life is a dream

building my Christmas wishlist already...

2011-10-21T17:26:00.004-04:00

Zara Square Leather Messenger Bag ($89.99)

I really really want this bag to bring to work. It's big enough to hold my two phones, wallet, and makeup. I like the brown better than the blue. They also have a red that I like, but I would have to see it in person to make sure the red isn't tacky.

The cold weather is making me yearn for anything leather.

loss

2011-10-11T17:01:00.003-04:00

People come and go. I get that. But it just seems that I always lose the people I care about the most, and I never understand why they go.

Why are there never any answers?

Derek Lam Spring FW 2012

2011-09-14T17:56:00.002-04:00

Missoni for Target

2011-09-09T11:28:00.008-04:00

So today, on the way to work, I saw the Missoni for Target store at 42nd St, and there was a rather short line in front of it, so I figured I'd check it out since the line definitely wasn't going to get any shorter later in the day. And I ended up walking out with the jacket pictured above. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it - it's not quite so yellow as on the picture, more of an olive color. It's definitely a color that I don't have in my wardrobe, which can be a good or bad thing. I've already gotten two votes of approval at work, so we'll see!

Also on my wish list...

I actually saw the maxi dress pictured above in my size, but I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure of the material. It's a bit thick and not really the right material for the summer, and I was thinking, "When else would I wear a maxi dress?" But I think I might give it a try when it comes out on the Target website.

Love early morning shopping :)

soft soft fur

2011-09-07T11:14:00.003-04:00

Zara Fur Jacket ($89.99)

Love the length. Love the hood. Love the black lining of the zipper. I can't wait for it to be under 60 degrees again so I can wear my fur jackets. If I ever catch this jacket on sale, I may just have to get it. Let's ignore the fact that I have a gray, shorter version that is the exact same material. In my defense, you need a hood for the winter!

new beginnings

2011-09-06T17:30:00.002-04:00

First day of not having to go to school when everyone else is.

It feels weird. I didn't enjoy classes last year or being at Tufts, really, and if I were back there now, I'm sure I would complain just as much I did last year - but it's just safe, you know? School is safe. I can't say that working at White & Case has been much of a challenge so far, but it's made me feel sort of useless quite often, frankly, and I don't enjoy that.

Going into the real world - isn't that moving on? Then why does it feel like today, everyone's moving on but me?

it's not fair

2011-07-28T13:40:00.001-04:00

I miss you.

RIP Uncle 7/26/11

a true friend...

2011-05-04T11:56:00.003-04:00

...is someone who is always there for you, no matter what. A true friend isn't someone who's your friend only when it's convenient for them, or when they're in a good mood, or when they need something from you.

You always said that I need to be more selfish, that I'm too nice to my friends. Well, I'll take your advice. You're not my friend.

music

2011-04-17T20:50:00.003-04:00

One week until the concert. God, I just want to be able to do this again.

March 3, 2007 5pm @ Paul Hall, Juilliard

Please let me enjoy the one hour of music, the stage, the applause. This might be the last time. I want to do everyone proud - my parents, my brother, my first piano teacher, my Juilliard professor. Even though they won't be there, I want to play - for them.

Simone Fall 2011

2011-04-13T14:36:00.002-04:00

Love the jacket.

love twirly dresses

2011-04-12T10:47:00.001-04:00

via Pinterest

second semester senior

2011-04-11T16:53:00.001-04:00

all clothing deserve a pretty place to live in

2011-04-10T12:42:00.001-04:00

via pinterest

recent mood

2011-04-09T11:54:00.000-04:00

Sigh. Life.

graduation present, please =)

2011-04-07T01:34:00.002-04:00

Canon Rebel XS ($479)

Rachel Antonoff

2011-04-04T15:46:00.004-04:00

I'm totally in love with Rachel Antonoff's designs right now.

Rachel Antonoff for Bass Oxfords ($109)

Rachel Antonoff for Bass Kissing Hearts Flats ($129)

Crimson and Collars Dress ($245)

cupcakes = love

2011-03-25T22:41:00.002-04:00

Kidrobot Cupcake Plushie $75

Why are there so many random cute things in NYC? I want.

NYFW Michael Kors 2011

2011-03-23T01:22:00.000-04:00

Capital Grille

2011-03-13T22:56:00.008-04:00

So Capital Grille was the first restaurant that my boyfriend and I decided to try out for Restaurant Week. We did a lot of research, and it seemed to have pretty good reviews for Restaurant Week, so we even decided to splurge and have dinner there.

Bread basket & butter (& me?!)

I loved loved LOVED the bread! Maybe it was because we had made an 8:30 reservation and even though they very kindly let us in at 8, I was still starving, but I thought the bread basket was wonderful. It had many different kinds of bread, and the butter - mMm, it just melted in your mouth.

