100 Vietnamese Foods to Try

Yay, another list! Wandering Chopsticks has her list too! Go to her site for links/pics to what these foods are. I like this list b/c there's explanations w/o having to google it, for you non VNese folks.

Vietnamese 100 Foods to Try

1. Banh Bao (Steamed Bun)- I've made my own before too! I like the slice of sausage in it. :)
2. Banh Beo (Rice Flour Discs with Dried Shrimp)- Christina remember when we made these? Haha fun times.
3. Banh Bot Loc/Banh Quai Vac (Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp or just Shrimp)
4. Banh Canh Cua (Udon-like Noodles with Crab)
5. Banh Chung/Banh Tet (Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cakes)- too sweet for me but every year I eat a slice for tradition's sake
6. Banh Cuon (Rice Noodle Rolls)
7. Banh Gio (Steamed Triangular Rice Dumplings)
8. Banh Hoi (Rice Vermicelli Sheets)- I like eating it with the pork that hangs from the window
9. Banh It Tran (Round Rice Dumplings with Pork, Shrimp, and Mung Beans)
10. Banh It La Gai (Nettle Leaf Dumplings)
11. Banh Khot/Banh Cong (Mini Savory Pancakes)- these are so cute!
12. Banh La/Banh Nam (Steamed Flat Rice Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp)
13. Banh Mi Hot Ga Op La (French Bread with Sunnyside-Up Eggs)
14. Banh Mi (Sandwiches)
15. Banh Pa Te So (Pate Chaud)
16. Banh Tieu (Fry Bread)
17. Banh Tom (Shrimp and Yam Fritters)- I must try this though next time we're in OC
18. Banh Trang (Rice Paper) Bonus points for eating soaked, no-soak, and toasted varieties.
19. Banh Uot ("Wet" Rice Noodle Sheets)- hehe remember when I couldn't remember how to say wet in vietnamese so I was like "banh wet" hahaha.
20. Banh Xeo (Sizzling Crepes) Bonus points if you've eaten both the palm-sized Central-style ones, and the wok-sized Southern-style ones with turmeric and coconut milk.- my mom makes the best!
21. Be Thui (Beef with Roasted Rice Powder and Fermented Bean Curd)- I eat the exact same kind but made with pork though
22. Bo Bia (Spring Rolls with Chinese Sausage, Dried Shrimp, and Jicama)
23. Bo Kho (Beef Stew)
24. Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef)
25. Bo Ne ("Stand Back" Steak and Eggs)
26. Bo Nhung Dam (Beef Dipped in Vinegar)
27. Bo Nuong La Lot (Grilled Beef with Wild Betel Leaves)
28. Bo Tai Chanh (Raw Beef Salad with Lemon)
29. Bo Xao voi Khoai Tay Chien (Beef Stir-fry with French Fries)
30. Bo Xao Xa (Beef Sauteed with Lemongrass)
31. Bun Bo Hue (Hue-Style Beef Noodle Soup)
32. Bun Cha Hanoi (Hanoi-Style Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork Patties)
33. Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang (Soc Trang-Style Noodle Soup with Fish, Pork, and Shrimp) Bonus points for its more pungent cousin Bun Mam (Noodle Soup with Fermented Fish Broth)
34. Bun Rieu (Vermicelli Rice Noodle Soup with Crab Paste)
35. Bun Thit Heo Nuong (Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork)
36. Ca Bong Lau Nuong voi Mo Hanh (Roasted Catfish with Scallion Oil)
37. Ca Kho To (Braised Catfish in a Claypot)- this is my comfort food when I'm sick!!
38. Ca Phe Sua Da Phin (Iced Drip Coffee with Milk)
39. Canh Bi/Bau Nhoi Thit (Pork-Stuffed Winter Melon Soup)- I used to hate this as a kid...now I don't mind it!
40. Canh Chua Ca (Sour Fish Soup)- I like munching on that veggie my mom puts in there...what's it called? "bac ha?" anyhoo I like how it's spongy and crunchy!
41. Ca Ri Ga (Chicken Curry)- again I think my mom makes it pretty yummy!
42. Cao Lau (Noodle Soup with Pork from Hoi An)
43. Cha Ca Thang Long (Hanoi-Style Fish with Dill and Turmeric)
44. Cha Gio/Nem Ran (Spring/Egg Rolls) You only get points if you've eaten the Vietnamese egg rolls wrapped in rice paper, not the version with Chinese wheat egg roll wrappers. Bonus points if you've also eaten Central-style Cha Ram (Shrimp Egg Rolls) and Cha Gio Bap/Ram Bap (Corn Egg Rolls).
