Thanksgiving beckons family reunions, home-cooked food, laughter, and warmth of a home. It is also a day to take a moment to reflect over the past year and express gratitude for the blessings of life. And even though my family isn’t from America, over the years, we have adopted Thanksgiving as a beloved holiday to be celebrated. A turkey no less than 16 lbs will be roasted, pies will be baked, the table will be set, and leftovers will be…
Kualoa Ranch Photo Journal
A trip to Kualoa Ranch is like a trip to yesteryear… to a time when the world has not yet fallen victim to modernization. Where the jungle grows wild and free. Where cows leisurely graze on rolling green hills. It is nature so pristine and pure that Jurassic Park comes to mind. Kualoa Ranch is, without a doubt, the most beautiful place I have ever seen. D and I had the pleasure of spending a day at this nature haven…
[Oahu, Hawaii] Best Cheap Eats, Part 2
Last week, I shared my picks for Oahu’s best cheap eats. This week, I am sharing a few other places worthy of praise: Honorable Mentions: Fook Lam (Chinatown Honolulu) – We came here on Yelp recommendations as we were craving dim sum after days of feasting on Hawaiian food. Eating here is like a study in textural gastronomy… sticky shrimp dumpling wrappers, chewy gooey rice balls, and flaky egg tart crusts with creamy custard filling. The ingredients are fresh and…
[Oahu, Hawaii] Best Cheap Eats, Part 1
When I was planning for my trip to Oahu, Hawaii, one of the most common, well-intentioned advice I received was to be prepared to spend a fortune on food. This was not my experience. D and I were able to eat on about $40-$50 a day for the both of us (errr… save for the couple of meals where we purposely pigged out). Being foodies, we arrived on Oahu with a short list of must-hit-up places, and we also came…
Late Twenties Girl
The prospect of turning 27 has always been quite scary for me. It’s not the dreaded 30, but 27 may be even more intimidating. At 27, you’re officially in your late twenties, an age where you are expected to make responsible decisions. An age where you’re supposed to have figured out your career path and life goals. If you do something stupid, no one will shrug it off as “oh she’s just young” anymore. In the workplace, you’ve had enough…
Moving and (un)Settling
“little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky, little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same.” Irvine, California is kinda a strange place. It oozes curated perfection and picturesque-ness (no bars! no liquor stores! lest the pristine image be sullied), while looking like a commercialized metropolitan and a small town at the same time. Renowned for being one of America’s top cities, everyone seems to live in a bubble of perfectly manicured lawns, Louis Vuitton…
A Tale of Two Parasailers
About exactly one year ago, I was hanging off a harness 400’ above the San Diego coastline, marvelling at the vastness of our oceans. Parasailing wasn’t the thrilling adventure I’d imagined it to be (trust me, I was about to pee my bikini bottoms as I was getting strapped in), but rather a calming one. We hung in almost total silence with the sky surrounding us and the ocean below our feet. And my fear of heights? It disintegrated with…
Adventures on Catalina Island – Part 2
Catalina is not the typical island of your dreams. It is more desert than tropical. Instead of waves lapping up on soft white sand beaches, the waves crash into rocky cliffs. Most of the island is a conservancy, where bison roam free and other creatures call home. Falcons soar through the valley against the backdrop of jagged mountains dense with vegetation. It’s a majestic kind of beauty. And then there’s the little town of Avalon, where all the action happens. Rows…