I like food. I like cooking. I love to look at cookbooks, especially the ones with pictures. Sometimes I wish I had a huge kitchen with all the ingredients in stock including spices and what not. I think I can cook but my problem is that I’m lazy and never know what to buy. And I never want to buy too much because it’ll go bad. If only I had all these ingredients that never went bad! Then I could make whatever I wanted and could experiment on people. I think I find joy in cooking for people. Cooking is fun. Tell me what you want to eat and I’ll probably figure it out and be happy to make it for you.
Praise God…
from whom all blessings flow. It is amazing what can happen when you let go. I have no idea how things are going to eventually turn out when it all ends, but I am at peace right now. Plus I can’t seem to get this silly grin off my face thinking about how amazed I am by His doing. :)
Letting Go…
There have been a lot of things going on (at least in my mind) lately about all sorts of things. I’ve really been trying to just let go and to let God take control. This has lead me to be more peaceful about some things. It just makes things so much less stressful. I know that if God wants something for me and if it is in His will, then it will be done. I’m trying to learn that worrying more about things doesn’t really do anything but laying it all down in front of God and letting Him guide is crucial and it’s all we need. So I pray for opportunities, but I’m praying that when He does present one, He’ll lead me there and I”ll follow.
Hiking at Tenaja Falls
I went hiking this past weekend and I’m glad it was better than I expected it to be. When I learned that the hike was about 2.1 miles or was it only 1.2, probably the latter, I thought it was going to be pretty lame. In fact, I was thinking it was just going to be one of those trails similar to the ones in that huge park in RB. I thought we would be in and out in 30 minutes. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Tenaja Falls is up in Murrieta, so the thought of driving that distance just to hike for about an hour total was not going to be very exciting.
But I was wrong…and the hike turned out to be eventful after all. We hiked to the end and the reward was some small waterfall. There were tons of kids around, running around, playing around in the water. Since I thought the hike was just whatever, I opted not to wear my hiking shoes but just wore my running shoes instead. That was not such a great idea because I didn’t really have good grip on the rocks. The waterfall was surrounded by these huge rocks that you had to climb up/down on to get to the bottom of the waterfall. So, my friend suggested I just take off my shoes and socks to get more traction. Good idea.
We hung out for a bit and were about to climb back up out of the waterfall. I was first and began up this rock. It wasn’t really one where you could just step up, so I was kind of on my hands and knees and trying to find a groove for my feet. Next thing you know, I try to put my foot somewhere, and I slip and am unable to hold myself up considering I barely had anything to hold onto. Falling…smack on my butt into the pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall. Fail. I immediately jumped up to check my cellphone since it was in my pocket and I immediately grabbed my backpack to see if it was wet because my camera was in there. Whew! Everything was safe. The cell phone was a little wet but was fine. I, on the other hand, had my shorts all wet and part of my shirt too. Not only was it wet, it was muddy. Gross. It was kind of funny because my friends were all concerned about me since I fell and I was more concerned about my electronics! :)
So, I realized I could not go back up that way because now I was completely wet which would make it even more slippery. So we decided it would be best to take this other route. We had to cross over this small stream of water but I was afraid too since my feet were all wet. So I decided that since my feet were wet anyway, I might as well just step into the stream and then cross over instead of trying to hop over it. I take a step in the stream and then BAM, slip AGAIN! Fell on my butt into the water AGAIN! This time my backpack was more wet so I was more concerned. Whew. Good thing I put the camera in a bag in a bag. Now this is not just some measly compact camera I had in my bag, it was a dSLR. So then we thought it was best to put my camera into my coworkers bag. I put my socks and shoes back on and was able to climb, cautiously, bak up above the waterfall onto the trail.
I was pretty wet but it was warm so it was okay. The problem was that we were supposed to eat afterwards and I had wanted to check out this one store in the mall. So we made a detour at Target for me to purchase some basketball shorts :) and a t-shirt. So I buy the stuff and go change. Then we were off to the rest of our adventures.
Notes to take:
Rocks + Water = Slippery
Always keep an extra set of clothing in your car
Boba
I love boba! I think on average, I will get it once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times during just one weekend. Although sometimes, the 2 or 3 days in a row makes it a little too much to handle. Anyway, a while back I did some boba reviews and I think it’s time for an updated one. But just for fun, here are the old ones first, the new review below, and lastly, a fun story. Enjoy!