Appetizer: clam chowder

Who can say no to clam chowder? The chowder came surprisingly fast. Sadly, it wasn't special or memorable. It was definitely better than the school dining hall clam chowder, but probably not better than the clam chowder at Legal Seafoods or at Jack's (an undiscovered restaurant in Warren, RI = love.)

Entrée 1: filet mignon 8 oz.

I chose the filet mignon even though I was a little worried about whether it would fill me up. The steak was very tender, and the center was red, which I loved. The sauce wasn't very special though, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to it.

Entrée 2: 14 oz bone-in kona crusted dry aged sirloin with shallot butter

My boyfriend chose this because it was a larger portion :) I had a bite of it, but honestly don't remember much.

Side dishes: Sam's mashed potatoes & fresh cream spinach

The mashed potatoes were to die for. It was so creamy and smooth and simply melted in your mouth. The spinach, on the other hand, I could have done without. The texture was a bit too much for me - too creamy!

Dessert 1: creme brulee

I was really torn between this and the flourless chocolate cake, but I really can't say no to a creme brulee. I was simply ecstatic when I saw its size, and it was absolutely delicious. The top was torched perfectly. Halfway through, however, I started to feel stuffed and was tempted to pack the rest up for home, but I finished it anyway and my stomach paid dearly for it for the rest of the night. When I saw this picture the next day, however, I still wanted that creme brulee, so you know it was definitely good.

Dessert 2: Capital Grille handcrafted ice cream

My boyfriend ordered the handcrafted ice cream and it was nice - very creamy - although we couldn't quite figure out what flavor it was. It did, however, go well with my creme brulee!

So, all in all, it was a nice dining experience. The atmosphere = not so much. It was too loud and we were seated awkwardly in the middle of a walkway. Some people were dressed nicely, while others were not. If I had not gone during Restaurant Week, I would have been more disappointed with the atmosphere because it's not one I would like to pay so much for. The food was good, although I remember the creme brulee more than the steak, which says something, since this is a steakhouse after all. So, I'm glad I went and it wasn't a bad experience, but I'm not sure it was worth the 40 dollars.

NYFW Dennis Basso 2011

2011-02-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

NYFW Badgley Mischka 2011

2011-02-27T00:43:00.000-05:00

NYFW Anna Sui 2011

2011-02-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

new addition to wishlist

2011-02-25T22:57:00.003-05:00

So if I can't afford a really good camera, I can at least have this, right?

Diana F+ Cone in Panda ($105.99)

Maybe I'll reward myself if/when I get a job. And just for the record, if I ever schedule two interviews on the same day again (and think I'm brilliant for it), please slap me. I think it's going to take me awhile - and a lot of sleep - to recover from today's braindead-ness.

recent obsession = briefcases

2011-02-20T09:58:00.005-05:00

Okay, that's a lie. I've been obsessed with briefcases for awhile, but since the handle of the one I got from New Look in London broke, I'm on the hunt for a new one.

Lulu's Business Class Blue Purse ($29.00)

ASOS Contrast Briefcase ($71.72)

Vintage School Satchel

Miss Selfridge Tan Briefcase

ASOS Leather Vintage Style Satchel ($81.82)

cute romantic cape

2011-02-17T17:15:00.003-05:00

Aryn K Cape ($94.99)

I love everything about her outfit, except maybe the tights. Black is a little too intense for this soft, flow-y, romantic outfit, so I would have gone with brown tights instead.

you are almost perfect

2011-02-13T00:30:00.001-05:00

Marais Parkside Stroll Heel ($109.99)

you don't know me

2011-02-09T16:52:00.004-05:00

I guess this will be one of the rare posts on this blog that isn't about fashion. At first, I contemplated putting this on my private blog, but then I thought, "What the hell, what do I have to hide?"

I'm not content anymore, playing the role I've played in the past because I'm not that person, and if you can't recognize that fact, then there is nothing left for us. Two years ago, I made a ton of mistakes. I didn't know what the hell I wanted from life. I didn't know how to be unafraid of living. A year in London and the past seven months have changed all that - most of it, at least - so don't think you can treat me the way you used to. Don't think for a second that I will be content playing the ditzy friend, the one that entertains you with stories of her stupid actions and decisions and her never-ending drama, because I'm not that girl anymore. And right now, I can't remember why we were ever friends because all of a sudden, I've realized that I'm much more mature than you and that I don't really respect you at all. And I guess, I mean less to you than I'd thought too, because a real friend would be happy for me.

I don't know what the hell you are.

to get or not to get?

2011-02-07T17:45:00.002-05:00

Bass "Glenbrook" Oxford ($69.00)

cute pumps/booties

2011-02-06T00:16:00.003-05:00

Kling Vegan-Friendly Pumps ($64.99)

These are adorable! You can even fold down the scrunchy part so they become a very lady-like and graceful pair of booties. I'm a big fan of booties, but sometimes the wrong pair will make your feet look huge, or make your legs look short, or won't go with a cute summer dress because they look too chunky. Too bad Modcloth doesn't have these pumps in my size anymore :(

need: new backpack

2011-01-31T16:09:00.014-05:00

The Cambridge Satchel Company Briefcase ($134.99)

It even comes with a tag that says "Made in England." I have fallen in love. Again.

beauty of photos

2011-01-27T21:56:00.002-05:00

This bag just makes me want a real camera even more.

