happy thanksgiving

...I hope it's not like this:

Larry David's Thanksgiving Special from Larry David

see the President cry

'sweet feet'

turn-down service

The mint my husband left on my pillow. It's a mint M&M.

formerly recent eats

I've had these pictures in a draft post for a long time, but am only now posting them. I'll try my best to recap:

Here we have a home test that I imagine is almost as exciting as a pregnancy test: a beer taste test! From left to right Coors Light, Yuengling Light and Rolling Rock. Coors Light won. 

This is the most refreshing dessert G and I had in a while. It's coconut jelly in a coconut, with a generous amount of coconut flesh still present. When chilled, it's especially outstanding.

This was a spread of coconut porter and kolsh, with two styles of wings from Hmart. The wings weren't bad, but as a stand-in for BonChon, they don't compare.

This is one of our home-cooked weekday meals: Shanghai bok choi tips chowed with scallions and red catfish curry (and some limes). Thanks - we think we eat like kings too.

...another home-cooked meal: jalapeno pesto with fresh basil and parmesan on linguini fini. It's a new fave; you can make a whole container of the pesto, pour a layer of olive oil on the top and it'll be good in the fridge for weeks. Instant meal!

I enjoyed this cheese a lot. I generally like Swiss cheeses, but this was very different. It reminded me of Dubliner cheese; it had a slight yellowy color and it's texture was not as smooth as regular traditional swiss cheese.

i have happy tears

"Moments later, players brought bottles of champagne onto the field and began spraying them into the stands. Outside the aging Coliseum, car horns honked as this blue-collar city enjoyed its big moment on the baseball stage. " (from this article)

(photo cred: from here/by Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)

trying out my new phone

Publishing from my phone! (That's a root beer float.)

farmer's blow

I'd still rather blow my nose into my shirt (or sleeve).

midweek treat

because it's monday...

the perfect shade of green...

...on the perfect pump.

The Crilo Pump by Jerome C. Rousseau

(photo cred: GILT)

outside our window

...because it's monday

tacos and izakaya fare

Note: This is a super old post that has been long in the making. All this happened about two weeks ago. Enjoy.

An empty fridge and a long week were hints for us to have an easy night out on a steamy Thursday. We started at the brand new brick-n-mortar location of our favorite taco truck, Tacos El Chilango!

(photo cred: Eater, who got it from Yelp)

The place looks great and while I was waiting for G and after ordering a cup of horchata to start, Juan, the co-owner (who ran the truck and opened the eatery with his brother Jesus) gave me a complimentary al pastor taco. It was delicious - good amount of meat, cilantro, and onion, which I topped with a little of both of their homemade sauces (verde and spicier red salsa), but there wasn't enough room on the taco for the pickled veggie mix that was also offered on the condiments table. When G arrived, we ordered: two chorizo tacos, one carne asada taco, one mixto taco (pork mixed with sausage), and one more al pastor taco. All excellent and adequately filled with fillins'.

After happily shoving tacos into our mouths, we went next door to Izakaya Seki, a, well, izakaya that just opened a couple weeks ago right above U St.

(photo cred: by Molly W, posted on Yelp)

We ordered the following:

ankimo (monkfish liver) with yuzo miso vinaigrette 

the Kyona salad with arugula, bonito shavings, mizuna and "onsen" egg

Tarako (salted cod roe) rice ball

What you hear is true - it is pricey for what you get. However, everything was tasty and it was a pleasant dining experience (aside from the very few cheap napkins and over-dressing of the ankimo). Oh - I forgot to mention the 2 complimentary soy and sesame chicken wings they give you as an appetizer; tasty, but the skin was still chewy. All in all, a nice addition to the dining scene and a great place to meet a friend for some heavy gabbing (both first and second floors are nice spaces, but I'd recommend the first floor).

for all married couples

...but especially for G :)

(photo cred: here)

olympic volleyball

Does anyone else think it's funny that this song is played at every set and match point of an Olympics beach volleyball match?

Party of the Games!

because it's monday: special edition

"...you should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a crip though..."