45. Cha Lua (Steamed Pork Loaf)
46. Chanh Muoi (Salty Lemonade)- I had this sore throat that wouldn't go away while we were in Paris, so I ordered this and felt so much better!
47. Chao Tom (Grilled Shrimp Paste Wrapped Around Sugarcane)- one of my favorites!! Now that we got the food grinder attachment for the Kitchen Aid, we can make our own shrimp paste!
48. Che Bap (Corn and Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Milk) or any other coconut milk-based che such as Che Chuoi (Banana Tapioca Pudding) and Che Ba Mau (Three Color Pudding).- mmm, I like Banh Mi Che Cali's 3 for $2 dealy
49. Che Sam Bo Luong (Dessert Soup with Dried Dates, Dried Longans, Lotus Seeds, and Seaweed)- again my mom makes it so good!
50. Che Troi Nuoc (Dough Balls in Ginger Syrup)- my cousin does a great version of this
51. Chuoi Chien (Fried Bananas)
52. Chuot Dong (Southern Field Rats)- no thanks
53. Com Ga Hai Nam (Hainanese Chicken Rice) must be eaten with #82.
54. Com Hen (Clam Rice)
55. Com Lam (Sticky Rice Steamed in Bamboo)
56. Com Tam (Broken Rice)
57. Com Ruou (Fermented Rice Wine)- this is supposed to be good after or before you give birth??
58. Cua Rang Muoi Tieu (Salt and Pepper Crab)
59. Dau Phong Luoc (Boiled Peanuts)
60. De (Goat)
61. Dia Rau Song (Raw Herb Platter)
62. Do Chua (Pickled Stuff ie. Carrots and Daikon)- I love this stuff!
63. Ga Nuong Xa (Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass)- so fragrant
64. Gio Thu (Head Cheese with Pig Ears and Tree Ear Fungus)- tree ear fungus sounds so gross but it's actually pretty tasty!
65. Goi Du Du Kho Bo (Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky)
66. Goi Cuon (Salad/Spring/Summer Rolls)
67. Goi Ga (Chicken Salad)
68. Goi Mit Ngo Sen (Young Jackfruit and Lotus Root Salad)
69. Hot Vit Lon (Fetal Duck Eggs)- I had it in Vietnam when I was like 8...grossed me out b/c my family didn't tell me until halfway!
70. Hu Tieu (Tapioca Noodles with Pork and Shrimp) Bonus points for both Saigon, with barbecued pork and shrimp, and Nam Vang (Phnom Penh) style with liver and ground pork.
71. Kem Flan
72. Lau (Hot Pot)- Jerry hates hot pot so who wants to go eat it with me?!
73. Mam Nem (Fermented Anchovy Sauce)
74. Mam Ruoc (Fermented Shrimp Paste)
75. Mi Hoanh Thanh (Wonton Noodle Soup)
76. Mi Quang (Turmeric Noodles with Pork and Shrimp)
77. Mi Vit Tiem (Egg Noodles with Duck and Chinese Herbs)
78. Mi Xao Don (Crispy Chow Mein)
79. Muop Tom Xao (Loofah and Shrimp Stir-fry)
80. Nem Chua (Pickled Pork Sausage with Shredded Pork Skin)
81. Nem Nuong (Grilled Pork Patties)
82. Nuoc Mam Gung (Ginger Fish Sauce)
83. Nuoc Mia (Sugarcane Juice)
84. Oc Buou (Apple Snails) or any other sea snails
85. Pho Ap Chao Bo (Pan-Fried Rice Noodles Sauteed with Beef)
86. Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) bonus points if you've eaten filet mignon pho and for Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup)
87. Rau Ma (Pennywort Juice)
88. Rau Muong Xao (Water Spinach Stir-fried)
89. Soda Xi Muoi (Salty Preserved Plum Drink)
90. Sinh To Bo (Avocado Shake)
91. Sinh To Ca Chua (Tomato Shake)
92. Sinh To Dam (Aloe Vera Shake)
93. Sup Mang Tay Cua (Asparagus and Crab Soup)
94. Tiet Canh (Duck Blood Pudding)
95. Thit Heo Kho Voi Trung (Braised Pork with Eggs)- another favorite comfort food of mine!
96. Tom Tau Hu Ky (Shrimp Paste Wrapped in Bean Curd Skin)
97. Tra Atiso (Artichoke Tea)
98. Tuong Ot (Chili Sauce) bonus points for Vietnamese American Huy Fong Sriracha Chili Sauce and extra bonus points if you use it to make Sriracha Buffalo Wings
99. Xiu Mai (Meatballs)
100. Xoi (Sticky Rice)