Chae Shutter Speed Bag ($299)

regret :(

2011-01-22T16:41:00.006-05:00

I walked away from this today. SIGH.

H&M Varsity Jacket ($59.99)

The whole way I was walking to the T, all I wanted to do was run back and buy it. It was painful and miserable. I hate being poor and my meager $90 per week paycheck. I miss my mommy buying me clothes all winter break. Now I will hide in a corner of my room and mourn the loss of such a cute jacket. Goodbye.

happy birthday to meee

2011-01-17T17:40:00.008-05:00

Birthday presents galore!(:

Zara sailor jacket (sale $49.99)

Zara leather dress (sale $19.99)

And last but not least...present from the boyfriend =)

day 1: your favorite song

2011-01-09T13:29:00.005-05:00

When I was in London, I became so obsessed with these two songs that I tracked down Qian and made her download them for me because UCL supposedly monitored our bandwidth to prevent downloading. Then, I promptly put the songs on repeat for the entire day. It was amazing.

Since I can't choose between them, I'm posting both. To me, they come as a pair anyway. Enjoy! :)

30 day challenge begins!

2011-01-06T20:33:00.004-05:00

So now that I've been blogging more often for some strange reason, I thought I'd take a stab at the 30-day challenge that Jess posted on her blog! (I am totally procrastinating and not doing my job applications.)

day 01 — your favorite song
day 02 — your favorite movie
day 03 — your favorite television program
day 04 — your favorite book
day 05 — your favorite quote
day 06 — your favorite pair of shoes
day 07 — a photo that makes you happy
day 08 — a photo that makes you angry/sad
day 09 — a photo you took
day 10 — a photo of you taken over ten years ago
day 11 — a photo of you taken recently
day 12 — a song that you want played at your wedding
day 13 — a fictional book
day 14 — a non-fictional book
day 15 — a motto or philosophy
day 16 — a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
day 17 — an art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
day 18 — a movie no one would expect you to love
day 19 — a talent of yours
day 20 — a hobby of yours
day 21 — a recipe
day 22 — a website
day 23 — a youtube video
day 24 — a scar you have and its story
day 25 — your day, in great detail
day 26 — your week, in great detail
day 27 — this month, in great detail
day 28 — this year, in great detail
day 29 — hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
day 30 — whatever tickles your fancy

Wish me luck! :)

love

2011-01-06T11:55:00.001-05:00

new years shopping

2011-01-04T00:39:00.003-05:00

A recent love of my life...

Brown checkered blazer from Zara on sale for 69.99!

Did I need it? No, but oh how I do love me a blazer(:

happy new year :)

2011-01-01T14:36:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year!! (To whoever's still reading this and I'm rather impressed if anyone is. I am a terrible blogger.)

Snapshots of two of the amazing additions to my life in 2010:

Too bad I never got to see London in all of its new-year fireworks glory, but I love it anyway :)

And isn't that just the cutest smile ever?

missing London...

2010-12-29T00:20:00.009-05:00

I'm the type of person that always complains about a certain thing, but then, when it's gone, I miss it beyond belief. London is my new regret. When I was there, I hated the rain. I hated the cobblestones that covered every sidewalk and made it impossible to wear heels or walk with a sprained ankle. I hated the huge classes at 9 in the morning with awful, boring lecturers, who didn't know how to present their research on Shakespeare to a group of twenty-year-olds. I hated the people I shared kitchenware with because they never cleaned up after themselves and left pots that I needed in the sink, covered with last night's spaghetti sauce. I hated the long winter with barely any sun at all. I missed my family. I missed my friends. I missed Tufts. I missed good pizza and buffalo wings.

And now, London is all I yearn for. I'm sure I talk about it at least once a day, whether it's the things I miss, or a miscellaneous event that I just remembered. My thoughts all have the British accent (thanks to my recent addiction, The Apprentice, UK version). I google map my dorm just so I can scroll for thirty minutes and take the route from John Dodgson to UCL and then to Oxford Street on my laptop. I become ridiculously giddy and hyper whenever I drink Strongbow or Magnus pear cider. I become depressed when I order Fish & Chips at Legal Seafoods, but am given a few pieces of overly-fried and cut-up fish and no mushy peas.

I miss so many things about London that I've stopped trying to put them into words because I don't know where to start, but today, there's one thing I miss the most. I miss being in control of my life, of living for myself and only myself, of being able to do things and take chances and go places without having to worry about anything, of having so many places around me to go to and explore.

I've never liked to be alone, but who'd knew that one day I would actually miss it.