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Friday, November 05, 2004
my two cents on boba
–boba bliss sucks, the milk tea didn’t even TASTE like milk tea, in fact i couldn’t even tell what it tasted like…lets just say..trying to save money by going to a non-asian place (no offense to non-asian people) was not a good idea
–quickly is ehhh, their milk tea taste like coffee, i don’t like coffee and milk tea isn’t supposed to taste like that, in fact their snow bubble or whatever tastes weird too, the only good thing at quickly is slushies on hot summer days
–tea n more is okay for its special 1/2 off after 9pm, they have tiny cups and the milk tea tastes as good as its priced, for the half price deal that is
–tapioca express is satisfying, expensive in SD but much cheaper at home, although not worth it for its almost 3 dollar charge, in fact i can get a large at home for the price of a regular here in sd, it tastes good…it tastes good when the boba is good, they should have more 99cent specials
–tea station, i used to not like tea station because the milk tea was so sweet, but i have come to like it, the green tea that is, i only get green tea at tea station and green tea house, and every once in a long while at tap x, anyway…pricey as well, but tastes good, and they have fun straws
–green tea house cafe, best stuff, pricey but good, good green milk tea, good green boba, mmmm that stuff is so good, add a scoop of ice cream and if you know me well, you can hear me say, mmmmm this is soooooooooooooooo goooooooooooood, and this is only if they make it right, once they made it wrong and forgot the sugar and it tasted like water, and then we asked for a new one and they overloaded the sugar and nearly killed us all, so now every time i do go, I’m skeptical, i say, “i hope they made it right this time”, but its been alright since then
//edit
life plaza, hmm I’m not sure where to place life plaza boba, ive only gotten boba there maybe once or twice believe it or not, guess I’ll have to try it out when I’m home before i give my opinion on it
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
I Love You No More…
What happened to you? You used to be so great. I used to brag to my friends about you. I told them you were the best. I took every opportunity to see you and I looked forward to being together. You used to be so sweet. This last time we met, I could almost feel a slight bitterness in you. When I pointed that out, you tried to sugar coat it, but you couldn’t. I already felt the bitterness and you tried to turn it around, but it just wasn’t the same. Sometimes you’re too mushy, other times you’re not enough. It’s no longer consistent. Every time we meet up my mind is already filled with the doubt you left me with last time. I no longer know what to expect anymore. I’m not sure I can do this any longer. Sorry, green tea house cafe, your boba is no longer good enough for me…
Oops, forgot the date, too bad.
Boba. Yep, a whole section devoted to tapioca. I went to try this new or rather, different boba place earlier tonight. It was called Tapioca Heaven. They claim to be the home of strawberry boba or the makers of it or something. Their prices were alright, just about the average tapx prices, slightly cheaper depending on what drink. I got the “original milk tea”, that wasn’t that good. They had four kinds of boba, strawberry, green tea, brown honey sugar (something like that), and the same thing but in minis. I didn’t know what to get and since they claim to be the king of strawberry boba I decided to get that. It wasn’t that good. My friend got a strawberry lemonade slush with strawberry boba. She liked it, I didn’t so much. The best was my other friend getting jasmine milk tea with green tea boba. The jasmine milk tea was pretty good but I still don’t know about their boba. Sorry Tapioca Heaven, you do not rate high on my boba list.
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And now for the most recent boba reviews… By the way, these reviews are based on the “original” boba drinks, either green milk tea or black milk tea, because I almost never get the other kinds.
Teastation – I go here most frequently because it is the closest one to my house. The boba is good. The milk tea is sweet. Too sweet. It is also very pricey here. Ridiculously pricey if you eat in. I think a large to-go is about $4 but if you sit in it is close to $6. Are you kidding me? $6 for a drink? That’s equivalent to those mixed alcoholic drinks! How can boba compare to alcohol… Anyway, I can rant more about Teastation and what I do not like about them, but this is about boba, so I’ll leave it at that.
TapX – I rarely go to TapX anymore, but I do make a stop when I am in La Jolla. The milk tea is good, the boba is decent, and the price is good. I think it’s about $3. Although, on a bad day, the boba might be too mushy or too hard.
Tea N More – I have started to come to this place more often. I think the price is reasonable and the milk tea is decent – still a little sweet but not ridiculously sweet like Teastation. The boba is also good. A regular is $3 and a large is $3.50.
Quickly – I never go here anymore. There are some up in LA. The milk tea is not good. But the price is cheap. This place is not worthy. I will go here if I am in the vicinity and feel like boba.
Tenren – I think these are the same people as Teastation and if not their boba is very similar.
Champion (Irvine) – Pam told me this place had the BEST boba. I stopped by there and was not impressed. Nothing special, sorry.
Tapioca Heaven – My first experience here was not good (as you read above). However, I’ve only tried it once, so I am willing to try again. Anyone up for it?
Green Tea House – I have never returned since the two bad incidents.
Bobalicious – Cheap but the boba fails. The tea, on two separate occasions, made me feel like throwing up after. FAIL.