75 out of 100, not too shabby! I might have eaten some of the stuff when I was in Vietnam 17 years ago but I prolly don't remember all of it. Okay, I'm officially hungry. We are so stopping by OC on our way home from watching the Blue Angels!

100 Chinese Foods to Try Before You Die

Okay, here's another list from Appetite from China!

1. Almond milk- mmm so tasty on a cold winter day
   
2. Ants Climbing a Tree (poetic, not literal, name)
3. Asian pear
4. Baby bok choy- flavors soups so well
   
5. Baijiu
6. Beef brisket
7. Beggar's Chicken
8. Bingtang hulu
9. Bitter melon- I grew to like this
   
10. Bubble tea- I dunno why they don't it this in LA
    
11. Buddha's Delight
12. Cantonese roast duck
13. Century egg, or thousand-year egg
14. Cha siu (Cantonese roast pork)- 1.5 lbs can be stretched to at least 3 meals per person, great way to save money!
    
15. Char kway teow
16. Chicken feet- none of my friends like it except me, so more for me!!
    
17. Chinese sausage
18. Chow mein
19. Chrysanthemum tea
20. Claypot rice
21. Congee
22. Conpoy (dried scallops)
23. Crab rangoon- huh what is this?
    
24. Dan Dan noodles
25. Dragonfruit- I love this stuff!
    
26. Dragon's Beard candy
27. Dried cuttlefish- mmm its like fishy jerky, hehe
    
28. Drunken chicken
29. Dry-fried green beans
30. Egg drop soup
31. Egg rolls
32. Egg tart, Cantonese or Macanese
33. Fresh bamboo shoots
34. Fortune cookies- sold too many in high school for CSF (remember those days Susan!)
    
35. Fried milk
36. Fried rice
37. Gai lan (Chinese broccoli)
38. General Tso's Chicken
39. Gobi Manchurian
40. Goji berries (Chinese wolfberries)
41. Grass jelly- I ate this instead of regular Jell-o when growing up
    
42. Hainan chicken rice- I love this stuff!!
    
43. Hand-pulled noodles
44. Har gau (steamed shrimp dumplings in translucent wrappers)
45. Haw flakes- everytime my family went to get "thuoc bac" there'd always be a few thingys of haw flakes in the bag for me :)
    
46. Hibiscus tea
47. Hong Kong-style Milk Tea- I want to try the real thing someday!
    
48. Hot and sour soup- JJ makes the best!
    
49. Hot Coca-Cola with Ginger- what?! This sure sounds like a chinese thing though...drinking beverages hot and making it "warm" with ginger
    
50. Hot Pot
51. Iron Goddess tea (Tieguanyin)
52. Jellyfish
53. Kosher Chinese food
    
54. Kung Pao Chicken
55. Lamb skewers (yangrou chua'r)
56. Lion's Head meatballs
57. Lomo Saltado- this is chinese?
    
58. Longan fruit- I had it in Vietnam though, haha.
    
59. Lychee- same as above
    
60. Macaroni in soup with Spam
61. Malatang
62. Mantou, especially if fried and dipped in sweetened condensed milk
63. Mapo Tofu
64. Mock meat
65. Mooncake (bonus points for the snow-skin variety)- i looooove mooncake
    
66. Nor mai gai (chicken and sticky rice in lotus leaf)
67. Pan-fried jiaozi
68. Peking duck- mmm
    
69. Pineapple bun
70. Prawn crackers
71. Pu'er tea
72. Rambutan- mmm, I like it even better than lychee
    
73. Red bean in dessert form
74. Red bayberry
75. Red cooked pork
76. Roast pigeon
77. Rose tea
78. Roujiamo
79. Scallion pancake- you know me too well, yes I did pick out all the scallions
80. Shaved ice dessert
81. Sesame chicken
82. Sichuan pepper in any dish
83. Sichuan preserved vegetable (zhacai)
84. Silken tofu
85. Soy milk, freshly made- yes at Noodle House...too bad they aren't in business anymore
    