A room that went through a lot with me - my first cooked meal, my first hangover, my first sprained ankle, my first real shopping spree.

London, I miss you. I really really do.

the good things in life

2010-07-07T11:34:00.003-04:00

"Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together."

It's always been hard for me to live by that motto- I'm not one who can easily let go of the past- but recently, life has really lived up to that one simple sentence. I'm sure that if and when things fall apart in the future, it'll still take me way too long to let go and move on, and I'll probably hate whoever that tries to feed me "optimistic crap," but maybe when I see this post, I'll remember, even if it's just for a little while, that things will get better.

Three years ago, I thought I'd hit rock bottom once again. Friends still talk about how out of it I was that entire semester afterward. Even last year, a part of me still felt empty, and I tried desperately to salvage whatever that was left, only to find that there was nothing left at all. And now? I'm still scared, but more optimistic and logical. Three years of thinking and reflecting didn't go to waste after all.

So whatever happens happens. The next time anyone catches me whining or sulking, I need him/her to remind me of how happy I was at this very moment. Please don't let me forget.

october adventures

2009-11-02T08:10:00.014-05:00

Okay, so I failed to update by Friday, but I'm here now! That should count for something, right? :) Especially because I'm neglecting my paper (due Wednesday) just to update!

Recently, my life has been filled with a lot of cooking and reading. Those two activities have basically completely taken over my life. Yay for yummy food! Not yay for reading and writing papers. Admist all the cooking and school work, adventures in October included:

Trip to see Othello (where I managed to sneak a picture or two before getting yelled at), and Rigoletto a week later (I didn't attempt pictures this time.)

Trip to Stratford Upon Avon, which included a lot of traffic, attempting to sleep on the bus, tours of Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's Birth Place, yummy fish & chips, conversations on the bus back to London about unhealthy TV shows.

Allison's visit to London: being touristy and taking pictures at Buckingham Palace, going shopping at Camden Market, burning popcorn and eating it anyway, watching Arrested Development, doing homework because we're just that studious, breakfast at Pret a Manger <333>

Aaaand, my newest additions to the "List of Foods that Iris Can Cook Without Burning the Kitchen Down:" fried rice (!) and breakfast wrap. Yummm. Note to self: add more soy sauce and salt to the fried rice in the future.

Upcoming adventures: BATH & BRISTOL!! I checked the weather for this weekend though- rain, rain, and more rain- but I will not let that deter me from my long-awaited vacation!

Alrighty, time to run to class- Modern Lit seminar galore, where we will discuss the very disturbing play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." One should never read that play at 11pm alone in a room. It's really really freaky.

Oh, and everyone skype me this week because I'm not going to be sleeping very much and will need the company :)

fashion heaven

2009-10-28T13:31:00.003-04:00

Okay, I know- I suck at updating this blog. But, here is the long-awaited entry, which I've decided takes precedence over my paper on Revolutionary Road and how fantasies destroy people's lives- such a nice, cheery topic, isn't it?

So, now on the topic of FASHION HEAVEN. All I can say is I absolutely love, adore, and worship European fashion. I love noticing amazing outfits when I'm on the tube or even just walking to campus. It's as if everyone stepped out of fashion magazines. I can only hope that after a year in London, I'll be able to think and dress like them, but in the meantime, I've discovered two places that make my fashion-deprived heart (I left more than half of my clothing back home T.T) cry out with glee.

The first is Camden Market. At first glance, it feels a bit like Chinatown, but the products are a lot classier and there are less fake brands floating around, although there still are plenty. At the center of the market are a bunch of stalls all squished together and the only way to shop there is to squeeze between the stalls and slowly make your way down the many many aisles of wonderful clothing. These stalls have an amazing variety of basically anything you could ever want. You can get stuff from leather jackets to Hello Kitty sweatshirts to summer dresses to fashionable fall and winter coats. And the best thing about these stalls is- you get to bargain! I always start around 5 pounds (about $8.50) below the price they give me and then we can compromise from there. Also, a useful trick is to walk away and make them call after you. When I was there yesterday, a guy managed to lower his price by 8 pounds for a sweater dress by the time I was two feet away from his stall.

So from Camden Market, I've gotten: 3 dresses and 1 shirt.

Around the stalls at Camden Market are a bunch of little clothing and shoe stores. They usually charge around the same as the stalls, but you can't bargain in these, although they sometimes have better qualities than in the stalls. Also, it's more likely that you'll be able to exchange or return things if you buy from stores. There is an amazing store across from Camden Town tube station called Select. The clothing there is pretty good quality, but cheap! Super cheap! And they have crazy sales on half of the store. I don't think I've gone in there and come out empty-handed yet (good for my wardrobe, bad for my bank account!) So far, I've gotten from there: 1 pair of brown high heel boots, 2 scarves (gray/silver and black/white/pink), 1 black vest, 1 pair of shorts (black and white checkered) 1 black spring jacket, 1 gray t-shirt, and 1 beige sweater-like drape thing. It has also been brought to my attention recently that I have a lot of black and gray in my wardrobe- no, I am not turning emo!

