Phantom of the Opera

Earlier this year, Jer took me to see his favorite musical, Phantom. This was his 4th or 5th time, and my first.

I feel terrible b/c I feel asleep numerous times. It's not that Phantom was boring, it's just that I was so stressed out from the stupid mapping class back then and wasn't really in the mood to sit in a dark theater, and we were surrounded by fat ppl who either blocked my view in the front, or who hogged my leg room on the side, and I ended up not really enjoying the experience. I usually love musicals but I was just not feeling it that night. I did enjoy the music but not so much the acting.

I think this is the last time he's going to a musical with me. I wouldn't want to sit with me either. I was such a whiny, grumpy, and sleepy date. I really want to watch Avenue Q though so maybe he'll change his mind. Pleaaaaaaase?? I was well behaved when we went to watch Wicked! :)

It Was Nice

Today was a nice day:

Even though the 10E entrance was closed from the 710N, I still managed to find my way back onto the freeway w/o getting too frustrated despite running into a couple dead ends.
I spent the entire morning w/ my mom and we had actual conversations and I didn't feel impatient and she didn't really nag.
We beat the crowds at Rose Hills. It feels good to be leaving when ppl are barely arriving and are stuck in gridlock!!
Jer flew home a day early. What a pleasant surprise.
We made dinner plans and I realized, we can drive anywhere and I can stay out as late as I want b/c I don't have any homework!! (before if we ate out, it was somewhere local if I had a paper due soon). Even though we still went home at a time when ppl are barely getting ready to go out, it was nice to know that I potentially could have stayed out late. (Well, not entirely. We had to put the laundry in the dryer.) But potentially, people, potentially!
$30 and some change fed us sushi and then boba, which made my tummy so happy after being sick and eating bland food all week. I like Sawtelle. Jer likes that I'm a cheap date and doesn't need to be wined and dined all fancy schmancy.
We STROLLED all along Sawtelle. I don't remember the last time that I walked somewhere that slowly and aimlessly. I'm usually in such a rush to get from pt A to pt B. It felt really nice to walk and talk. At a relaxed pace. Sometimes, we'd just stand somewhere, people watch, and then talk smack about them, haha. People watching is fun!
I found a sports bra that fit. The ones I tried on before either totally cut off my circulation, or felt like they were gonna slip off the minute I tried to work out. Next search- an athletic one-piece swimsuit that is somewhat cute- the really cute 2 piece ones are kinda flimsy so when I dive, my top comes off! It's totally embarassing.

Tomorrow's another day. :)

Nutcracker Ballet

Went to my first ballet with Jer, Thu and Andreas. It was just okay- we were all kinda bored. I think I need to watch another ballet, maybe with a real troupe like the SF ballet or the NY ballet. I don't think we can afford to watch the Russian dancers. :P

For more pics you can go to photoist, or here.

Redondo Beach Superbowl 10K

I ran my first 10K a couple months ago. It was hard, but I did it w/o stopping. My time was just okay, over an hour and about 15 min? For the Nike 10K run this Aug, I want cut it down to an hour or so. Hopefully Half Dome training will help w/ my conditioning! I went swimming for the first time since last fall and I found that my legs were pretty strong and held up when I did solo kicking with the kick board. Last summer, I had a very hard time using the kick board to go from one end to the other, and now I think it's b/c last summer I barely ran so my legs were pretty weak. Thanks to the 10k training, my legs are stronger now than they were last summer. In addition to legs, I also want to work on my arms. I can barely do a push-up! So it'll be a long road to being more fit, but it should be rewarding. I'm looking forward to doing even more good and healthful things for my body.

Outdoor Ice Skating

Last December we went ice skating with Rachel and Tong at SM's outdoor rink. At first I was pretty unsteady and the least fearless of the bunch and though by the end of the session I was still the least fearless, I think I made it around the rink a couple times w/o holding onto anything. I think. It was so long ago!

I rarely post pose-y pics but here's one! I love the bokeh and the background.
Outdoor skating is fun! I want to do it again the next holiday season!

Taking a Break (and a much needed chill pill)

My friend Thu (hi Thu!!) recently sent me some kind words over email: "I think you definitely need to rest a bit and enjoy your freedom. don't stress too much over job searching. I am sure you'll find something."