86. Steamed egg custard- at Phoenix
    
87. Stinky tofu
88. Sugar cane juice
89. Sweet and sour pork, chicken, or shrimp
90. Taro
91. Tea eggs
92. Tea-smoked duck
93. Turnip cake (law bok gau)
94. Twice-cooked pork
95. Water chestnut cake (mati gau)- yummy! too bad no one ever eats this when I order it at a group dim sum meal. I feel bad ordering stuff no one really shares, haha.
    
96. Wonton noodle soup
97. Wood ear
98. Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)- Tasty!
    
99. Yuanyang (half coffee, half tea, Hong Kong style)
100. Yunnan goat cheese

Woohoo, 73 out of 100! Not bad. Jenta, what was your number? Must be higher esp since you lived in China that summer! Let's see how I do on the vietnamese one. To be continued...

The American's 100 Foods You Should Eat

I love lists! :) Here's another one from Slashfood:

The American Omnivore's Hundred

1. New York pizza- at Lombardi's, too thin of a crust for my tastes!
2. Hoppin' John- huh?
3. New Mexico green chile
   
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits- no but I want to make it!
   
5. Tasso
6. Whole Maine lobster- I want to catch my own!
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs- didn't drive through Kansas on our trip...but I see no reason to ever go there unless you were driving through
   
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
    
11. Cheese curds- eww, cheese
    
12. Key lime pie- yum!!
    
13. Philly cheese steak- yes, at Pat's on our road trip
    
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil- huh?
    
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder- in Boston
    
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo burger- in Toronto, does that count?
    
20. Eggs Benedict- I usually order this at any breakfast place, but with the hollandaise sauce on the side, otherwise it's too rich
21. Pastrami on rye-at Carnegies in NYC
    
22. Corned beef and cabbage- Jerry made it in the crockpot
    
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
    
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints (preferably frozen)
26. Frito pie- yes, at the Big Texan!! Sooooo good!
    
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake- I need to go at night so eating fried stuff will seem more appetizing!
33. Chesapeake crab cake- I saw this on the Food Network! Must try!
34. Candied yams
    
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed morels
39. Persimmon pudding- I love persimmon so this sounds tasty...I think...
    
40. General Tso's Chicken
41. Frozen custard- yes at Ted Drewes in St. Louis!
    
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dog
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi- the ones at 7-11 in Hawai'i are the best :)
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie- I just saw a post on this in my google reader!
    
49. Frybread- Again, on our x-country road trip, this time at a gas station in Arizona.
    
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions- does it count if I pick out all the onions? Hehe.
60. Chicken fried steak- mmm, smothered with gravy.
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell (especially Dairy Queen)
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimiento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles- We only eat at Roscoes when we don't have a choice
    
76. Po'Boy
77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas- in New Mexico...mmm
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino- this doesn't sound American but I just wikied it and apparently it has its origins in SF. Should try it next time we go home to visit.
    
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin'
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (the Elvis)
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese with Tillamook sharp cheddar
100. Root beer float

I guess I'm not really American...only 34 out of 100! And many of these items I only ate b/c of my road trip. Some of these foods I have no desire to eat, ewww.

100 Books Every Child Should Read

It's no secret that I love to read! The Telegraph came out with a list of 100 books every child should read. I found out I haven't read as much as I thought I did. :( Only 28 out of 100! Some of the books I've never even heard of.

Part 1
I've only read Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Winne the Pooh, Cat in the Hat and Charlotte's Web. I love Roald Dahl so I must make a point to read all his books!

Part 2
I've read Just So Stories, The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, The Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, A Little Princess, Pippi Longstocking, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Phantom Tollbooth, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The BFG, Black Beauty

Part 3
Call of the Wild, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, The Outsiders, To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Expectations, The Diary of a Young Girl, Wuthering Heights, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, Treasure Island, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Someday when we buy a new house, I can't wait for a room to fill with all my books!

I've Taught Him Well...

I forgot when this was (perhaps a few months ago), but I was pointing out the difference btwn a regular shoe and a Christian Louboutin shoe (which is the trademark red sole) to Jerry. And again last night I pointed it out again when some celeb was wearing a pair at the Emmys.