The second amazing fashion heaven that I've discovered is Oxford St. Even though I can't afford most of the clothing there, it's still nice to look at all the pretty things. There's one store- Hyper Hyper- that I absolutely adore. It's basically a very large store where many local designers set up stands for their own clothing, so there's a lot of variety. You can get anything from shoes to fake Juicy Couture bags (I was tempted, very) to Hello Kitty merchandise to dresses that are completely covered in lace to very fobby and cute clothing. So far I've gotten from there: 1 pair of black winter boots and 1 Hello Kitty wallet, which, I must mention, I got for free because the owner of the stall was nice- not creepy!

Down the street from Hyper Hyper are a few more cheap clothing stores that don't have the best qualities, but still contain some really cute pieces. I got a sailor-style dress from a store called Super Babe and a pair of short black fake leather boots from the basement of a random clothing store. I'm absolutely in love with those boots even though I have to admit, they smelled a bit funky when I first got them, but it's all good now :)

Alas, my shopping spree has come to an end (yeah right, but I'm going to pretend). I was going to post pictures of my new items of clothing, but it takes way too much effort, so you'll all see it when I get back! Tomorrow, or at least on Friday, I will provide updates on my life during these past couple of weeks, I promise. Really. Pinky swear <3333

holiday with books

2009-10-04T07:21:00.013-04:00

Hi all! Sorry I haven't updated in ages. I've finally started classes- Shakespeare, Modern Literature, Marxism, and Intro to Logic- all of which are really interesting, but have already left me with a lot of work (that I'm not doing at the moment, why I do not know.)

So, a little update on what's been going on. Honestly, I can barely even remember- the past two weeks have been an absolute blur. I went to so many places that it really did begin to seem like a holiday with very little books, and I think that I'm still stuck in that mode. Bad, very bad.

After I took a break from life to deal with my awful cold, I decided to do some much needed shopping, or rather, window shopping. I blame that on my lack of a bank card, but that has all changed since two weeks ago because fortunately (or unfortunately), my bank account is up and running, which allows me to shop my heart out, hooray! :) So two weekends ago, Jes and I went to Camden Market and Oxford Street, both of which are amazing and made me want to cry. Details will be provided in the next post, which will be entirely dedicated to fashion, heehee.

Next came the day of the plinth! Waking up at 6:30 in the morning was quite interesting- I felt like I was sleep-walking the entire way to Trafalgar Square, but it was totally worth it. Anjali is now one of the plinth climbers! And we all gave out red balloons (some were even heart-shaped!) to people who wanted to be Anjali's friend. It was a cold but fun morning, although rejection is painful indeed.

^ Anjali on the plinth! plus, Michael & Jenn w/their signs & balloon

The next two days were dedicated to registering at the different departments and talking with affiliate tutors, etc. And then came the London Museum of Science on Wednesday (30/09)! I failed to bring my camera (I suck), so no pictures of that, although Jes might have some, which I'll post in the future if I ever remember to ask her. Oh, and we all learned that night that the tube closes at 11 on weekdays, which is even more ridiculous than the T. We also learned that we should pay attention to bus numbers when we're waiting at the bus stop and not let the bus we want to take drive past us ^_~

Last Thursday (01/10) was the very memorable/crazy/amusing Club Neon. I would post pictures if only they weren't so not blog-appropriate. Good times though ;) I wish someone had taken a picture of us earlier that night when we'd been a bit more sane.

Then Friday, we went to the Activities Fair, where I signed up for a million activities, but actually haven't gone to any. I really want to join clubs, but they all require member fees and even after you pay those, you still have to pay for each lesson, such as for ballroom or kung fu, so I just end up not going to the meetings. Oh well. Afterwards, we went to Zoe's apartment (somewhere really faraway) to cook dinner and watch Arrested Developemtnt. I managed to get back by midnight that day. Mission accomplished!

On Saturday, we went back to Camden Market and this time, I spent a fortune there. Pretty pretty clothing <3>

So this past week has been classes, classes, and more classes! Plus, rain, rain and more rain! I have so much reading already, which I promise I'll do once I finish this post (or at least I'll try). Classes here are pretty different. For one, both my English classes have 6 lecturers each, which made me sad when I realized that I wouldn't see the passionate charismatic Shakespeare professor I had in the first class again until the end of the term. My Marxism class seems kind of intimidating, so I've already checked out three books on Marx and his writings because I don't want it to be a repeat of my experience in the EU class freshmen year.

Oh, and it might surprise some of you that I've been cooking! Although many would say that making pasta or noodles isn't cooking, but still- I'm very very proud.

