Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
...to Verdi's house for dinner
I expected to stay home and do the powerpoint for the group presentation next week, but Verdi's invitation to dinner extended to me too! It was impolite to refuse so Amanda, Lois and I got a ride to his house in Costa Mesa.
It was not a sit-down kind of dinner, but the stand up and cook and eat and drink at the same time kind. Like those they have in Turkey, where Verdi comes from. Good music in the background (Maroon 5, James Blunt, the Beatles), good conversation, and a nice viewing of pictures from the others' Yosemite trip. The whole thing lasted about 4plus hours, til 1245am!
Menu (so you can see that my appetite has increased):
-Guacamole
-Tortilla Chips x many many
-Tomato and Cucumber Salad x muchmuch
-DIY Burrito x 2
-Fish steak x 1
-Leftovers Soup x 1 bowl
-Wine/Orange+Mango Juice x 2 glasses
-Herbal Tea that was mostly an Oregano infusion x 1 mug
Amanda making the guacamole
Lois preparing the tomatoes for the burrito
Verdi making the fish
Busy in the kitchen!
Food!
My first burrito.
My second burrito.
making the burritos.
The wine we drank.
Soup made from the leftovers of the food cos we couldn't finish all of it!
It was not a sit-down kind of dinner, but the stand up and cook and eat and drink at the same time kind. Like those they have in Turkey, where Verdi comes from. Good music in the background (Maroon 5, James Blunt, the Beatles), good conversation, and a nice viewing of pictures from the others' Yosemite trip. The whole thing lasted about 4plus hours, til 1245am!
Menu (so you can see that my appetite has increased):
-Guacamole
-Tortilla Chips x many many
-Tomato and Cucumber Salad x muchmuch
-DIY Burrito x 2
-Fish steak x 1
-Leftovers Soup x 1 bowl
-Wine/Orange+Mango Juice x 2 glasses
-Herbal Tea that was mostly an Oregano infusion x 1 mug
Amanda making the guacamole
Lois preparing the tomatoes for the burrito
Verdi making the fish
Busy in the kitchen!
Food!
My first burrito.
My second burrito.
making the burritos.
The wine we drank.
Soup made from the leftovers of the food cos we couldn't finish all of it!Thursday, February 19, 2009
...for the UCI Men's Basketball Game!
We went for the UCI game against Cal State Northridge to help break the record for student attendance. 2500 students went in total - a record! Apart from that, no more Lakers tickets are available, so this was a nice substitute. Can't believe after 6 weeks here I have more school spirit than 2.5 years in NUS. But the game was very fun and the atmosphere rocked! Considering UCI is very tame when it comes to sports, I wonder how it would be like at a college football game... which will never occur cos UCI doesn't have a football team :(
Location: Bren Events Center!
First 200 people got free tshirts but we didn't :(
Location: Bren Events Center!First 200 people got free tshirts but we didn't :(
The BAND!!!!!!! They played cool songs like All the Small Things, provided the music for the cheerleaders, held up signs for encouragement and for advertisements.
Honouring the Irvine Police Force during one of the breaks.
Halftime entertainment: Wear the Frozen Tshirt. The girl won!!!
Distracting the opponent during free throws.
Holding up the Anteater sign when we had free throws (I think it really works).
Peter the Anteater!!He distracted the opponents by rubbing his thigh and mooning. Does crazy things like taupok-ing the students and squishing people in massive anteater-hugs. Look at how buff he is!
Yvette and Marie-kris (her colleague in some class). Don't know how to spell her name haha.
Final Score: UCI WINS!!!!This game was broadcasted on ESPN by the way. I might be on TV!!
The towel I was waving around and the free ticket!Tuesday, February 17, 2009
...and melted my cup!!!
why do i do such silly things with such a terrible deadline looming before me? i feel so sorry for my housemates who have to endure that sickening pungent burnt plastic smell. i've used my cup to microwave drinks before, just forgot to make it lower-powered. great. no cup now. didn't manage to take a photo of it. have to open all windows and doors, turn on all fans and heaters, and thus have to put on a multitude of layers just to be able to type this thing out.