So that is what I'm going to do! I've gone to school roughly 19 out of my 25 years and I've worked almost everyday since college began, even breaks. Maybe it's time I take a real break haha. I definitely have a problem with stress and I put so much pressure on myself to find a job that I don't really take the time to enjoy the fact that for the first time in years, I can slow down for a while and take things a bit easy w/o work or school looming over my head like a dark cloud. (I used to get that feeling a lot- anyone with me?) My overly ambitious and freak-out-b/c-I'm-unemployed-self is okay with this for the time being b/c I'm currently holding a part time job which pays some of the bills while I'm still on the job hunt. So I think I can play a little during this transition period. And take a chill pill or two. I wouldn't say that I'm burnt out, but maybe having this uninhibited free time will leave me refreshed for the next stage of my career.

In the meantime, I have a lot of things to do that I put off when I was working/in school. I'm actually looking forward to doing some of these things too, even though they may seem like "work" and not remotely related to "lying on the beach with a book". Not to be cheesy and such, but with the start of spring arrving this past weekend, I really feel like a fresh beginning is what I deserve!

I recently summoned up the courage to tell my mom that I was officially shacking up with Jer. She surprisingly was okay with it. For those of you who know my mom, this was quite a change for her. I'm really glad I could be honest with her about such a major decision in my life. I've lied enough in the past, and at 25, I feel like I shouldn't revert to my old ways to get what I want- plus I always feel awful from the guilt that's incurred when I do lie. His parents know as well, so it definitely feels good to start off on the right foot together with the support from both sets of parents. I also finally finished moving out the rest of my stuff from the apt. Let me just say somewhat nicely about not having to rent anymore: no more dealing with crappy street parking and having to ask to park in my own spot and no more coming home to find random cardboard boxes or cups with 1 cm of weird liquid and mold in my fridge (I could go on, but really I need to let it go). Now I'm actually looking forward to going through my stuff and doing some major weeding. I've already set aside piles of: clothes for goodwill, paper/mags to recycle, school stuff for Cheryl (who will be going to Cal, congrats!), kitchen stuff for my cousin who will be apartmenting for the first time this summer, trash etc. It definitely feels good to donate/recycle/repurpose/trash.

I also want to catch up on blogs and update my own, I've actually done some of the stuff on my list! And maybe I'll even set aside some time to do new stuff on my list, which was what this blog was originally about. I also want to send pics to costco to print, frame said pics, organize all the living spaces, hang said frames in said living spaces etc, etc. I am also hanging out with Hawaii folks this wk and going up north this weekend, so by keeping busy I'll have less time to feel negative. Once I organize my craft space, I can't wait to get started on some potential projects, including a garter and a ring bearer pillow for a wonderful friend who's getting hitched in t-minus 3 months or so! (hi n!) So lots of positive things ahead. I'm going to take advantage, starting already! :)

The Job Search

Though not entirely similar, the job search (at least for me) somewhat resembles those awkward stages of matchmaking. I haven't done eharmony.com, match.com, or been set up by friends but based on what I've heard and read, it could go something like this...

1. I've set up my profile- am I what they are looking for? With Jer's help (who knew an engineer would be so good at writing?! :P ) I've be able to translate my experiences and education very efficiently on my resume and cover letter. I look pretty damn good on paper if I say so myself!

2. I'm browsing through hundreds of descriptions and I need create a list of potential matches- SAF looking for SAM, 35 years looking for 24-34 years- am I qualified to fit their descriptions and them mine? I have a running list of websites such as careerbuilder.com and monster.com, and I have been periodically revisiting websites of various LA orgs, hospitals, and cities in search of anything that's open. So far I've found 8 potentials- most of the other openings require me to be a police officer, RN, or Latina. (No kidding- the only ACS opening in California for a patient navigator requires the applicant to be not only bilingual, but also bicultural.) One position I applied for is in a different county! Yes, I'm willing to do long distance. But it's rare that long distance relationships ever work out, yes?

3. So I've submitted my goods- equivalent to a friend trying to set up another friend by saying: "Oh, she's a really cool girl, fun and pretty! She likes to try different things blah blah blah."- and I've presented myself as a potential for a date. I'm hopeful that they will look at my resume and cover letter and peg me as a potential candidate for the position.