And that's that! Next up: FASHION HEAVEN! Ta-ta for now :)

the woes of being sick

2009-09-25T12:20:00.002-04:00

Let me just say, once and for all, how much I hate being sick. Of course, it is totally my fault because 1) I very intelligently decided to not wear a jacket even at night these last couple of days because I was convinced that it was not cold at all, and 2) I chose to ignore my reoccuring cases of sore throat by staying out till midnight, running around and drinking cider. Bad, bad Irie.

So this is my punishment- my day of self-quarantine. All I can do is gaze wistfully out my window, which has the most awful view of this ugly building that's under construction, on a beautiful Friday afternoon. At least, I'm more than halfway done with unpacking. By the way, have I ever mentioned how much I despise unpacking? I guess I will be more appreciative once I have a neat and organized room to live in instead of having to jump over two suitcases every time I have to go to the bathroom. I mean, the loo.

Okay, time to backtrack a little. Dinner three days ago at Covent Garden was amazing and mind-blowing. Seriously. Cheesy tart for the starter, then ribeye steak, and finally chocolate torte. My stomach is eating itself up even when I'm just thinking about that meal. It was so amazing that I forgot to take pictures! All 36 of us were squished into two tunnels of the restaurant (the wine cellars) and proceeded to spend 3 glorious hours eating. Afterwards, we walked around trying to find something to do, but failed (I'm starting to see a trend here). Instead, we decided to buy some cider and enjoy the view at Trafalgar Square. It was a very beautiful night, filled with many hilarious memories.

Then, two days ago, we finally moved in to our permanent dorms! John Dodgson House is very new and has wonderful private bathrooms. I guess that makes up for the fact that it is ridiculously far from the rest of society. Walking to campus takes 15-20 minutes, and there are very little restaurants over here, minus an Indian place we discovered last night. After we moved in, the rest of the time was devoted to buying duvet sets (which, I learned, don't come with the actual duvet!), pillows, sheets, etc. Argos, which is a super cheap store that sells basically everything you'd ever want to buy, is on the other side of the earth and requires a 30 minute walk. I walked it twice in one day. My legs and feet hated me. For dinner, we had Japanese food. Katsudon! <3 And afterwards, we all hung out in Jenn's room, which is a lot bigger than mine for the record. Not fair.

Yesterday, we decided to skip all the orientation events and try going to enroll early instead so that maybe we could finally access the internet. It worked! I now have a very ugly looking student ID card and internet access! And an email address too, but I still have no idea what it is. For dinner, we had amazing Indian food! I stuffed myself beyond belief even though I was feeling sick and woozy. Then, I came back to my room and skyped with Qian & co. for 3 hours till 2 in the morning.

On a random note, can I just say that the Asian boys I've seen here are amazingly cute? And I know that Qian has asked for proof because she's probably convinced that I'm just hallucinating, but I'm not!

Alrighty, this concludes my not-so-exciting post. I am going to continue to drown myself in vitamins and water for the rest of night, plus unhealthy tv shows. My new guilty pleasure: Melrose Place.

London, I love you

2009-09-22T10:03:00.009-04:00

I'M IN LONDON!!! :DDD

Actually, I've been in London for almost a week, but the lack of wireless and my own laziness make blogging a tad hard. Here I am now though! I'm currently lounging in Jesenia's room because that's the only place any of us can get wireless (lucky, poo!).

First of all, let me just say that I miss everyone a ton. Seriously. London is amazing and I'm having the time of my life, but I miss Tufts and Boston and New York and my friends and my family. Really and truly. I've been avoiding calling home or skyping with anyone with my limited amount of wireless because I'm scared that it will make me super homesick. I love you all though! And believe me when I say that I think about you guys every single day.

Second of all, I LOVE LONDON!! The architecture, the amazing history, the accent, the pubs, the crazy cars that always almost run me over, Oxford Street, guys on hot motorcycles- I just love it all. I'm having an amazing time, although I kind of wish classes would start soon so I can have a schedule of some sort. Today, I went out and bought a bunch of school supplies, including a planner (my life just isn't complete without it). Did you know that paper in the UK has four holes instead of three? And the paper is longer than in the States! Very convenient for someone like me who always takes too much notes :)

So recently, I've been going on group trips and such with TiL people. I'll do a super quick rundown of the places I've gone to so far:

Thursday: we arrived at around 8:30. Customs line was so incredibly long. We actually met up with TiL people from the group flight, but Jenn and I already had a minicab waiting, so we took that instead. We were the first to get to Schaffer, wohoo! Schaffer is the dorm that we're living in temporarily during orientation so we're all together in one place. After everyone got here, we received our first week's allowance (100 pounds), and then all went to take naps because jetlag sucks. At 3:30, we went to purchase pay-as-you-go phones. I have an old-school Samsung phone that doesn't even have a camera, but at least it was cheap! Then we went to Wagamama for dinner. Yes, we have Wagamama here! It is amazing, and we don't have exactly the same things as in Harvard Square, but it still tastes good.