This was seriously not for fun, but for survival! In my own apartment, no less!
(we had pho for dinner btw. at the 50% off place. I LOVE PHO!!)
This was seriously not for fun, but for survival! In my own apartment, no less!(we had pho for dinner btw. at the 50% off place. I LOVE PHO!!)
Monday, February 16, 2009
...to Weekend Trip: San Francisco!
I just got home, like 3 hours behind schedule cos of really bad weather in California, and it's absolutely freezing! Though it's not raining here like in San Fran..
If going on exchange is like a dream, then going to San Fran was like a dream within a dream. The experience was so - to borrow Deb's word - Surreal! I don't wanna wake up from it yet, but I probably will once I start writing my policy memo and midterm, both due Tomorrow!!
Consequently, there's no time to write a full report of the trip now. I just have to write the outline out before school erases half the plesant memories in my brain.
San Francisco is totally different from the O.C. (can't compare with LA cos I haven't been there yet. Shocking, I know.), with its own character and moods. What was weird was that I didn't go there as a Singaporean, but as a Southern Californian! I caught myself comparing stuff (like prices and the weather) to "home", meaning Irvine and the O.C. And I've only been here for 6 weeks! (6 weeks?! meaning I only have 4 left here?!?!??!?!?!?!)
Speaking of home, it's wherever you feel like you belong. Alors, the goal of the whole San Fran trip was not just to go sightseeing, but to meet up with people I know in the area. I'm happy to report: MISSION OVERWHELMINGLY ACCOMPLISHED! many many thanks to Kah Onn and his car :D
1st Day:
soundtrack - oldie jazz and pop
location - Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf; Old Navy; Half Moon Bay
people met - Kah Onn, his housemates
I woke up at like 4am or something, super early for someone who usually sleeps at that time, and made my way to the John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport by bus. Very few people were around so it was kinda scary. It took an hour plus to get to a place that's 10mins away by car. But once at the airport everything was fast and efficient, and after sleeping another hour away on the plane, I was in San Francisco! Kah Onn, however, was not. So I had to wait more than an hour for him in the boring airport.
First sign of Kah Onn's car!
Personal chauffeur!
"San Francisco" equivalent of "Hollywood"?
The city! with a cool vehicle that I forgot the function of! Parking inspector maybe?
The Famous Pier 39 at the REAL Fisherman's Wharf! Not the restaurant thing.
Lunch at a chowder place! Clam chowder yay!
Chowder in bread bowl and fish and chips!
What we did cos it was Raining - the first sign of horrible things to come.
Wandering around and chancing upon this place - The Princess Diaries, anyone?
An old-fashioned mechanical arcade.
I enjoy the humiliation! With tissue!
KO and I tried this thing cos it was only a penny. We cheapskates! We waited til others put their quarters into the arcade machines then we'd go watch the stuff for free.
This was KO's!! hahahaha
This was mine!
The first ever game to provoke public outcry cos it was deemed too violent!
Very mild by today's standards - a car running over stick figures that are supposed to be human.
The sun setting over the area. 
Dinner at a famous restaurant at the Wharf that I forgot the name of. A plate of oysters and salmon cakes!
Then we went walking around in the city. Wanted to watch a movie but there was nothing nice.
A Jollibee (filipino fast food chain that ROCKS) in California?!
Too full to try it though :(
At Half-Moon Bay where KO goes when he's being emo. Too cold and windy that night to go down to the raging sea behind me.
2nd Day:
soundtrack - Jack Johnson, Savage Garden
location - Golden Gate Bridge; Napa/Solano Valley; Justin Herman Square; Chinatown; Berkeley
people met - Deborah, her roommate
We planned to go to Napa Valley and look at scenery, but weren't sure what to do when we got there. So we headed to the Belmont Library which was just in front of the apartment. It's so nice! And well-equipped!
soundtrack - various incl. Shakira, Jason Mraz, All American Rejects, Jay Chou, Michael Buble and Norah Jones
location - Monterey Bay; Carmel-by-the-sea; San Mateo
people met - Amy, Farid, and an NOC person
The next day dawned bright and....rainy. Typical Northern California weather, as I had learnt by now. Meanwhile, at home in Irvine, it was bright and sunny! Meanwhile, in Yosemite National Park where my other friends were, it was snowing. The whole range of weathers represented in one state.