Rewind to this past weekend when we went to Sports Authority to buy insoles for his Doc Martens. The insoles were bright red.

Fast forward to this morning when he was getting ready for work. He inserted the insoles into the shoe, then as he was putting them on he said: "Look, I'm wearing Christian Loubou-whatchamacallits."

Haha, that was kinda funny.

Seafood Village Restaurant

We went to Seafood Village Restaurant for Father's Day. Good thing we made a reservation b/c it was pretty busy! Mmm, I like this restaurant, but next time I will try different dishes. Everything was a bit salty! The baked squid is really good but too salty and peppery. The crab is flavorful, but annoying to eat if you don't like getting messy. The house noodle isn't that good though, and the green beans are kinda boring, and also too salty.
Picasa collage only lets me do pics in 9, 16, 25, etc formation so I just had to add in 3 pics of Jer, Gigi, and my mom b/c I had no more food pics. :P Gigi's cute huh!
Seafood Village Restaurant

9669 Las Tunas Dr
Temple City, CA 91780

626.286.2299

Hakata Ramen

I've been to Hakata Ramen (both Rosemead and Gardena locations) numerous times but I don't think I've blogged about it before. Anyhoo it's a "when you want ramen it hits the spot" restaurant and since I'm not particularly picky about my ramen (as long as the broth's not too salty and the noodles are of good consistency) I usually don't mind going back here time and time again. Don't get the spam musubi though. Make it using this recipe. :P
Hakata Ramen

2015 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247

310.329.1335

Oh that last picture is obviously not taken at Hakata Ramen, but it is of Cam at the Santouka in Mitsuwa on Venice. (I only had 8 pics for the Picasa collage...needed one more, haha) Sorry Wandering Chopsticks, I know you said this location sucks but my friend really wanted to try out this chain and this was the closest one! Someday we will try the Torrance/Costa Mesa locations! But knowing me, I can't really tell the difference. :P

New Job = New...

...Clothes!

Hehe, I got the position at Cedar Sinai! Time to go shopping since this gig doesn't look like a jeans and t-shirt place (my usual grad sch fare). :) I want to increase my collection of nice dress pants and maybe look for a 3 piece suit for my upcoming SD conference. I could also use some new pairs of underwear. I also want a nice workout/gym bag. Too bad Citadel doesn't have any sports store outlets, but we'll make do with what they do have. It'll be my first time there, can you believe it? I usually only go to Cabazon or Camarillo. But anyways, for the most part I've refrained from shopping this whole summer b/c I still haven't gotten paid. (Yes, I've worked 3 months and 3 days now w/o pay- where is my damn check? My invoice got processed 12 days ago!)

Ok going to stop harping on that. ANYWAYS I'm really excited about what I'm gonna do (part of it is creating health education media tools). Hopefully this'll help my career along even further and maybe help narrow down what I actually want to do after I finish my MPH. Unfortunately I'll still be working at the other gig (but after next week I'll have less than 100 hours to go) and I'll be starting school again so life will be super busy! No more free time, boo. But I'm actually looking forward to all my classes this quarter, can you believe it? Ask me again how I'm liking school midway through the quarter. :) But yes, the thing I'm most looking forward to this fall is working at Cedar Sinai's Community Health Education Initiatives office! Oh yeah, and I'm excited that I can pay rent again. Here's to being excited about new jobs and opportunities and finishing up old jobs and trying to do it w/o burning bridges. I just need to hold my tongue until my 400 hours are up. You guys know me and my big mouth. :P

Okay, time to go shopping!

Zócalo at the Hammer

Thanks to Jenta, I recently found out about the Zócalo lectures hosted at various venues around LA. I knew I had to go to the foodie one!

Zócalo and the Hammer Museum present

Is There Such a Thing as L.A. Cuisine?

Moderated by Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly Food Critic

That's Jonathan Gold at the far right!
The panel was interesting. I got a chance to ask them a question. You can listen to the podcast here. Look for the food panel and I'm closer to the end, maybe the next to next to next to last question. Fun times!

This is how the Hammer looks inside. Can you believe, 4 years of undergrad and 1 year of grad school and this was my first visit to the Hammer? I used to live blocks away and walk past it everyday! Anyhoo, I suppose it's about time. :)

Hollywood Bowl- John Williams

Went to go see John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl for Cam's bday. Her friends go every year- this was their 3rd time to see him conduct! Looks like we may go again next year, let me know if you're interested!

