obviously a huge line. We waited for our ice cream, though, and I tried the Rocky Maine Shore (your choice of ice cream with chocolate rocks and blueberries) while Jason got the classic Mud and Dirt (Ice cream, gummy worms, and crushed Oreos).
Once we had gotten off the island and were back in Cape Elizabeth, we went to a local seafood place for lobster rolls. I love Maine; it has such beautiful scenery and landscapes, but also has the quaint feel of a bustling place with lots of tourists, visitors, and locals alike. At night, there are lots of people out and about, and I hope I can come back at some point when I'm older...it seems like a great place to go. In conclusion, I can understand why so many people want to go up there, but I refuse to sit through that traffic another time. We will leave early next time, mark my words.
Burlington, Vermont
This Labor Day weekend, my family decided to go on a solo trip to somewhere in New England. One of my dad's co-workers had recommended Burlington, VT because it was right near Lake Champlain, and that was apparently a great place to go. Thus, my dad employed me to do some research on that area and create an itinerary for us, because the Zhangs were headed to the riveting city of Burlington! Off to get a taste of Vermont!
(If you can't sense my sarcasm by now, I'm writing with a very sarcastic tone right now. Jason and I were pushing for Martha's Vineyard or the Cape, but it was decided that Lake Champlain was a must-see. Pssh.)
After looking through the Interweb to find something to do in Burlington, I was beyond shocked to find a wide, extensive list of once-in-a-lifetime attractions!
(Okay, I'll cut the sarcasm now. Apologies.)
I'll get straight to the point. We drove up on Saturday and went first to Church Street, essentially the "downtown" area of Burlington, with lots of shops and food carts and things to see. It was pretty nice there; there were street performers doing their thing, lots of outdoor restaurants and tourists walking around, etc.
I must say, though, that the neighborhood areas of Burlington are pretty run-down and shabby. We parked pretty far away from Church Street and it didn't look all too friendly or happy. But we'll forget about that for now.
Vermonters are a bit intimidating for me. I ran into a lot of them who were super hard-core "Vermont", in that they were sporting flannels, huge backpacks with a gazillion tools and gadgets, rumpled hair or many times even dreads, worn tank tops and frayed jeans, etc. There were also a ton of Canadians there, having driven down from Quebec. I actually noticed a ton of foreigners there, which is interesting because I didn't realize so many tourists came to Burlington. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I felt a bit out of place. But never mind that.
Church Street treated us well; we window-shopped around and got a bite to eat outside at an Italian restaurant (I ordered duck tacos, which were pretty decent).
The next stop was the lake itself. I had reserved tickets for a scenic cruise on Lake Champlain, which was pretty pricey ($16 per person) given that it was only an hour and a half and really wasn't all that exciting. We just went around the lake, listened to the history of the lake and it's geographic importance in different wars, and then came back. I think it was rather obligatory, though, to come to Burlington and do a scenic cruise on the lake. So, we went through with it. Neeeext!
After that, we checked into our hotel (which was also very "meh", but was surprisingly full for the weekend) and went out to get dinner. We ended up choosing "Joyce's Noodle House" (not a huge surprise, but my parents were in the mood for Chinese food...typical), which offered a great dining environment and wonderful service. The food was good too-- we ordered steamed pork buns, noodles with soup, veggies, and seafood, and eggplant.
At the end of the night, I convinced us all to go back to Church Street, because I wanted to check out the nightlife (pretty typical of me) and be where everyone else was. We walked around and found Crow's Book Shop, which had a nice collection of used and new books. Every member of the family purchased at least one thing; for me, it was a book entitled "After Dark" from one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. Can't wait to crack it open...I'm thinking about saving it for the plane ride to LA!
The next day, we hit up the lake again in the morning for a family bike ride (awwwww.), although it was drizzling and looking pretty damn dreary. Nevertheless, everybody hopped on their rented bikes, and we took off along the Burlington Bike Path. Our goal was to get to the Causeway around 10 miles away, where the path narrowed and became a small strip of land with the lake on both sides.
It was pleasant, biking along and seeing the small neighborhoods, as well as the ocean and beaches along the way. Finally, we pedaled until we literally could pedal no further (the causeway ends and you need to take a ferry to an island of your choice, if you wanted to keep going), and turned back.
Unfortunately, the wind was now against us, and we were literally biking in hell. There were no trees or any sort of barrier to reduce the brunt of the wind's force, so moving the bike forward was a brutal assault on your quads, that literally continued throughout the loooong causeway (it must've been at least 3 miles).
After we finished up our biking adventure, we walked up to "the Skinny Pancake", a place nearby that I'd heard lots of good things about. Their main thing is crepes (hence, the name) and there was a line out the door from the moment we saw it before we went biking to the time we left after we ate. Pretty impressive.