Friday: we had the first part of TiL orientation, which went all the way till 2pm. Then, Jesenia and I got Subways (Amy, your favorite!), and it made my tummy very happy. We walked to Argos, this store withi super cheap things, and bought hair dryers because waiting two hours every morning for my hair to dry is not very fun. For dinner, we ate fish & chips, which was amazingly good even though I hate fish. And I got cocunut ice cream in a cocunut shell (pictures to come).

Saturday: Parliament tour! Pretty much self-explanatory. I adored the architecture and decorations inside the building. Afterwards, Jesenia and I went to find her dorm, Astor College. It's actually very conveniently located (unlike mine) near Oxford St, which is a 2 mile street full of cheap and not-so-cheap clothing stores. I am most definitely going back there the first chance I get to buy a pair of boots or two. Me, being the smart person that I am, didn't bring any boots with me. What was I thinking?! And despite popular belief, it barely rains here so I'm forced to survive on just two pairs of flip-flops and one pair of sneakers. It sucks. Anyhow, Oxford St has Zara and H&M!! And this store filled with Japanese-style clothing. After walking for an hour, my life felt complete. If it wasn't for the fact that I only had 40 pounds in my wallet at the time, I'm sure I would have started on my shopping spree right there and then. I got McDonalds on the way back because I was sleepy and needed to watch TV on my computer before passing out.

Sunday: we went on a tour of London, although not on a double-decker bus as I had hoped. Sad. We went to some really cool places, like St. Paul's Cathedral, the London Bridge, Hay's Galleria, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (!!), the National Gallery (which is at the dead center of London), and finally Covent Garden. Overall, it was a ton of walking and my legs were uber sore afterwards, but it was worth it. Pictures take too long to post here so please look on Facebook! For lunch, I had a glass of plum wine, which went nicely with my chicken katsucurry :)

Monday: second part of TiL orientation- this time it was about academics. Boy, did it make everything a hundred more times stressful. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to be taking. UCL departments don't post timetables of their classes in advance so we have no idea whether the classes we want to take will clash with each other or not. I'm just praying that registration next Monday will not be too painful. We got sushi for dinner- my first time eating sushi in London! It was actually really good. It wasn't from a restaurant- more like a takeout store where they have a crapload of sushi out and you choose the pieces that you want. After dinner, we went to watch 39 Steps, a popular play that was extremely hilarious. The "theatre district" in London is just like Times Square, but classier. After the play, we walked around and tried to find something fun to do, but to no avail, so we took the bus back (first time on a double decker wohoo!) and went to The Court, a pub down the street from our dorm. Eventually, we got to our dorm around midnight and passed out. Hooray for cider!

So that's what I've been doing the first couple of days in London! I'm moving out of Schaffer and into my permanent dorm (with a private bathroom!) tomorrow, so tonight I have to repack all the things that I dug out of my suitcase this past week. Also, we're going out to dinner later at Covent Garden- our last free meal! I better make good use of it :)

On a random note, saying "loo" instead of restroom makes me crack up every time.

Ta-ta for now! Miss you all <33333

shopaholic

2009-07-18T20:05:00.004-04:00

^ My new favorite article of clothing

Because I love my new leather jacket so much, I've decided to dedicate an entire entry to it. It is brown and adorable and zips up on the side, which I absolutely love. And it was on sale for $39.99 (the original price was $69.99), so I snagged it in a heartbeat.

Oh, how I love Nordstrom and its anniversary sales! On the other hand, I've learned today that shopping for 6 hours with mommy in a mall full of sales is very very detrimental to my bank account, or rather, mommy's bank account (^.^)v

But, why why WHY, do I need a pair of sneakers that costs $160? -_-;; I mean, yes, they are so so so cute and so so so pink and I love them, but I do not NEED them. Try telling that to mommy though. So, as of now, they are sitting in the trunk of mommy's car, until I find another reasonably priced pair of sneakers and return these extremely cute, pink, but ridiculously expensive ones. I refuse to submit to them!

Shopping for 6 hours is amazing. My feet hate me for it though. Oopsies!

to love or not to love

2009-07-10T14:24:00.000-04:00

"It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

In my darkest hours, I have found myself desperately yearning for a way to turn back time and somehow change that pivotal moment when I fell in love so I could hopefully avoid having to learn how to fall out of love. Recently I've discovered that no matter how hard you think it is to let go of and forget the one you loved, time makes everything fade into fuzzy images that you can only occasionally get a glimpse of in your dreams (thank goodness), and yet the scars left from those failed attempts to live a fairytale are still ever so apparent. I don't enjoy being cynical and bitter when I watch chick flicks instead of laughing and squealing over them like before. I don't want to be afraid of living and loving, but sometimes it seems that's exactly what life is trying to engrave into my mind. Better be safe than sorry, right?