When he conducted the theme from Star Wars ppl busted out their light sabers. We were quite amused!

Happy birfday Cam! Glad we were able to celebrate with you! Mmm, we packed so much food, fruit berries and nectarines, spam musubi, chili, pasta salad, cheesecake, persian rice, etc.

Random convos

mom: "So what are you doing lately? You look kind of good."
me: "Just a bit running and swimming..."
mom: "Oh good. Better keep it up. You want to fit in THE dress, don't you?"
me: "They make them in different sizes, mom."
mom: "Yeah, but don't you want to look good?"

FH: "At our wedding, can we have donuts instead of cake?"
me: "We'll talk about it when the time comes..."
FSIL: "Are you joking? Donuts! I will not allow that!"
FBIL: "What's wrong with that?"

Hahahaha.

Currently Listening To:

Even though I'm in a perfectly wonderful relationship, lately I've been drawn to songs that are kinda...depressing? Maybe I like them because the music is upbeat? I usually like songs b/c I can identify with them, but not in these cases, haha.

Anyhoo, I'm currently listening to:

"You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds ft. Regina Spektor
If I'm the person that you think I am (Ah ah ahh)//Clueless chump you seem to think I am (Ah ah ahhh)//So easily led astray, //An errant dog who occasionally escapes and needs a shorter leash, then //Why the fuck would you want me back?!
Was a recommendation that popped up in my google reader. I love it! Even though it's not the happiest song. Hehe. I love their collaboration.

"Fell In Love Without You" by Motion City Soundtrack
Last night I fell in love without you//The stars at night aren't as big and bright//As you make them out to be//Every aching wound will cauterize and bruise//In memory of what we used to call in love
Was watching Gossip Girl when this song came on. Spent forever googling it to figure out what it was. The acoustic version is better.

"Love Story" by Taylor Swift
So I sneak out to the garden to see you //We keep quiet cause we're dead if they knew//So close your eyes//Escape this town for a little while//Cause you were Romeo I was a scarlet letter//and my daddy said stay away from Juliet
This was also in my google reader. Okay it's not super depressing but this part of the lyrics is! I can imagine this song being part of a soundtrack for a movie though.

But these songs make me happy b/c they're catchy! I don't listen to the lyrics half the time anyway, haha. Love songs tend to be super sappy and fake though. If I had a choice, Bleed It Out would be on our wedding soundtrack but even Jer vetoed it, haha. I guess I'll have to continue keeping an ear out for songs with "appropriate" lyrics. I have some songs in mind but they're kinda hard to dance to. Linkin Park needs to come out with a semi lovey dovey song that we can jump up and down to! Then I wouldn't have to settle for something cheesy and typical like "Eternal Flame" or "At Last." Hahahaha. But I think Chester's gonna be angry forever. Hehe.

Urban Dare- Santa Monica

We signed up for Urban Dare months ago but since we've had such a busy summer, 8/23 came before we knew it! I'd have to say that it was one of the best things I've done this summer.
Basically, the premise is that you're given a bunch of clues and have to figure them all out, and after you do, you need to go to the location to either take a picture, or do a dare (where you get your passport stamped). I'll walk you guys through ours.