Destination: Monterey Bay! Historically known for its canning business (like sardines), it was settled by Native Americans, then Chinees and Japanese dominated the business.
Half Moon Bay by daylight. And by rain. Quaint.
Stopping to take photos cos the view was amazing!
We drove along coastline like this for.. 3 hours? Until we got hungry, having finished the pilfered snacks. Stopped at a Burger King at a tiny town. Marina or something like that. We also got gas at Santa Cruz,where another UC is located.
Another Real Fisherman's Wharf! So creative.
More boats! but no Japanese fishing ones like in the days of yore.
Budget entertainment - playing with the telescope at the Marine Museum. We visited two museums cos they were FOC and it was raining. No biking or kayaking today :(((((
The real view.
Walking through the pier. More budget entertainment - trying clam chowder samples.
Candy shop where we got lured by the smell.
So we bough caramel corn and saltwater taffy!
the beach at Carmel-by-the-sea, where we were cheated of a sunset by the rain.
Had to cross this mini river that barred us from touching the waves!
I crossed first yay.. KO decided to take his shoes off when he saw that mine were wet. Could barely take this photo cos it was FREEZING. WIND. RAIN. COLD.
We sang more songs on the way back up. Earlier on, Amy (sec sch friend) had called and asked to meet up! We met at San Mateo- KO's previous house was located here. Bombay Garden yay!
Indian food YUM
Amy and Me and the Chappati.
(I think it was really Naan but that doesn't rhyme.)
Raffles Hall reunion in SF!
Farid and me, with a reluctant KO - strange guy.
After dinner with Amy, Farid and an NOC guy who's name is apparently Joshua and who was extremely weird, we sent Farid home to his SF hostel.
Riding the KO-mobile.
If going on exchange is like a dream, then going to San Fran was like a dream within a dream. The experience was so - to borrow Deb's word - Surreal! I don't wanna wake up from it yet, but I probably will once I start writing my policy memo and midterm, both due Tomorrow!!
Consequently, there's no time to write a full report of the trip now. I just have to write the outline out before school erases half the plesant memories in my brain.
San Francisco is totally different from the O.C. (can't compare with LA cos I haven't been there yet. Shocking, I know.), with its own character and moods. What was weird was that I didn't go there as a Singaporean, but as a Southern Californian! I caught myself comparing stuff (like prices and the weather) to "home", meaning Irvine and the O.C. And I've only been here for 6 weeks! (6 weeks?! meaning I only have 4 left here?!?!??!?!?!?!)
Speaking of home, it's wherever you feel like you belong. Alors, the goal of the whole San Fran trip was not just to go sightseeing, but to meet up with people I know in the area. I'm happy to report: MISSION OVERWHELMINGLY ACCOMPLISHED! many many thanks to Kah Onn and his car :D
1st Day:
soundtrack - oldie jazz and pop
location - Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf; Old Navy; Half Moon Bay
people met - Kah Onn, his housemates
I woke up at like 4am or something, super early for someone who usually sleeps at that time, and made my way to the John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport by bus. Very few people were around so it was kinda scary. It took an hour plus to get to a place that's 10mins away by car. But once at the airport everything was fast and efficient, and after sleeping another hour away on the plane, I was in San Francisco! Kah Onn, however, was not. So I had to wait more than an hour for him in the boring airport.
First sign of Kah Onn's car!He hadn't finished his work so we went to his apartment at Belmont and I waited for him to be done. Then we went to play at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco!
Personal chauffeur!
"San Francisco" equivalent of "Hollywood"?
The city! with a cool vehicle that I forgot the function of! Parking inspector maybe?