I personally loved the food and atmosphere here; everything was wooden or rustic-style, and they offered a huge menu that made me want to spend the next year here so I could try everything. No joke. We all ordered savory crepes, and added a side of poutine to share. I only know about poutine from my best friend who goes to school in Canada, and this was my first time trying it. My personal verdict? So good.
As far as I know, poutine is french fries, with gravy and cheese curds on top. However, it can be prepared in a variety of ways, and you can add whatever gooey, delicious, artery-clogging toppings you can think of, so long as it still tastes amazing. Example: there's apparently kim-chi poutine, of which I'm a tad cautious. French fries and kim-chi...unique, I suppose?
My crepe was called "the Sass-squash", and it had squash, brie cheese, apples, baby spinach, and more. All of our crepes were wonderful, and despite waiting a while to order our meal, we were verrrry satisfied. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to try any of the sweet crepes. Not to worry...I'll be back.
The afternoon was spent at the Ben & Jerry's factory nearby! There were tons of visitors (apparently, they get more visitors on rainy days then on sunny days...hmmm) and a gigantic line waiting for the ice cream windows there. We had around half an hour before our tour, so we stood in line for ice cream and made it about 2/5 of the way there before we had to go for our tour. Such disappointment.
Of course, my parents and I discussed the innovation and genius business strategies employed by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in order to create such a profitable company entirely surrounding ice cream. That's the trademark parenting style of my mom and dad: integrate worthwhile lessons about careers, life, and education into as much as possible. Even a trip to Ben & Jerry's can be valuable preparation for the business world, folks. That's how Mama and Papa Zhang roll.
The factory itself is really cool, and I recommend checking it out if you get a chance. At the end, there were samples of the Flavor of the Day (Milk and Cookies), which was a great conclusion to the tour.
Fun fact: In the United States, Half Baked is the most popular-selling flavor, but internationally, it's Cookie Dough. We opted for a pint of Half Baked instead of going back to the monstrous wait, and shared the ice cream between the four of us as the day wound down.
That night, we went to the Champlain Valley Fair, which was a huge exhibition of animals, rides, artwork, and much more. I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of fairs....the food trucks offer rather slim pickings (nachos, wings, fried dough, corn dogs, fried Oreos, and just about anything else you can fry), and it's just rather messy and chaotic. Still, we had a pretty good time, and went home satisfied after a long day.
The third and final day was spent entirely at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. It's by far the coolest museum I've ever been to, because it's made up of a large number of buildings, so you walk from place to place, looking at a huge range of stuff. They have a carousel, a circus exhibit, and a full-sized steamboat that was used back in the day called the Ticonderoga. My parents (huge museum nerds) were in love with this place...they were very sad to bid it adieu when we reaaally had to get on the road, but vowed to come back someday to finish looking at everything.
Instead, laziness and procrastination took over, and my parents decided to have a relaxing Friday night at home, sleep in, and then run (walk) out of the house for some errands in the morning around town. After a lot of yelling, last-minute packing, and quick changing of outfits, our Toyota Highlander was speeding out of our driveway....at 11:30 am. Oooops.
Word of advice: DO NOT do what we did and procrastinate. Leave as early as you can to beat the hordes of people going up to Maine or Vermont for the weekend. Trust me, traffic will absolutely kill your plans and leave them to die if you leave that late. Our car barely moved at 5 mph the whole time....worst traffic I've ever experienced.
We ended up spending over 3.5 hours in the car (without stopping for lunch, only to run to the bathroom in a ridiculous frenzy, wearing our dresses/suits) and still were late to the wedding, which was at 2:30 pm. How late? We could hear Pachelbel's Canon playing as we ran to the church from our car. Disgraced, we had to wait until the bride and her father had walked down the aisle until we could tiptoe in and steal a pew. It was pretty bad.
The newly married couple in their first dance!
Jason and I get one name card for the two of us...sigh.
The cake in all its glory
Anyways, after the wedding, we went to Peak's Island for the day, and that ended up being terrific. There are a handful of islands around that area, and we went to the closest one by ferry. There are bikes to rent, and also cars there, but the best mode of transportation is the golf cart. You can rent them right when you get off the ferry, and they're surprisingly reasonable in terms of price!
I got to drive most of the time, and took a recommended scenic route along the ocean that was absolutely fantastic. We had the water on one side, and all of these charming, adorable little oceanfront cottages on the other. It wasn't particularly crowded, so driving was a breeze. I was on Cloud Nine the whole day.