The very first thing they had us do was cross the street and stand in one of 4 squares (A, B, C, or D). Then he read some obscure question and we had to pick one to stand in. Jer and I picked the wrong square so those in the right square got a head start but the second time, EVERYONE got the question right and we all ran towards the hill to find a tennis ball with our team number on it (410). Once we found it, we got our clue sheet as shown above. At first we were trying to figure out random clues and were calling our friends for help (you're sposed to...these clues are so obscure no one can know them off the top of their heads). You're actually not supposed to do them in order b/c some of the clues are in close proximity (like numbers 4 and 6) while some clues are miles apart (like 8 and 9).
So at first we were calling random ppl to get answers to clues. We didn't have all the answers yet but we knew one of clues was at the pier so we headed there first. Along the way, we solved #8: "His poem begins "Listen my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Go to the park at the western terminus of the street that carries his middle name for your spellbound dare. Your word is: BARNACLES."
Basically there were all these stakes in the ground with numbers corresponding to letters and we had add up all the values. B was 4, A was 11, R was 8, etc, so we ended up with 104. I should not be allowed to add numbers b/c I got 82, whoops! So Jerry added it again and we got it right.
We ran all the way to the pier for clue #2: "DOUBLE JEOPARDY- On the Santa Monica Pier, get your picture with the machine that made Tom Hanks big. Then go into the establishment behind the machine for your skeeball dare."
We called lots of ppl but no one could figure out what is the machine that made Tom Hanks big! We also asked some ppl working on the pier too. Finally, RAYMOND saved the day and told us it was the Zoltar fortune telling machine! Yay, it was right. Jer also did the skeeball challenge and we were off to our next clue.
At this point, we thought at clue #6 was on the pier. But it wasn't. Bad mistake, we wasted like 15 minutes running up and down the pier!!! :( My fault, sorry babe!! Note, SM policemen aren't the most helpful ppl. Haha.
Anyhoo, so we knew that the next clue had to be at 3rd Street Promenade so we ran over there. On our way there, we stopped by this hotel to ask for help. I figured that hotel concierge have to be pretty knowledgeable about the city they work in right? So we went to some hotel off Broadway and 2nd I think, and the lady was able to help us with clue #1 which stumped many of our friends: "Get your picture in front of the place where the lead singer from the Monkees would store his whiskey." It turned out to be Whiskey A-Go-Go on 4th St close to Broadway. Yay for the old lady that helped us!! Jer said: "I'm not surprised none of our friends know who the lead singer of the Monkees is. I don't know but if you ask me who the lead singer of G-Unit is, I'll tell you!" Haha, he's such a dork.
Sooo, LEO had already helped us out with clue #3 "What in the world is a topiary fountain? Get your picture with one." (It's one of the fountains that's like grass covering bronze by 3rd street.) So we got a picture there and then while we were on the promenade we decided to do the bonus challenge: "Take a picture of a group of four people giving the Shaka sign. They must be non-participants in the this race." So I saw random ppl stand in line for some Sri Lankan food (it was some Sri Lankan festival) so I gave them a quick sales talk and got them to participate. Yay! Jer likes that I have a big mouth and am willing to talk strangers into doing weird things. :) Anyhoo, we did that and jetted northeast for our next two clues.
Clue #10 was "She served as Santa Monica mayor from 1984-1986. Go to her park for your next dare." Jer figured this one out all on his own. It was Christine Reed, and her park is Reed Park but it used to be called Lincoln Park (which coincidentally is the park that Linkin Park named themselves after- as a huge LP fan, Jer knew this, haha.) Anyhoo, luckily, LEO had helped us with clue #11 ("Get your picture with a statue of the mother of Saint Augustine.") earlier on, so we knew that clues # 10 and 11 were right next to each other and so that saved us time running back and forth. For our #10 dare we just had to throw bean bags into 2 out of 3 holes. Easy-peasy. And for #11 we just had to take a picture of the statue at St. Monica's church b/c St. Monica's son is St. Augustine. Whew!
Ok, so while we were in that area, we had to figure out some clues on where to go next. We already knew clue #7: "___ and ___ went up the hill to...open a cafe? Get your picture in front of this establishment." Some quick googling told us that the Jack and Jill cafe was back by 5th and SM. So we should have gone there earlier but we didn't know the clue in time, darn. So on our way there, we were trying to figure out clue #9: "43 years ago this month a ____ started after CHS officer Lee Minikus pulled over Marquette Frye. Get your picture in front of the place that goes by this name." After some quick googling, the only work I could think of was "riot". But how does "riot" relate to Santa Monica?? While running to Jack and Jill Cafe, I called JOHNNY. He found out that there is a company called Riot in Santa Monica off 7th and Arizona, and OMG we were SO lucky because right when he told us, we got to 7th and Arizona. We took a picture and ran off to the cafe. But before we got to the cafe, we saw the library...and decided to get some help with a clue that none of our friends could figure out, clue #5: "This is where someone with foot fetish, who has lived a very good life, goes when they die." WHAT? I know!!! How freaking obscure is that. Anyways, we wasted a good 15 min at the library b/c the librarians were useless too.
Sometime during the process of figuring out and running to our subsequent clues (and waiting at the library), Jer figured out where clues # 4 and 6 were. Clue #4 was "Marcellus, his first name, established Citizens Telephone and made his fortune in communications before retiring to Santa Monica. Go to the park named after him for your wheelbarrow dare." Googling his first name didn't show anything so Jerry started googling his name in sequence with various Santa Monica parks and finally came up with Joslin Park. For clue #6: "Go to the Oneness Sculpture for your golf dare. Fore!" That was very google-able too, at Hodgekiss Park. Since those parks are close to each other, we saved them for last. They were also located over a mile away from where Jack and Jill Cafe was, so Jer made a smart call and said we should take the bus. After consulting the map for a second, we found that the Big Blue Bus #3 would drop us off somewhat near the park (after we had to run uphill, blah). So after we got off the bus, we did the wheelbarrow and the golf challenge (no biggie!) and then we ran like crazy for clue #5 (the crazy hard one!!). Now, while we were on the bus I was running out of friends to call but I decided to call CHERYL on a whim. I read her the clue and then the first thing she said was "shoe heaven?" and so Jer googled it with "santa monica" and toe heaven came up!! I was sooooo jumping up and down the bus at this point all giggly and punching Jer's arm, saying, we got it! We got it! Because...."Toe Heaven" came up, and is a nail salon on Main Street, only 0.1 miles away from our final meeting place, which is : "Go to O'Brien's Pub for your final and most puzzling dare." Yay! So we ran from both parks to Main ST in SM (where all the "hip" stores are at), took a pic at Toe Heaven, then ran to O'Brien's.
Once there, we went to the back room where they timestamped our passport and we had to do a jigsaw puzzle, only 60 pieces though so we got through it quick. Then they timestamped our passport again, and the organizer made sure we got all the right pictures and stamps. Our final time was 2:46:47...with the 5 min shaved off our original time. Then we joined everyone else in the pub and relaxed until 3:45, which was the cut off time for the race to finish. The winners were announced...and Jer and I made the long, long walk back to the car. Even though we didn't win, we were quite proud of ourselves and we had a blast!