Regret. It's a bitter bitter word, one that I'm more afraid of than being broken, than being hurt, than all of the broken promises added together. And it's because of my fear of regret that I give everyone a second chance, even when no one believes that they deserve it. I want to be able to say that I had given them the most I could give, instead of looking back on it and wondering if maybe I could have done more because even though loving the wrong people hurts like hell, I will heal- slowly but surely. Time will make me forget, but nothing in the world can ever dull the sharpness of regrets.

And you, Vic Zhou, are a cutie v(^.^)v

(Random, I know, but I couldn't NOT include something about him in here when he's all that I can think about these days, AHH!)

me, myself, and...mars

2009-07-02T11:50:00.000-04:00

To follow Jess' lead, here are my character strengths/weaknesses from the VIA survey. (It was a very good way to procrastinate for 50 minutes at work on the day before a long weekend when no one's here and I have absolutely nothing to do):

My Character Strengths

[1] Capacity to love and be loved
You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

[2] Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

[3] Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

[4] Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

[5] Leadership
You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.

My Least-Prevalent Character Strengths (from bad to absolutely non-existant)

[5] Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

[4] Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.

[3] Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

[2] Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

[1] Caution, prudence, and discretion
You are a careful person, and your choices are consistently prudent ones. You do not say or do things that you might later regret.

And here's the survey if you're bored: http://www.viacharacter.org/VIASurvey/VIASurvey/tabid/237/Default.aspx g/VIASurvey/VIASurvey/tabi d/237/Default.aspx.
- - -

So that survey pretty much summarized my life: I'm ridiculously loyal and persistent, often to the point that it annoys even myself, I love being loved and loving others, even when it becomes detrimental to my health and sanity, I'm often bitter and secretly hold grudges against others, and I am the least cautious, prudent, and wise person you can find.

On a very different note, I have been watching one of the most intense, emotional, yet also the creepiest Chinese drama of all time. It's called Mars, starring Da S and Zai Zai (Vic Zhou).

I am absolutely in love with it, even though it prevented me from getting much sleep last night. This only goes to show how one should never judge a person by his/her appearance. I used to despise Vic Zhou because I thought he was one of those pretty-boys who can't act for their lives, but I turned out to be very mistaken. He's an incredibly talented actor (or maybe I just have a soft spot for emo boys with tortured pasts, tehee). Anyhow, if anyone wants a good show to watch, try Mars or Black and White (also featuring Vic Zhou and a rather hot new actor, Mark Cao.)

defiance

2009-06-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do."

I always feel very incredibly nerdy when I find myself referring to Lost quotes, but hey, it's not my fault I relate so well to the characters (although rewatching all of the seasons is probably both my fault and unnecessary, oops.)

I used to be content just living life the way others expect me to. Sometimes, it seemed as if they understood me better than I did. They knew what I could/should/would do- study a lot, practice the piano as if it were my life, watch dramas, be ridiculously hyper/amusing, fall in love with individuals who weren't good for me- and what I couldn't do- be calm, avoid drama and over-thinking, master anything science-related, play a sport, ice skate.

Sometime in the past year, however, I suddenly realized how much I hate being told what I should do, who I should be friends with, what I should study, what hobbies I should stick to, etc. How dare you tell me who I should be when I don't even know the answer myself? Why do you pretend to know what I'm capable and incapable of? No one knows me that well. It's one thing for me to acknowledge the fact that I may be lacking in some area or another, but I hate being told that I can't or shouldn't do something.

Stereotypes suck. Just because I may look, dress, or act a certain way, doesn't mean that there's a package of attributes I have to stick to. So I push and push at the limits, and when people ask me why, I don't want to explain it. Why can't I be different people at different times? Why can't I enjoy a variety of activities and hobbies, instead of what others expect me to want to do? Why can't I find out for myself who I am? Why do you always try to tell me who I should be? I hate that look people give, like, "You? Really?"

Yes, me. Really. And you better believe it.

a new beginning...

2009-06-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

...again.

Hi. :)

So I had originally planned to create a new blog right before I leave for London in order to update everyone on my awesome adventures, but I realized a couple of days ago that I have not attempted to write anything- reflective or whiny- since a month ago. Not only do I not know what to write about, I also don't have the smallest bit of motivation (I blame that on the lack of depressing songs in my life recently.) So I thought- what would be more motivating than a brand new blog that I can spend hours prettifying and making my own? Therefore, I decided to start this blog a few months earlier.

And here we are! I haven't publicized my blogs in a long time, so if you're reading this:
1) I love you and I want us to keep in touch, so that when I see you again, there will be less of those "Wait, didn't I tell you...?" moments.
2) I haven't talked to you in awhile, but I miss our times together. Let's catch up!
3) You found this blog from my Facebook note even though you weren't tagged. Stalker!

Just kidding. If you're reading this, then yay! Get ready for random snippets of stories, pictures, and pointless rants/self-revelations galore!

(And that was probably the most cheery post you will ever see from me.)