Loving the golf cart life
We stopped quite a few times to just walk around, take in the sights, and watch the sailboats. We all laughed as my dad grabbed fistfuls of seaweed and mussels, lamenting the waste of not cooking them for dinner. You can take the man out of China, but you can't take the China out of the man, folks.
I'm pretty surprised by the fact that Peak's Island only had one ice cream shop, but that was the sad truth. It was in this other shop, right near the ferry dock, and there was obviously a huge line. We waited for our ice cream, though, and I tried the Rocky Maine Shore (your choice of ice cream with chocolate rocks and blueberries) while Jason got the classic Mud and Dirt (Ice cream, gummy worms, and crushed Oreos).
I have horrible focusing skills..sorry! You get the idea of what the ice cream looked like, though.
Once we had gotten off the island and were back in Cape Elizabeth, we went to a local seafood place for lobster rolls. I love Maine; it has such beautiful scenery and landscapes, but also has the quaint feel of a bustling place with lots of tourists, visitors, and locals alike. At night, there are lots of people out and about, and I hope I can come back at some point when I'm older...it seems like a great place to go. In conclusion, I can understand why so many people want to go up there, but I refuse to sit through that traffic another time. We will leave early next time, mark my words.
Burlington, Vermont
A shot of the lake
This Labor Day weekend, my family decided to go on a solo trip to somewhere in New England. One of my dad's co-workers had recommended Burlington, VT because it was right near Lake Champlain, and that was apparently a great place to go. Thus, my dad employed me to do some research on that area and create an itinerary for us, because the Zhangs were headed to the riveting city of Burlington! Off to get a taste of Vermont!
(If you can't sense my sarcasm by now, I'm writing with a very sarcastic tone right now. Jason and I were pushing for Martha's Vineyard or the Cape, but it was decided that Lake Champlain was a must-see. Pssh.)
After looking through the Interweb to find something to do in Burlington, I was beyond shocked to find a wide, extensive list of once-in-a-lifetime attractions!
(Okay, I'll cut the sarcasm now. Apologies.)
I'll get straight to the point. We drove up on Saturday and went first to Church Street, essentially the "downtown" area of Burlington, with lots of shops and food carts and things to see. It was pretty nice there; there were street performers doing their thing, lots of outdoor restaurants and tourists walking around, etc.
I must say, though, that the neighborhood areas of Burlington are pretty run-down and shabby. We parked pretty far away from Church Street and it didn't look all too friendly or happy. But we'll forget about that for now.
Vermonters are a bit intimidating for me. I ran into a lot of them who were super hard-core "Vermont", in that they were sporting flannels, huge backpacks with a gazillion tools and gadgets, rumpled hair or many times even dreads, worn tank tops and frayed jeans, etc. There were also a ton of Canadians there, having driven down from Quebec. I actually noticed a ton of foreigners there, which is interesting because I didn't realize so many tourists came to Burlington. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I felt a bit out of place. But never mind that.
Church Street treated us well; we window-shopped around and got a bite to eat outside at an Italian restaurant (I ordered duck tacos, which were pretty decent).
The next stop was the lake itself. I had reserved tickets for a scenic cruise on Lake Champlain, which was pretty pricey ($16 per person) given that it was only an hour and a half and really wasn't all that exciting. We just went around the lake, listened to the history of the lake and it's geographic importance in different wars, and then came back. I think it was rather obligatory, though, to come to Burlington and do a scenic cruise on the lake. So, we went through with it. Neeeext!
After that, we checked into our hotel (which was also very "meh", but was surprisingly full for the weekend) and went out to get dinner. We ended up choosing "Joyce's Noodle House" (not a huge surprise, but my parents were in the mood for Chinese food...typical), which offered a great dining environment and wonderful service. The food was good too-- we ordered steamed pork buns, noodles with soup, veggies, and seafood, and eggplant.
At the end of the night, I convinced us all to go back to Church Street, because I wanted to check out the nightlife (pretty typical of me) and be where everyone else was. We walked around and found Crow's Book Shop, which had a nice collection of used and new books. Every member of the family purchased at least one thing; for me, it was a book entitled "After Dark" from one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. Can't wait to crack it open...I'm thinking about saving it for the plane ride to LA!
The next day, we hit up the lake again in the morning for a family bike ride (awwwww.), although it was drizzling and looking pretty damn dreary. Nevertheless, everybody hopped on their rented bikes, and we took off along the Burlington Bike Path. Our goal was to get to the Causeway around 10 miles away, where the path narrowed and became a small strip of land with the lake on both sides.
It was pleasant, biking along and seeing the small neighborhoods, as well as the ocean and beaches along the way. Finally, we pedaled until we literally could pedal no further (the causeway ends and you need to take a ferry to an island of your choice, if you wanted to keep going), and turned back.