Despite the controversy over the origin of the dance, I think it was an acceptable celebratory dance and don't think Serena meant anything by it other than to celebrate her gold medal win.

because it's monday...

olympics lightening round

• Why are there cheerleaders at the women's indoor volleyball game?
• Why are men's swimming bottoms so low rise?
• Why is equestrian even an Olympic sport (or even a sport?)?
• Why are all tennis matches best of 3 sets, but the gold medal men's match is best of 5?
• Why isn't there men's (team) synchronized swimming? (Duet synchronized swimming is just weird. Actually the whole sport is just bizarre, but mad difficult.)
• Why don't men water polo players wear what swimmers wear (longer boxer brief-type shorts), instead of Speedos?

(photo cred: here)

i love the olympics

Where do I begin? The Olympics, the A's' ride to the top of the wild card race, my trip to Steelers' training camp, my new fav cheese, rosemary fish... too much to write about!

I'll start with focusing this post on the Olympics and will begin with sharing my long-held theory that reflects my hopes of still one day becoming an Olympian. I believe everyone can become an Olympian! Given all the Olympic sports - both winter and summer (I bet you can't name every single one) - not everyone is going to pursue or even try every single sport. Hence, we all don't know what we're really good at, and alas, may never know. You could be the world's greatest shooter, rhythmic gymnast, handballer, or trampolinist! I've missed my chance to be an Olympian in badminton, but love that it's an event and love that it's televised (though not enough).  It's big day is yet to come - it'll catch on someday, and I'll be ecstatic when it's the cool thing to do.

(photo cred: BBC)

...and lo and behold, badminton's day in the limelight came today!...but not in a good way.

I wish all the news reporters would stop saying "...and of all sports, badminton." Hopefully this unfortunate story will pique people's interest in the sport and hopefully facilitates educating people about the sport; it pains me whenever I see birdies made for indoor play placed by backyard badminton equipment in sporting goods stores. There's a difference.

subway shuffle

This video and its narration are excellent. I often did that exact same shuffle when passing through the 34th St station.

because it's monday...

M.I.A. ... yet again...

Bojangles, Captain D's Seafood, Waffle Houses, Super Fast Drive Thru, tattoo parlors, II MEF Marines... guess where I am this week!

(photo cred: here)

because it's thursday...

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - covered by Robyn

happy snacks

Here are some new finds from our latest Wegman's haul:

• Holy seltzer! We bought 7 bottles, but it would have been more if G didn't stop me. I usually get about 4 bottles of their usual lineup of flavors, primarily pomegranate, cranberry lime and grapefruit. This visit, however, presented us with a surprise of Polar's 'Destination Flavors.' I've tried their ginger lemonade flavor from this line, but the ones you see above are new and exciting: Orange Mango, Pineapple Passion Fruit and Pina Colada (which is really good). G finds it amazing that the seltzer tastes and smells like its indicated flavor, yet has no calories nor is it sticky when spilled! Just fantastic. Seltzer water weened me from soda years ago, and I'm glad to see new flavors of it. HuffPost ran a sensory test of the new summer flavors; go here to read it.

• There on the bottom is what is left of my wedge of Fol Epi cheese. It's tasty and creamy, and has holes of a Swiss cheese, but is a bit sweeter; a really nice, mild snacking cheese. I first tried it at Trader Joe's when it was the featured cheese for the month of June, and was elated to find it in the never-fail cheese section at Weggy's. It's my new fav, after snacking on Le Jeune Autise for a couple months.

• The last item up above is our new fav chip: Crisproot Cassava Root Thai Ginger chips. They are super crispy, not oily, extremely flavorful, and are ridged. If cassava root were to chips as potatoes are, I'd be one happy snacker. It makes a significantly crunchier chip.

because it's monday...

Yikes!

current state

MY GOD, THE HEAT!
Today's heat index has reached 107 degrees. I have no intention on going outside for the rest of the day, which is good because I've now got time to do some online modules for work and spend some time on this here blog. Despite being indoors though, I still feel listless. (My sympathies to those who still don't have power after last week's storm. Shit was cray-cray.)

Since I haven't done a list in forever, here's one on the current state of things around these parts:

:: THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS ::

• Worst weather ever: Right now, in those pink and red zones. I never understand people who claim "I'd rather have it really hot than really cold." Excuse them, for they know not what they say. 

• Top recipe to try from my list of recipes to try: Mario Batali's Linguine with Jalapeno Pesto. Never mind that it made an appearance on the Rachael Ray show. It looks and sounds delicious and is from the brain of Mario Batali (not a fan of the man, but he knows his food).