The Famous Pier 39 at the REAL Fisherman's Wharf! Not the restaurant thing.
Lunch at a chowder place! Clam chowder yay!
Chowder in bread bowl and fish and chips!
What we did cos it was Raining - the first sign of horrible things to come.
Wandering around and chancing upon this place - The Princess Diaries, anyone?An old-fashioned mechanical arcade.
I enjoy the humiliation! With tissue!
KO and I tried this thing cos it was only a penny. We cheapskates! We waited til others put their quarters into the arcade machines then we'd go watch the stuff for free.This was KO's!! hahahaha
This was mine!
The first ever game to provoke public outcry cos it was deemed too violent!Very mild by today's standards - a car running over stick figures that are supposed to be human.
The sun setting over the area. 
Dinner at a famous restaurant at the Wharf that I forgot the name of. A plate of oysters and salmon cakes!
Then we went walking around in the city. Wanted to watch a movie but there was nothing nice.A Jollibee (filipino fast food chain that ROCKS) in California?!
Too full to try it though :(
At Half-Moon Bay where KO goes when he's being emo. Too cold and windy that night to go down to the raging sea behind me.soundtrack - Jack Johnson, Savage Garden
location - Golden Gate Bridge; Napa/Solano Valley; Justin Herman Square; Chinatown; Berkeley
people met - Deborah, her roommate
We planned to go to Napa Valley and look at scenery, but weren't sure what to do when we got there. So we headed to the Belmont Library which was just in front of the apartment. It's so nice! And well-equipped!
The Belmont library!
The Pantry at KO's office which is super well-stocked with snacks and all kinds of drinks. We took some heehee.
The official seal of California! Some female deity with a bear and the golden gate bridge and whatnot.
Driving through the city to get north! WITH THE TOP DOWN!!
The Golden Gate Bridge! Stupid KO kept saying I was swaku just cos I was fascinated with everything.
At the vista point! 
Road trip to Napa! Singing Savage Garden..:D
Vineyards, with bare vines cos it's winter.
We went to the Napa Visitor Centre where they gave us a coupon to taste a glass of wine for a dollar! This was the place. Wanted to stay and have roast chicken too but it was full.
Our second glass of wine! I got a cabernet sauvignon and KO's is a white wine i forgot. helped him pick it out.
Our first glass of wine was at another visitor centre where we barged in on a tour group and got a glass of wine free cos we didn't know they already paid for it!
The Oxford bow market or something like that. bow oxford? hmm. anyway it's an indoor place where you get to do wine and cheese and samples tasting and its super fun but super ex.
PILLOWFIGHT!! Remnants of a great war.
Non-stop action for 4 hours in the cold. Didn't bring pillows, too frozen to hang around for abandoned ones.
Dinner at this all you can eat dimsum buffet! In chinatown.
The restuarant and what we ate. They were closing so they foisted humongous amounts of dimsum on us that we boxed and brought home.
Vertical night starts now.
This is a horrendous photo but I gave up documenting the experience in favour of EXPERIENCING it intensely. We were going down a Vertical Road. KO's car nearly died going up then down!! ROCKED.
Visitng the International House at UC Berkeley. Look at their sitting room. They have a gigantic plasma TV with cable. Hello JCRC are you listening?!
Look at their laundry room. With computers and vending machines for use while they wait. JCRC pay attention here!!
Hanging out in her room. So strange. i could only previously view it through Skype, and now I'm here. Parallel lives colliding.
3rd Day:
The official seal of California! Some female deity with a bear and the golden gate bridge and whatnot.
Driving through the city to get north! WITH THE TOP DOWN!!
The Golden Gate Bridge! Stupid KO kept saying I was swaku just cos I was fascinated with everything.
At the vista point! 
Road trip to Napa! Singing Savage Garden..:D
Vineyards, with bare vines cos it's winter.
We went to the Napa Visitor Centre where they gave us a coupon to taste a glass of wine for a dollar! This was the place. Wanted to stay and have roast chicken too but it was full.