Unfortunately, the wind was now against us, and we were literally biking in hell. There were no trees or any sort of barrier to reduce the brunt of the wind's force, so moving the bike forward was a brutal assault on your quads, that literally continued throughout the loooong causeway (it must've been at least 3 miles).
After we finished up our biking adventure, we walked up to "the Skinny Pancake", a place nearby that I'd heard lots of good things about. Their main thing is crepes (hence, the name) and there was a line out the door from the moment we saw it before we went biking to the time we left after we ate. Pretty impressive.
I personally loved the food and atmosphere here; everything was wooden or rustic-style, and they offered a huge menu that made me want to spend the next year here so I could try everything. No joke. We all ordered savory crepes, and added a side of poutine to share. I only know about poutine from my best friend who goes to school in Canada, and this was my first time trying it. My personal verdict? So good.
How can THAT possibly taste bad?
As far as I know, poutine is french fries, with gravy and cheese curds on top. However, it can be prepared in a variety of ways, and you can add whatever gooey, delicious, artery-clogging toppings you can think of, so long as it still tastes amazing. Example: there's apparently kim-chi poutine, of which I'm a tad cautious. French fries and kim-chi...unique, I suppose?
My crepe was called "the Sass-squash", and it had squash, brie cheese, apples, baby spinach, and more. All of our crepes were wonderful, and despite waiting a while to order our meal, we were verrrry satisfied. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to try any of the sweet crepes. Not to worry...I'll be back.
The afternoon was spent at the Ben & Jerry's factory nearby! There were tons of visitors (apparently, they get more visitors on rainy days then on sunny days...hmmm) and a gigantic line waiting for the ice cream windows there. We had around half an hour before our tour, so we stood in line for ice cream and made it about 2/5 of the way there before we had to go for our tour. Such disappointment.
Ice cream madness
Of course, my parents and I discussed the innovation and genius business strategies employed by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in order to create such a profitable company entirely surrounding ice cream. That's the trademark parenting style of my mom and dad: integrate worthwhile lessons about careers, life, and education into as much as possible. Even a trip to Ben & Jerry's can be valuable preparation for the business world, folks. That's how Mama and Papa Zhang roll.
The factory itself is really cool, and I recommend checking it out if you get a chance. At the end, there were samples of the Flavor of the Day (Milk and Cookies), which was a great conclusion to the tour.
Fun fact: In the United States, Half Baked is the most popular-selling flavor, but internationally, it's Cookie Dough. We opted for a pint of Half Baked instead of going back to the monstrous wait, and shared the ice cream between the four of us as the day wound down.
The flavor graveyard...RIP, ice cream.
That night, we went to the Champlain Valley Fair, which was a huge exhibition of animals, rides, artwork, and much more. I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of fairs....the food trucks offer rather slim pickings (nachos, wings, fried dough, corn dogs, fried Oreos, and just about anything else you can fry), and it's just rather messy and chaotic. Still, we had a pretty good time, and went home satisfied after a long day.
The third and final day was spent entirely at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. It's by far the coolest museum I've ever been to, because it's made up of a large number of buildings, so you walk from place to place, looking at a huge range of stuff. They have a carousel, a circus exhibit, and a full-sized steamboat that was used back in the day called the Ticonderoga. My parents (huge museum nerds) were in love with this place...they were very sad to bid it adieu when we reaaally had to get on the road, but vowed to come back someday to finish looking at everything.
A Monet in the impressionist exhibit
The vintage carousel!
Whoa...bears.
The Ticonderoga! Pretty sick, am I right?
That's about it for my recaps! I know that was a lot, so I apologize...but if you take anything away from that post, it's that Cape Elizabeth, Maine is lovely and you should go visit, and Burlington, VT is also nice, but not as welcoming and ideal for a weekend getaway in my opinion. Both good places, though! Hope y'all had some great trips this Labor Day Weekend as well, or at least got to relax...
Talk to you soon!
Friday, August 15, 2014
TV REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Hola! Guess who's finally back from the dead? THIS GIRL :)
It was definitely a terrible bout with jet lag this time coming back from China...there was one day that I slept from noon to 6 pm...oops. I am so thankful that it's all over now.
However, I didn't just sleep these past few weeks. What else did I do? Well, a lot of interning, working out, and playing the role of chauffeur for my entire family. Living the dream, folks. Living the dream.
Anyways, you bet I've been binge-watching some TV shows in my spare time. Before I left for China, I was in the middle of watching the second season of House of Cards. I've gotten really into the show, and finally finished it! Yasssss.