• Best new addition to our household: The Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 10-cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. Not only does it have a name that's half supercharged and half cute, but with its programmable settings for different types of rice, it makes brown rice fluffy. Thanks to everyone who gave us money for our wedding; we put it to good use.

• Best thing to watch on t.v. tomorrow (Sunday, 8 July): Roger vs. Andy. Hands down! What a match-up! Of course, I'm elated that Roger made it to the finals. I will not listen to those who say "it may be his last one!" I'm sorry to have seen Rafa eliminated so early, as the two of them make up my favorite sports rivalry of all time. And Andy! That poor chap! He finally made it to a Wimbledon final match, but alas, I will have to root for this continued streak of not winning a single slam. Every summer, I think of how lucky we are to not only be living, but living in the era of Roger and Rafa, and yeah, maybe even Djokovich.

• Best beverage I've had in recent days: Red Onion's Chocolate Malt. Sorry no picture, just know that it was delicious. Not so malty, but tasty nonetheless.

(photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4 was a screenshot of this)

beginner korean

Here are some Korean dishes I cooked for the first time, in the last month and a half:

Up on top you have some pajeon (파전). I forgot to add kimchee into the batter at first, so only some are reddish. The pajeon came out a little gummier than I wanted, so I'll have to work on the mix : water ratio. I had some metric unit conversion problems.

Down on the bottom you have some excellent naengmyeon (냉면),topped with sliced cucumber and kimchee. This was a winner and forehead-slapper; how could I not have had this in my warm weather rotation already?

because it's thursday

Pianists in Paris - by CDZA (cover of N****s in Paris)

missed you

Aside from taking pictures of my late-night curry, I've still been missing. What gives, you ask? Well in the last month, I've gotten married, I've started a new job (to put it in a nutshell) which has thrown my life as I knew it into a khaki-clad whirlwind. Also in the last month, I left home (and my new husband) for 2 weeks, I saw DMB in concert,

gained some weight, saw and heard in person the Secretaries of Defense, Health & Human Services and the VA, saw the Surgeon General (twice), and as of last night, am a new fan of Shaolin Jazz Project after seeing DJ 2-Tone and Sound of the City live at Blues Alley (Shanice will be there on 20 July!).

I've managed to squeeze in a few blog-worthy meals on the weekends, but have failed to document them because I just wanted to enjoy and devour (sorry). Eating, going to cultural events and now blogging, are helping me slowly get back to my norm that I loved, and miss, so much. I haven't been so good keeping up with style and fashion; I've been reading a week's worth of fashion blogs on the weekends. I have, however, recently purchased a vintage Coach City Bag in fantastic condition off of ebay (luckily, it's one of the few designer bags approved for work),

as well as a Longchamp Planete Large Tote (also for work). Add to that list of work-related purchases a pair of Naturalizer Deino pumps.

And I haven't even gotten my first paycheck yet.

Thanks for still stopping by and for your requests for posts, and for being patient with me. While I can't promise being on time with my regular features just yet (Because It's Monday, Toothsome Tuesday, List Wednesday, and Fashion on Fridays), I hope to be posting more often.

(photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4)

late night curry

My version of roti canai. Chicken curry with a scallion pancake. At midnight. Yippee!

M.I.A.

Sorry folks! I'm indeed alive and well and have not vanished. Work has me occupied 24/7 (literally) for another week, so it'll be a few more days before I can even think about putting more quality content up, but in the meantime, here is a snapshot of my life at this very moment. I appreciate you stopping by despite my being MIA! (Maybe I can convince G to do a guest post!)

bootie love

Plomo Veronique Bootie

Modern Vintage Ima Bootie

(photo creds: GILT)

because it's monday...

Check out these girls c-walking. Amahzing!

friday lunch log

Kimchee dog!! (note how perfectly the bun fits the dog)

my big day...

...was last Saturday. It was the craziest, most awkward, and perhaps weirdest wedding anyone has ever attended. Despite this, we were amongst our families (just 31 people in attendance) and flanked by love and support. I'm glad it's over, but glad it turned it out the way it did. Here's what I wore:

This comfortable, unique dress with the most amahhzing see-through bell sleeves (Plenty by Tracy Reece, from BHLDN) had a silhouette that reminded me of traditional Filipiniana dresses or kimonas. This looked great next to G's barong.