Our second glass of wine! I got a cabernet sauvignon and KO's is a white wine i forgot. helped him pick it out.Our first glass of wine was at another visitor centre where we barged in on a tour group and got a glass of wine free cos we didn't know they already paid for it!
The Oxford bow market or something like that. bow oxford? hmm. anyway it's an indoor place where you get to do wine and cheese and samples tasting and its super fun but super ex.Then we RACED back to San Fran to be in time for the...
PILLOWFIGHT!! Remnants of a great war.
Non-stop action for 4 hours in the cold. Didn't bring pillows, too frozen to hang around for abandoned ones.
Dinner at this all you can eat dimsum buffet! In chinatown.
The restuarant and what we ate. They were closing so they foisted humongous amounts of dimsum on us that we boxed and brought home.
Deborah happened to be in the pillowfight, and we were supposed to meet! But we ended up picking her up from Old Navy where I shopped the day before. We filled the tiny car with our nonstop chattering (KO was reduced to silence) and concluded that it was Singapore right there at that moment. This was a crucial meeting. As you will see in a later post. Because Deborah concluded her friends were her liabilities, and decided to visit the OC!
Vertical night starts now.
This is a horrendous photo but I gave up documenting the experience in favour of EXPERIENCING it intensely. We were going down a Vertical Road. KO's car nearly died going up then down!! ROCKED.
Visitng the International House at UC Berkeley. Look at their sitting room. They have a gigantic plasma TV with cable. Hello JCRC are you listening?!
Look at their laundry room. With computers and vending machines for use while they wait. JCRC pay attention here!!
Hanging out in her room. So strange. i could only previously view it through Skype, and now I'm here. Parallel lives colliding.After dropping Deb off at Berkeley, we died that night. too tired.
soundtrack - various incl. Shakira, Jason Mraz, All American Rejects, Jay Chou, Michael Buble and Norah Jones
location - Monterey Bay; Carmel-by-the-sea; San Mateo
people met - Amy, Farid, and an NOC person
The next day dawned bright and....rainy. Typical Northern California weather, as I had learnt by now. Meanwhile, at home in Irvine, it was bright and sunny! Meanwhile, in Yosemite National Park where my other friends were, it was snowing. The whole range of weathers represented in one state.
Destination: Monterey Bay! Historically known for its canning business (like sardines), it was settled by Native Americans, then Chinees and Japanese dominated the business.
Half Moon Bay by daylight. And by rain. Quaint.
Stopping to take photos cos the view was amazing!
We drove along coastline like this for.. 3 hours? Until we got hungry, having finished the pilfered snacks. Stopped at a Burger King at a tiny town. Marina or something like that. We also got gas at Santa Cruz,where another UC is located.
Another Real Fisherman's Wharf! So creative.
More boats! but no Japanese fishing ones like in the days of yore.
Budget entertainment - playing with the telescope at the Marine Museum. We visited two museums cos they were FOC and it was raining. No biking or kayaking today :(((((
The real view.
Walking through the pier. More budget entertainment - trying clam chowder samples.
Candy shop where we got lured by the smell.
So we bough caramel corn and saltwater taffy!
the beach at Carmel-by-the-sea, where we were cheated of a sunset by the rain.
Had to cross this mini river that barred us from touching the waves!
I crossed first yay.. KO decided to take his shoes off when he saw that mine were wet. Could barely take this photo cos it was FREEZING. WIND. RAIN. COLD.We sang more songs on the way back up. Earlier on, Amy (sec sch friend) had called and asked to meet up! We met at San Mateo- KO's previous house was located here. Bombay Garden yay!
Indian food YUM
Amy and Me and the Chappati.(I think it was really Naan but that doesn't rhyme.)
Raffles Hall reunion in SF!Farid and me, with a reluctant KO - strange guy.
After dinner with Amy, Farid and an NOC guy who's name is apparently Joshua and who was extremely weird, we sent Farid home to his SF hostel.
Riding the KO-mobile.And that was it. Byebye San Francisco! hello midterms!
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