However, that meant that I've moved on to other exciting, entertaining shows. When you run out of episodes for one show, the most appropriate thing to do is to transition to the next show you've had on your list to start. On to the next adventure, am I right?
So, I decided that it was time to do some reviews of TV shows that I've really been getting into, now that I am free of those silly high-school obligations.
Please understand that these are all of my personal opinions, and regardless, I completely respect all other opinions/ideas/attitudes that may differ from mine. If you have any reaction, whether it is positive or negative, to any of my comments, I'd love to read them!
First up:
My thoughts:
Anyways, you bet I've been binge-watching some TV shows in my spare time. Before I left for China, I was in the middle of watching the second season of House of Cards. I've gotten really into the show, and finally finished it! Yasssss.
However, that meant that I've moved on to other exciting, entertaining shows. When you run out of episodes for one show, the most appropriate thing to do is to transition to the next show you've had on your list to start. On to the next adventure, am I right?
So, I decided that it was time to do some reviews of TV shows that I've really been getting into, now that I am free of those silly high-school obligations.
Please understand that these are all of my personal opinions, and regardless, I completely respect all other opinions/ideas/attitudes that may differ from mine. If you have any reaction, whether it is positive or negative, to any of my comments, I'd love to read them!
First up:
HOUSE OF CARDS
My thoughts:
- Love this show. It has an amazing cast and the dialogue/banter between politicians, journalists, and other characters is absolutely awesome.
- The depiction of the American political world, while obviously a bit exaggerated and inaccurate, is very well done, in my opinion. You feel like you're getting all the behind-the-scenes info on what happens over on Capitol Hill...which is incredibly interesting.
- The plot and storyline are excellent for discussion in terms of how our government is run and who really is in charge of our nation. It really makes you think about the side of our politicians and representatives that we aren't seeing.
- I always notice that there is a distinct color scheme throughout the entirety of the show's existence. Blue, gray, brown, and black are almost always the key colors in each episode. Interesting, right?
- Did I mention the cast is fantastic? Particularly Kevin Spacey (Frank Underwood), Robin Wright (Claire Underwood), and the actors for my favorite characters: Nathan Darrow (Meechum), and Reg E. Cathey (Freddy).
- Kudos to Netflix for coming up with such a brilliant show. Absolutely killed it.
THE MINDY PROJECT
My thoughts:
- On a much lighter note, the Mindy Project is something that I started watching spontaneously, although it wasn't on my long list of "Shows to Watch". I'd heard about it beforehand and was looking for a source of comic relief, since I'd exhausted my usual favorites (Modern Family and New Girl). So, one night, I gave the pilot a go...and then proceeded to watch maybe 5 or 6 more episodes before I finally went to sleep. Whoops.
- Such an underrated show. The characters are all hilarious and super lovable (especially Ike Barinholtz as Morgan), while Mindy's obsession with rom-coms and her love life is absolutely adorable.
- The show takes place in New York City, which is great because the core group of characters interact with all kinds of crazy people. Oh, if only my life were that exciting...
- None of the episodes are boring. It's always entertaining, funny, and clever. Mindy Kaling is a spectacular human being. Just watch it!
THE WALKING DEAD
My thoughts:
- I am soooo so late to the party for the Walking Dead, but I just didn't have any time to watch that much TV during the past 4 years. Do I feel regretful about that? I guess you could say so, yes...
- Currently, I am literally plowing through seasons of the Walking Dead and loving it. Yep, I'm in that obsession phase. And this girl knows how to binge-watch.
- There's something about zombie apocalypses that are just so intriguing when done well. Survival of the fittest is a huge theme, and you never know when your favorite character will get killed off. Plus, the character development on this show is fantastic.
- My favorite characters would have to be the bad-ass Daryl Dixon (played by Norman Reedus) and the freaking adorable Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun). If they die on season 5, somebody's gonna get hurt real bad.
- It's exciting and fast-paced, but also includes a lot of emotional scenes that tear at your heartstrings. It's the end of the world, people! No butterflies and rainbows here. Just guts and blood.
- This show probably isn't for everyone, but I think it's a really good show. And there's definitely thousands of die-hard Walking Dead fans that agree with me.
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
My thoughts:
- I know this show is probably pretty controversial, since it touches on a lot of touchy topics (prison, lesbian/gay relationships, etc.) and includes a lot of inappropriate language, but I am such a fan. First of all, the cast is almost entirely women, which is pretty rare to see on TV. Plus, each character is absolutely singular and unique. The acting on this show is amazing.
- I'm currently starting my binge on this show and am maybe halfway through season 1, so I can't wait to see where it goes. It's been super entertaining so far, though. So far, so good!