This was the path we took (outlined in red)...we covered over 6 miles! We ran for over 5 of those miles, too. I think if we were more efficient in the route we took we could have cut down to around 5. We completed the race in about 2 hours and 51 minutes, but since we completed the bonus challenge we got 5 minutes shaved off our time. The winners (two guys) took only 2 hours! (They did Urban Dare LA last year and got 3rd place) Jer thinks that if we didn't waste all that time at the library or on the pier we could have cut off half an hour off our time. Oh well...next year! We are definitely doing this again and this time we're in it to win it! Who's in with us?? : )
Things that worked for us:
Having internet savvy friends
Using Camelbak to hold stuff, including much needed ice cold water
Map of Santa Monica with pictures of parks and landmarks
Cell phone with internet
Extra cell phone to call ppl while other cell phone is using internet
Hat and sunblock!! And sunglasses.
Wearing comfortable clothing (I saw a girl with jean capris?!)
Pen and paper
Change for the Big Blue Bus
Jaywalking (who has time to wait for lights? Hehe)
Things that didn't:
I printed out some info about Santa Monica landmarks but that didn't help at all. I chucked it early in the race.
We didn't have a p&s so we had to use the cell phone to take pictures. At least Jer was smart enough to not bring the D300!! We would not be able to be as mobile if we had it!
Our map was too big. Next time we print out a smaller and more concentrated map.

Ever since Usain Bolt has been tearing it up in the Olympics, Jerry insists on taking this picture. Urban Dare officials aren't chiding him for excessive showboating though!

On a random beautiful lazy summer day, Christina and I went out to Redondo Beach to try super fresh seafood and shakes from Ruby's Diner.

I tried uni for the first time! It was...interesting. I would try it again. :) I don't crave it though.

Before

During
Mmm, the crab was fresh and tasty! After we picked out our crabs, the guy steamed it for about 20 minutes. We also had fresh raw oysters. Check out more pics at photoist.
Quality Seafood
130 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310.372.6408

Watching Food Network while working out makes all food seem even tastier than it really is. While at Wooden, I saw an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives which featured cold tasty treats such as the red velvet ice cream from Maggie Moos, and the milkshake from Ruby's Diner.

My plain vanilla shake was pretty good on my end but I think that the In N Out version is just as good and cheaper too. Christina's strawberry shake was way too sweet! Oh well, hit or miss, it's fun to try new things.
Ruby's Diner
245 N Harbor Dr
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310.376.7829