4. Will he call? When? Should I call? WHEN? Ahh, the waiting game- Don't you all love this part? You're like pins and needles, waiting for them to call, but since you haven't heard from them in a week, you wonder if you should call, but if you'll sound needy or not! I'm actually in this process right now- applied for a job back in Jan, didn't hear from them in a long while, so after much deliberation (friends who chatted with me on gmail that day, you remember?!) decided to call. Left my name and # with HR, who promised they would call me back. They didn't call, so I called again and did the same thing, and still haven't heard from them. FRUSTRATING.

5. I'm still hoping for the next stage- will you go on a date with me? Sigh, I would do anything to get an interview right now! At least give me a chance to prove, in person, that I'm worthy of the position! And I'll say yes right away b/c I want to start dating again! Dating brings benefits, ahem, such as health insurance and 401k.

All kidding set aside, I really am trying to be positive about the search. It's hard not to get discouraged and impatient though- but I understand with the high unemployment rates, the applicant pool is more saturated than ever. In fact, this janitorial job at an Ohio middle school has over 700 applicants!

Another thing that I have been thinking about is whether I should branch out and apply for jobs that aren't in my field- such as admin or HR. But I didn't go back to get my masters just so I could answer phones, file, and get someone's coffee! But at what point do I sacrifice my pride in exchange for steady income, health insurance, and 401k? Jerry told me that his dad said that back in the day, when the ecomony was bad, engineers were out pumping gas b/c there were no jobs. Am I selfish to want to hold out for something better? Ugh I don't know. Maybe I should be more patient. After all, I still have finals to go, an apt to to move out of, and lots of unpacking to do. I could really use a break, but I would love to have peace of mind that there's a job waiting for me on the other side. :)

Any suggestions/comments for this worrywart?

Belacan Grill

Wow, I haven't done a food entry in a while, how uncharacteristic of me! Anyways, we went to Belacan Grill with Thu (hi Thu!) and Andreas last month. They were great company and a cute couple :) Can't wait to explore more restaurants with them!

It was really dark inside.

Curry puffs. They were okay. Not melt in your mouth good. I think I will try to make it next time- I make a mean curry pot pie thanks to WC. This picture sucks b/c I was in a hurry- we were starving and it took a long time to get seated and served.

Prawns. They were huge, crunchy, and tasty.

Beef. This was really tasty and flavorful, but nothing special since I've had some version of this many times before.

Hainan chicken, rice, and the sauces. I didn't really like my chicken, too tough and so fatty. I liked having the option of 3 sauces though- and the sauces were good. And everyone seemed to like the rice except for me. I think b/c the hainan chicken/rice at The Green Zone I had a couple weeks before totally blew me away...so I was kinda disappointed. It did satisfy my craving though...I do want to try making this, I want hainan chicken in my recipe arsenal!

The dessert. It had lots of weird stuff. But I guess it was a refreshing way to clean my palate after all that greasy food.

Belacan Grill
2701 190th St Ste 100
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 370-1831

www.belacangrill.com

Will I be back? Prolly not for a while. The food was good, but I think I want to keep exploring more restaurants in the SB, esp Torrance. Ok, any SB restaurant recommendations? Dawn, I need to find your Gardena map!

Here's the short list I have so far:
Onami Seafood Buffet
Gaja Japanese Restaurant (Christina, remember when we made okonomiyaki? Haha fun times! We should try this place someday and see how diff it is)
Flossie's Restaurant

We usually frequent:
Rice Things (I <3 this place!!! We go there at least twice a month, sometimes more)
Thai Food Express
The food courts at Marukai Pacific Square, Mitsuwa on Western
Il Chianti
Original Pancake House
Kings Hawaiian (the restaurant and the Local Place)
Uncle Bills

Mmm, hungry now! I think we will try Flossie's tonight.

February Fun Reads, 2009

I haven't done one of these in a while, though I have been reading for pleasure pretty consistently. After a while, there is only so much internet I can inject my brain with, so I appreciate a good read to balance everything out. We make such frequent trips to our local library that whenever we come in to pick up a requested item, the librarians recognize us and they don't even need our card to find our materials, haha. I love the library system...it's like our personal Netflix for movies and books! Anyways, here's some stuff on my virtual bookshelf:

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsey
I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to learn more about him. Now I know why he cusses all the time and is so critical! Read it youself to find out hehe.

Brining Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello
This caught my eye at our local B&N, so I requested it from the library. Jerry saw me read it and said, "What's the big deal about this Birkin thing? I'm going look it up on ebay." Next thing I hear from him is "NINETY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A BAG?! CRAZZZZZZYYYYY!!!" I loved reading about his adventures, and so did Jerry. We are now inspired to ebay our stuff...except its not worth anything compared to a Birkin, haha.