- It's such a funny show. I've definitely laughed out loud many times while watching it. Gosh, the women in Litchfield Prison can be described in many words: crazy, insane, weird, intense, bold, confident, fierce, and so much more.
- The dynamic between prisoners and guards is really interesting. Especially because most of the guards are male, while all of the prisoners are female.
- OITNB gives you an interesting perspective on the way society judges prisoners and sets them in a different pool of people compared to civilians. People are quick to label and judge others, and that is definitely highlighted in the show.
- I have too many favorite characters to list. Seriously, everyone is quirky and funny. But I especially love Taystee Jefferson (played by Danielle Brooks), Poussey Washington (played by Samira Riley), and John Bennett (played by Matt McGorry).
That's about it for now! Hope you're all enjoying the summer, folks!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Basic Survival Rules: China Edition
I've been playing with the idea of doing a collection of survival tips for different places/situations/etc. Of course, I must put this out there: I do not, in any way, think I know what is best for everyone, nor am I trying to force advice on you. I am merely using my own experiences to hopefully provide some sort of insight. Just toying around!
Here's the first one, inspired by my recent trip to China as well as the previous trips I've taken there in the past. I think these rules are a pretty good summation of my thoughts, opinions, and feelings towards this strange, but incredible country.
May they save you from whatever terrors you may encounter.
9. Even though everyone around you in China might act like a vampire in terms of hiding from the sun, it's still okay to get your tan on. Stand out in that crowd of umbrellas! Why not?
10. As always in any new/foreign place, just be cautious with strangers. It can't hurt, and some people will not have the right intentions or your best in mind. It's just the way it is.
Let me know if I forgot any crucial tips! Hope they help you if you're ever China-bound anytime soon...
Here's the first one, inspired by my recent trip to China as well as the previous trips I've taken there in the past. I think these rules are a pretty good summation of my thoughts, opinions, and feelings towards this strange, but incredible country.
May they save you from whatever terrors you may encounter.
BASIC SURVIVAL RULES: CHINA EDITION
1. Always bring a pack of tissues with you wherever you go. Unlike other countries, toilet paper is rare in many bathrooms. Sad, but true.
1. Always bring a pack of tissues with you wherever you go. Unlike other countries, toilet paper is rare in many bathrooms. Sad, but true.
2. Learn how to use a squatting toilet. They're odd and feel much less civilized in my opinion, but in many places, they're the only option.
3. When eating meals, relatives/friends will undoubtedly encourage and urge you to eat more and more. It can be exhausting to refuse every single time, and it makes them really happy when you comply, so this depends a lot on your own willpower. When in doubt, pick your battles wisely and be as polite about refusing as possible. Rude manners at the table will be noted.
4. I've taken a while to accept this one, but it's an important thing to remember: people in China smoke. A lot more than you might be used to seeing. When you're trapped at a meal with a bunch of adults and most of the men start smoking, do you:
a). Start telling them about the terrible health impacts that smoking can cause?
b). Stand up and walk out of the room without a word?
c). Smile and ask for a cigarette yourself?
d). Keep your thoughts to yourself and try to inhale as little smoke as possible?
For me, the answer is always d. On the inside, it drives me insane that everyone in the room is getting secondhand smoke, but I don't want to offend these people and try to change their lifestyles. Most of these people are relatives or at least guests or friends. In my opinion, it's not worth ruining our relationships by trying to make their business mine. I don't know. That's just me.
5. Traffic in China can be absurd, to say the very least! I've taken probably every form of transportation here (car, foot, taxi, bus, van, motorcycle, bicycle, rickshaw, horse, electric scooter, subway, regular train, high-speed train, plane, boat, ferry) and it's given me some verrrry eye opening experiences...by that, I mean near death experiences.
It take some getting used to, but you will get more accustomed to nearly getting hit by cars, incessant honking by your driver when it's completely unnecessary, crossing a busy highway with no crosswalk or stoplight, squeezing a sedan into an alleyway with literally NO room on either side, driving cars on sidewalks, and so much more.
Just remember: try and be as safe as possible (seat belts are rarely used here but it's still a good habit) and trust the skills of your driver/pilot/conductor. They're more brilliant and masterful than I think anyone gives them credit for.
6. When in China, remember that you're in the most heavily populated place in the world. It's overwhelming to see so many people. That's no doubt. But it's also exciting and fun! There's no better place to people watch. Just be careful and if you can, stay away from packed areas like subways during rush hour. You will get rubbed, shoved, and pushed by dozens of people, and if you don't feel like you're suffocating, it's not nearly at its worst.
Just don't allow others to constantly push you down or to the side.
7. Fight off mosquitoes relentlessly. Depending on where you are in China, you most likely will be attacked by them, so invest in bug spray, an electric flyswatter, and other weapons of your choice. They're heartless, bloodthirsty little demons.