Boba at Vietnamese Restaurants – Too mushy. The drinks are not that good. Not worth the price.
QCup (NorCal?) – I’ve been to QCup (I think that is what it’s called) on a few separate occasions. It was not good at all the first time. The 2nd time, ehhh. So no to QCup.
Fantasia (San Jose) – I’ve been here once and I can’t quite remember how the drink tasted. Considering I can’t remember, it must not have been that good. What I do remember though is that I asked for a large drink and they looked at me like I was crazy. Large? Apparently, they don’t have large. What the dumb. How can you not serve LARGE?
99 Ranch – I don’t know if they sell boba in the 99 ranch down here in SD, but up in LA, they do. It’s super cheap and it’s not bad. I recommend it.
So, I’m trying to think of more places but I can’t. Are there others in SD? Oh yes, I’ve been meaning to try Guppy Tea House up in LA. Yes, I’ve heard about all the shaved ice madness, but are the drinks good?
Anyway, so when it comes down to it, I frequent mainly 3 places, Teastation, Tea N More, and TapX. I realize I don’t have a strong favorite, but I guess if I have to pick one, I would pick TapX (just not the one on Convoy, due to the crazy parking lot).
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On yet another note, there is this other great drink up in LA at this place called Phoenix. It has the mini clear tapioca and diced fruit in it, and sits in some type of coconut milk flavor and is delicious!! You must try it! I just warn you to NOT look for the Irvine store because it does not exist which we found out through a short adventure of ours.
I was going to tell another story here about boba, but I’ll save it for a separate post as this has gotten quite long.
What is your favorite boba place and why?
Do You Run, Walk, or Crawl?
In this life, some of us are runners, some are walkers, and others are crawlers. Runners move and they move fast. They may face obstacles but they hurdle over them easily. They may be presented with opportunity, which they accept willingly and immediately. They seek adventure, challenge, and take risks. The problems they encounter are dealt with when they occur–time is not wasted thinking about “what ifs”.
Walkers sometimes walk fast and sometimes walk slow. When hit with problems, they ponder about it and can move on. I think the difference between the walker and the runner is that there is some extra thinking involved before actions are made.
Crawlers move slowly and hesitantly. They are dreamers of opportunity and adventures, yet they only go as far as the thoughts in their head. Crawlers don’t move very far even if they want to. They are complacent.
The constant thing that ties our lives together is change. Runners can adapt to change. Runners are on speed and have no problem with change. When walkers experience change, with some pondering and some pushing they may accept it. Crawlers that get hit with change are often lifers, meaning they will never move, they will crawl around in the same spot until something out of their control moves them.
No matter what pace each person is or chooses, I think the most important thing is to keep moving and to not let anything hold you back from doing what you want to do. Surely not everyone is defined by one pace, I know many people who are in between. I think it is important for those who run to push those who walk and for those who walk to pick up those who crawl. Because change is always present, the crawlers should not be left behind. I think they need the support to get them up on their feet so that they can start walking too.
He is Faithful, He will Provide
Two people have mentioned in two different occasions about two different topics that God is faithful and that He will provide. It really is as simple as that, isn’t it? He IS faithful and He WILL provide. And so far, He always has. I think sometimes people need this little reminder.
Do You Play?
I’ve been trying to gather people together to play in a bball tournament in May. So far I have little participation. I’m wondering if I will even be able to field a team. :( I’m thinking this might not even go through. I guess we will see what happens.
Elevator Fail
It was lunch time and me and my coworker were out the door, into the elevator, and I kept pressing the door open button to wait for our other coworker. We waited, and waited, and nothing. So, too bad, I hit close. We were chatting and then after awhile, I was like, uh, why is it taking so long?!
OH, I didn’t press a number. HAHAH. FAIL!!
I didn’t know you could go in the elevator and have the doors close without choosing a floor. We got down and my other coworker was waiting by the front door. “What took you guys so LONG?’ Oops. Haha.
One
I find it odd that someone like me who is so afraid of people, who is such an introvert, so shy, and quiet desires to not be alone. It almost seems completely out of character. I hate that feeling of being alone. Of course some me time is good sometimes, but I think more often than not, I’d rather have people around me and I’d rather interact with them. I think. I didn’t have any food in the house and needed to go out to eat. I tried to find someone to go eat with, but sadly no one was available. I guess I’m just so used to having people around. I think one of my fears is to be alone. To have no one to talk to and to have no one to do anything with. As talks about how my best friend is probably soon going to be on the other side of the world, I feel sad. I’m so used to having someone there where I can just be like, “let’s go eat” or “let’s go do this”. I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s gone. It already makes me sad to think about it. Sigh.