The Solomon Sisters Wise Up by Melissa Senate
I'm not one to express the sentiment that I'm too good for this so called genre of "chick-lit." I absolutely love indulging myself in some thing a bit unreal- it provides a temporary escape for me. I can be a part of someone else's world for a bit before I go back to slaving away at ArcGis, searching for jobs, and doing laundry. In fact, the same goes for TV. Try as I might, I just can't pretend that I'm fascinated with watching CNN when Gossip Girl is on. :) For someone who reads as much chick lit as I do, I never quite warmed up to watching Sex and the City. Hmm, I wonder why?
Anywaaaays, back to the book. Melissa Senate is a good writer and she did a good job writing this book from 3 points of view (the 3 sisters). The content is not as silly as the Shopaholic books or the Plum Sykes books. I wouldn't mind a movie version of this book! Of course, knowing cheap 'ol me, I'd wait for it to be on DVD. :)

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
This book was gross and raunchy. Jerry had fun reading it, so I read it too. Ewww, guys like that exist? But I have to admit that I had fun reading it as well.

My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher
This woman finds out her husband is cheating on her, leaves him, and then finds out he's dying so she goes back to his deathbed. Instead of dealing with his illness alone, she calls up all his mistresses/past flings and some of them actually show up! Interesting cast of characters, I very much enjoyed this book. I teared up a little too!

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace
Okay, I'm a bit tired of writing, haha. Let's just say I learned alot about wine and Thomas Jefferson. And how auction houses are crazy. The book reads a bit like a mystery, both Jer and I liked it and had to wikipedia more about it after since we were curious.

What's on your virtual bookshelf?

Credit Scores

Over the wknd, I got some bad news. Jerry decided to run a credit report check on me since I had been getting these weird notices from collection agencies and we found that my credit score was highly compromised by another Jeannie Nguyen- or maybe more than one Jeannie Nguyen! I was so upset and worried. Every since my first credit card at 18, I have been very diligent about not spending more than what I have. I've never missed a payment and have always paid in full and on time- I have absolutely no credit card debt. So imagine my surprise when the printer spits out over a dozen pages of bogus charges and payments (in bad standing) that I supposedly owe. They were for places like Sears (I never stepped into the store until after I started dating Jer b/c he likes to buy tools there), HSBC (I've been a BofA customer since I was in HS!), Walmart, Abercrombie and Fitch, etc etc. In the section of accts in good standing, I recognized all those accts as mine. In 2005 or 2006, I ran a credit report check on myself and I was completely clean then. I can't believe in a period of a few years could someone else fuck up my credit as badly as it is now. :( Jer says that maybe my acct got merged with someone elses and that it should be fixable. On the credit report, we noted that some of the addresses didn't match mine- there were addresses in Texas, Louisiana, SD, etc. I hope we can remedy this soon! I have to clear my name and my credit. We both agree this will be devastating when it comes time to apply for loans for houses- so I need to fix it soon. We already started the paperwork...wish me luck!

What steps do you take to protect your credit?

In other good news:
1. It's week 8- just 3 weeks to go!
2. Planning a trip to DC/NYC in the spring- any food recommendations? DC I haven't really been able to explore food wise. As for NYC, I've been to Lombardi's, Nyonya, Joe's Shanghai, Rice to Riches, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Egg Custard King Cafe, a yummy dessert place in Little Italy, Carnegie Deli, Dos Caminos, and this Korean to-go place called Worijip. And some other places that I don't remember.
3. Picked out a setting I loooooove...now trying to decide if its best to buy direct or to have it made.
4. Applying to jobs...hoping I get interviews! Hiring freezes suck. =X
5. Made kabocha/pork bone soup from scratch, yummy!
6. Going to see Taylor Swift in concert!

My to-do list:
1. Clear my credit!
2. Find a job
3. Apply for Amazing Race- yes we're boring but I want to try out anyway! Who has a camera we can borrow??
4. Catch up on blogs- mine and others. I star them in my googlereader to read later...but then I never get back to it. I also have a ton of other things I want to write about.
5. Melt my muffin top from its current Costco sized proportions
6. Sort out years of packratted stuff since I will be going back to having a roommate :)

I love lists, I want this: http://www.amazon.com/Listography-Journal-Your-Life-Lists/dp/0811859088