8. Foreigners are always screwed over when they try to haggle with store owners in China. Try to be as firm and unrelenting as possible with only paying if it's a fraction of the price they give you. Store owners can give absolutely persuasive arguments...just keep in mind that you're a foreigner, and that's one of the first things on which their price is based.
Just don't allow others to constantly push you down or to the side.
7. Fight off mosquitoes relentlessly. Depending on where you are in China, you most likely will be attacked by them, so invest in bug spray, an electric flyswatter, and other weapons of your choice. They're heartless, bloodthirsty little demons.
8. Foreigners are always screwed over when they try to haggle with store owners in China. Try to be as firm and unrelenting as possible with only paying if it's a fraction of the price they give you. Store owners can give absolutely persuasive arguments...just keep in mind that you're a foreigner, and that's one of the first things on which their price is based.
9. Even though everyone around you in China might act like a vampire in terms of hiding from the sun, it's still okay to get your tan on. Stand out in that crowd of umbrellas! Why not?
10. As always in any new/foreign place, just be cautious with strangers. It can't hurt, and some people will not have the right intentions or your best in mind. It's just the way it is.
Let me know if I forgot any crucial tips! Hope they help you if you're ever China-bound anytime soon...
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Days Twenty-Seven & Twenty-Eight: Our Last Day Here & the Journey Home
Day Twenty Seven
Alright, friends! We made it to the last day in China, which means my last blog post about it. It was very bittersweet and although I was excited to go home and see my parents and my kitty, I was also very sad to be leaving. Our family members had been so good to us, and I would definitely miss them. We would not be seeing them for a long time again...I guess that's the price of living on two different continents.
Today was our rest day, and would be spent almost entirely at home. We had to pack and get ready to leave early in the morning the next day. I used my time to blog, clean up my living spaces, and arrange everything in my backpack and suitcase. Today was also the only day that I took a nap after lunch, like most Chinese people do for siesta. It was a lovely nap, but the temperature was getting higher and higher throughout these past few days. I was sweating profusely because my grandma felt like it was unnecessary to turn on the apartment's A/C.
In the afternoon, my grandma's youngest sister came over to visit us. She brought us peaches and grapes, and talked with her sister and my aunt for a long time about recent events/news. I helped my aunt prepare these Chinese herbs so that they could be cooked, and then we went out to dinner at a restaurant nearby.
Dinner was, once again, delicious. We ordered so many dishes that I'd never tried before, and it was a memorable last night out with my family members here. My aunt took me and Jason out for a walk after dinner; we got some pastries for breakfast tomorrow morning at a bakery (boy, do I wish we had the vast selection of sweet and savory snacks that they offer there...donuts don't stand a chance when there are such amazing rolls, breads, etc.) and we also grabbed some more snacks to bring home from a chain in China called Lyfen (in Chinese, the name is"let's get a few" or "a few snacks").
It offers rows and rows of little snacks and bites of all different kinds. There's sweet snacks, like jellies, brownies, or cakes, salty snacks like seasoned peas, little black eggs, shrink-wrapped meats, and much more. The main thing that we like to get there are these peeled, sweetened walnuts that are flavored with honey. They're amazing, but you can only really get them in China. My aunt insisted that we get more besides the walnuts, though, and tossed eggs, jellies, and meats in our basket as well. Hmm...I'll let my parents take care of those ones.
Once back at home, we went to bed early. I stayed up for a while and talked with Claire for a while. She's been able to speak with Jason and me entirely in English this time we've gone back, which is super impressive! There's still so much we hadn't talked about and wanted to chat about... unfortunately, we'd just have to rely on WeChat until we see each other again.
Enough food pics? Okay, let's move on.
Cakes at the bakery. They're so cute!! 
Day Twenty Eight
Time to go home! We headed to the airport around 5:30 in the morning, after waking up groggily to hug Claire and say goodbye. Once we got to security, we said goodbye to my aunt and uncle, who have seriously had a lot of work dealing with us while we were in China. Thanks for everything! I promise, I'll bring you guys out for a lot of fun when you visit me in LA.
It was a marathon of three flights until we could be back in our beloved Boston.
First: Shanghai --> Beijing (~ 2 hours)
Second: Beijing --> New York (~13 hours)
Third: New York --> Boston (~1 hour)
After suffering through more airplane food, uncomfortable naps, and crying babies, we were finally, FINALLY in our parents' car and speeding towards our sorely missed house. The flights weren't all that bad though...thankfully, none were delayed, Jason and I got a three-seat row to ourselves for the 13 hour stretch, and we had gotten into Boston safe and sound with all of our luggage. Phew. On the way home, I watched the Lego Movie, Saving Mr. Banks, 47 Ronin, and Ride Along. Best way to make 13 hours go by much faster than you'd think: TV, TV, TV.