These were chosen among a total of 10 pairs of shoes I ordered. They turned out to look great with the dress, but were really loose at the heel. Hence, I wore them only for the ceremony, changing into flat gold sandals for the reception. (Nina Forbes in Gold Royal Satin from Zappos)

...and the icing on the cake: this simple, lovely birdcage veil my mom made for me. Sitting on its box in this photo doesn't do it justice but it brought the entire look into wedding magnificence. 

My hair was done by Kaori at Hair Kuwayama and it was, to my delight, not the common tight, slicked, kinky-curled up-do. It was the perfect landing place for the veil. My makeup was done by my BFF and my nails were in a super light pink-almost-white Essie color of which I don't remember the shade name.

Until I see photos that suggest otherwise, I'm pretty pleased with how my entire look came together.

(photo creds: 1, 2)

time won't give me time

...but we don't have enough time as it is! (taken in my office building)

seriously. sneakers? odd normality

Last week, I did a post on the plethora of footwear options that make great alternatives to the tired, sloppy and gross flip flop. I would now like to move on to another all-too-familiar eyesore: the sneaker + business attire pairing.

I'm not sure what's worse, this or the flip flop. Seriously? Sneakers with your work clothes? But there are so many alternatives! Have you seriously given up? Have you tried flats? Brogues? What about Keds?? Even some Chucks would be tolerable! It's incredible how hard it is to find a decent picture of this faux pas online, especially when I see more women committing this eyesore of a fashion crime than not (this is, of course, when they're not wearing flip flops).  There isn't even a lot of written material on this faux pas, though I did find this blog post on the topic, and it did make the #3 spot on this Glamour list of do's and don'ts on, funny enough, District style, with which I completely agree: "'Are you kidding? Unless you had to jog to work on the Beltway, sneakers and business attire are a DON'T to end all DON'Ts.'"

 (photo cred: Glamour via MSN)

Aww. Look how happy that lady on the right is.

How in the world did this pairing become a normal thing to do? Why, when I wear my brogues, ankle boots or Chucks, do I get more crooked looks at my feet than someone wearing a pair of Saucony stability running shoes? Why don't men wear Jordan's with their slacks or suits? And if they did, wouldn't that warrant a strange look? I'd bet yes. How is it, then, normal when a woman pairs some dirty gym shoes with a skirt and blouse? And why, more often than not, are these sneakers white? My own running shoes that see about 20 miles a week (a little less the past couple of weeks), aren't even white. They're purple. I digress.

I understand some may be wearing them in transit, on the way to or from work, and that they may change into fab heels or other less comfortable shoes once they arrive at their destination. But still. Not a good look. I'm just having a hard time comprehending how this is awful look doesn't turn heads, and why women insist on wearing sneakers when so many alternatives exist.  Allow me to show a few:

Okay, maybe I should have started a bit tamer, but since I'm wearing these very boots (in brown) as I write this, I thought I start here. These are my distressed boots that are oh-so-weather-appropriate for the rain today, and super comfortable. For warm, rainy weather, I think it's a perfect pairing with my new Webster dress. Comfortable and sensible? Sounds like a great alternative to sneakers. 

Here are some brogues. (Yes, they do look familiar!) They pair well with pants or dresses or skirts or tights or leggings...the possibilities are endless. These, too, are completely appropriate for work and inclement weather.

If it's white you crave, the how about these cute eyelet Keds? Keds are undeniably comfortable and come in all sorts of colors, patterns, and toe shapes. They even come in slip-on. Not quite sure why anyone would stick to running shoes when there are so many possibilities with Keds alone. Although I don't think these look as good as darker colored alternatives (as shown above), they're still superior to those beat up Mizuno's.

As much as I cringe at these, they're probably super comfortable and I know they appeal to older ladies (although I believe, that you too, can do way better than these, abuelitas)...but even these orthopedic looking maryjanes are better than running shoes.

Ikat espadrilles?? Do I really need to say more? Summer perfection. They're neutral color, eye-pleasing pattern and comfort factor make them winners.

Okay, here's a more classic alternative that's work friendly and versatile. Simple flats. They go with anything and everything and are completely appropriate.

I just saw a woman wearing these at work, and when paired with cute striped socks and office pants, they're pretty cute...and I hear they're comfortable. All the doctors running around in them are enough of a testament to their comfort for me.









I couldn't sign off without a plug for ankle boots. My mom is amused by my recent love of them, as am I because I can't believe I didn't take to them until fairly recently. These would make fantastic alternatives to just about any of your business casual looks.

  

(photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)