Well, that just about wraps things up, folks! Hope you've enjoyed reading these. I'm back to the US, which means that these next few days, you will find me thoroughly jet lagged and sleepy, as well as adjusting back to American life and surprisingly missing certain parts of China. In other words: I won't be leaving the house too often...I'm going through a weird phase right now.
Until my next blog post, friends! As always, thanks for stopping by!
Hello, blue water and clear skies!
Alright, friends! We made it to the last day in China, which means my last blog post about it. It was very bittersweet and although I was excited to go home and see my parents and my kitty, I was also very sad to be leaving. Our family members had been so good to us, and I would definitely miss them. We would not be seeing them for a long time again...I guess that's the price of living on two different continents.
Today was our rest day, and would be spent almost entirely at home. We had to pack and get ready to leave early in the morning the next day. I used my time to blog, clean up my living spaces, and arrange everything in my backpack and suitcase. Today was also the only day that I took a nap after lunch, like most Chinese people do for siesta. It was a lovely nap, but the temperature was getting higher and higher throughout these past few days. I was sweating profusely because my grandma felt like it was unnecessary to turn on the apartment's A/C.
In the afternoon, my grandma's youngest sister came over to visit us. She brought us peaches and grapes, and talked with her sister and my aunt for a long time about recent events/news. I helped my aunt prepare these Chinese herbs so that they could be cooked, and then we went out to dinner at a restaurant nearby.
Dinner was, once again, delicious. We ordered so many dishes that I'd never tried before, and it was a memorable last night out with my family members here. My aunt took me and Jason out for a walk after dinner; we got some pastries for breakfast tomorrow morning at a bakery (boy, do I wish we had the vast selection of sweet and savory snacks that they offer there...donuts don't stand a chance when there are such amazing rolls, breads, etc.) and we also grabbed some more snacks to bring home from a chain in China called Lyfen (in Chinese, the name is"let's get a few" or "a few snacks").
It offers rows and rows of little snacks and bites of all different kinds. There's sweet snacks, like jellies, brownies, or cakes, salty snacks like seasoned peas, little black eggs, shrink-wrapped meats, and much more. The main thing that we like to get there are these peeled, sweetened walnuts that are flavored with honey. They're amazing, but you can only really get them in China. My aunt insisted that we get more besides the walnuts, though, and tossed eggs, jellies, and meats in our basket as well. Hmm...I'll let my parents take care of those ones.
Once back at home, we went to bed early. I stayed up for a while and talked with Claire for a while. She's been able to speak with Jason and me entirely in English this time we've gone back, which is super impressive! There's still so much we hadn't talked about and wanted to chat about... unfortunately, we'd just have to rely on WeChat until we see each other again.
Our last dinner in China
Delicious balls filled with black sesame
The bowl of red stuff is sweet congee soup, with little glutinous balls...trust me, it's terrific.
I want macarons topping my cakes from now on.
The rows at Lyfen...snacks beyond your imagination.
Time to go home! We headed to the airport around 5:30 in the morning, after waking up groggily to hug Claire and say goodbye. Once we got to security, we said goodbye to my aunt and uncle, who have seriously had a lot of work dealing with us while we were in China. Thanks for everything! I promise, I'll bring you guys out for a lot of fun when you visit me in LA.
It was a marathon of three flights until we could be back in our beloved Boston.
First: Shanghai --> Beijing (~ 2 hours)
Second: Beijing --> New York (~13 hours)
Third: New York --> Boston (~1 hour)
After suffering through more airplane food, uncomfortable naps, and crying babies, we were finally, FINALLY in our parents' car and speeding towards our sorely missed house. The flights weren't all that bad though...thankfully, none were delayed, Jason and I got a three-seat row to ourselves for the 13 hour stretch, and we had gotten into Boston safe and sound with all of our luggage. Phew. On the way home, I watched the Lego Movie, Saving Mr. Banks, 47 Ronin, and Ride Along. Best way to make 13 hours go by much faster than you'd think: TV, TV, TV.
Well, that just about wraps things up, folks! Hope you've enjoyed reading these. I'm back to the US, which means that these next few days, you will find me thoroughly jet lagged and sleepy, as well as adjusting back to American life and surprisingly missing certain parts of China. In other words: I won't be leaving the house too often...I'm going through a weird phase right now.
Until my next blog post, friends! As always, thanks for stopping by!
Quenching my thirst in New York...almost home!
Boston is as beautiful as we left it.
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