Angel Island

A post-thanksgiving outing to explore a new island not so far away

Going to see the sea lions at Pier 39 with Mama & H on a cerulean blue day

looks delicious, but please don’t eat

getting off the ferry

We rented bikes and for the life of us couldn’t figure out the right path and then almost gave up immediately because the only path to take was super steep uphill and we died after a minute into the path. Fortunately, as we went further (walking our bikes at that point of course), we realized that you just had to take that uphill path to get to the actual bike path that varied in elevation, but was overall manageable.

Mama showing off her elite techniques in bike riding

taking a break

good job, team – we completed the five mile trail around the island!

play day in Monterey

The thought of going out for a whole day can be both exciting and terrifying. How does one justify saving an entire day for another person? How does one choose where to go? Who’s going to plan the activities of the day? What if there’s not enough to do? What if we don’t like doing the same things? What if we get into a fight?

With all these fears bubbling inside, we courageously decided to move forward, and what can I say? The day went swimmingly.

Going on a date to the aquarium is something I’ve dreamed of all my life. It is somehow nothing like I ever thought it would be like and yet more than all I could have hoped for. But apparently it is a recurring theme for me to have expectations that do not match reality.

I thought it would be a genius plan to go to the end of the aquarium to the deep sea exhibit in the morning and work our way backwards, but apparently everyone else thought of the same thing and got there before us.

If you ask me what my favorite part of the aquarium is, I will without a moment of hesitation tell you it’s the octopus. I love the video that introduces these wildly fascinating, complex, and wickedly clever creatures of the sea – did you know that they recognize people and have affinity toward familiar individuals, even giving them hugs with their long, squishy tentacles??

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water”

– Loren Eiseley

But perhaps I spoke too soon about favorites. Some other top contenders are the beautiful quotes about the ocean, and the touch tank for the rays! They’re so squishy and soft and I always get so excited that I get my sleeve wet from reaching too deep in the water. But it’s so worth it!

Some other favorite quotes:

“The tides are in our veins.”

– Robinson Jeffers

“…the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonders forever.”

-Jacques-Yves Cousteau

I want to go to on many adventures and explore many places with you. 💕

Jellyfish –
the sea offers up flowers of glass like thick light.
They are transparent landscapes.

– Raquel Jodorowsky

Cannery Row on a clear, crispy autumn day. A teaches me lessons about thoughtfulness and generosity, as we went into a candle store I would’ve never gone into, and he picked one out because he knew his aunt would like it.

Sea Harvest Restaurant – it can be hard to try new things, but A has bravely been trying to eat things he wouldn’t have in the past, and I’m thankful for that courage that has led to things like being able to enjoy raw oysters together. We do also eat more standard, yummy things together like fish sandwiches and clam chowder!

A big part of traveling with other people is figuring out and matching paces with one another. I think we’re both on the slow, relaxed side, which makes the match a good one! After a short post-lunch break and balsamic vinegar/olive oil shopping, we stopped by the ocean to take some selfies. Cheese.

Black light golf was not as exciting as I would have liked but the decorations were a fun portrayal of the sights to see along the Highway 1 from NorCal all the way to LA.

Oh man, when they didn’t bother to tell you the mirror maze would have flashing lights and mannequins and ominous music and you’re super scared and lost and hoping your man will take the lead, but he’s even more freaked out than you are 🤣. Nothing quite like desperation to push you to take charge and lead the way.

Shadowbrook – Last time we were in Capitola, A wanted to take me here, not realizing that it was a fancy restaurant that called for nicer attire. He was so appalled at himself for making that mistake that I thought it would make the perfect redeeming end to our night. The free shuttle service with antique cars paired with a tiny gondola were such charming details to this place!

Thanks for a beautiful day, my love~

adventure doesn’t have to be far away

in a world of automobiles, subways, trains, and airplanes, places are so much more accessible. unfortunately, i often mistake accessibility with familiarity, and feel the need to go far far away in order to find what’s novel. i’m trying to change up some of those natural associations by exploring the places that are “mundane” and finding destinations in locations not too far from home. cue lassen and redding.

what’s a trip without ice cream? trying gunther’s matcha ice cream and fruit ices in sacramento

i literally have not been here since fourth grade

we’re always up for some lollygagging

we love california

asking the man with a cool uniform guarding the bear statue if we can take a picture with the bear

 

i had one of those deja vu moments walking by this theater and i realized we watched a video here in fourth grade!

we also went to the famous candy shop of fourth grade fame. i was so disappointed that jawbreakers don’t look as big as they did when i was child, was mind blown that they started making them on sticks (GENIUS!), and was tempted to buy a rock candy for childhood’s sake, but refrained.

so many people going to a baseball game and this pretty yellow bridge

busting out some yoga poses wherever i go

hiking the bumpass hell trail was, as suggested, hellish, but great views and we somehow made it!

sulfur springs are so frighteningly fantastical and yet somehow so ethereally beautiful

that is probably what the devil’s kitchen looks like

taking a boat to see the shasta caverns!

another location straights out of the legends – so much fun being nerdy about rocks and minerals

while heading to the parking lot, i heard a familiar voice. lo and behold, it was my coworker from huawei days! so crazy because i never even really talked to her then, but got to catch up a little and say hi to her and her cute kiddoes

while looking for stepping stones, i fell into the water, and instantaneously blamed my mom for distracting me. oh, silly me, who so easily falls into my old ways of passing responsibilities onto other people’s shoulders and being childish

more hiking and exploring at burnaby falls

                             

sundial bridge was our last stop in sacramento before heading to some outlets and going home!

here’s to more exploring with depth, not breadth.

“chaperones” at the youth beach trip

sand, salt, wind, water, plus love

number one perk – my man drives me places

starting the day with a breakfast date at Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria in Capitola while T text yells at us to stop making out and playing hooky from the beach trip. i think it’s decided that we’re coming back for everything here

i am typically not a present kind of person, but oh my, he got me with this one. a gift to capture the happy memories together. well done, a

we might’ve gotten a little greedy on this one – frittata (i just respelled that like ten times), quiche, mixed berry tart, deviled eggs, turkey avocado sandwich, and garlic bread – yummy!

making new memories of a familiar place

m & s trying to capture beach vibes with the polaroids, sand, and waves

a hates these photos because of his tummy, but i think we’re cute

we don’t share our ice cream

“can we switch sides so i look taller?”

       

we walked by some of the high schoolers as we were leaving and they insisted on giving us a photo shoot – we’re so awkward

   

thanks for a fun day at the beach :3

The Wedding of YP and Ruth

it’s the simple joys in life like coordinating outfits and having a dance partner

of course he forgot his tie during the reception so this stalker photo is the only proof we have of matching

   

hire me for that photography life

   

   

   

   

       

 

Middle School Fanatic Throwback

There’s something special about the music of your formative years. No matter how long it’s been, you can always go back to those songs with eagerness. So when the disbanded Anberlin announced a tour, there was nothing left to do but drop everything and head down to Los Angeles to see them. Even adults should live spontaneously now and then.

0100 Los Angeles welcomes you with a bit of late late night traffic

Grand Central Market with D & J, doing all the touristy things

Pastrami Sandwich from Wexler’s Deli, Burger and slut from Eggslut, Chicken bowl from Sari Sari – all sumptuous and delish!

McConnells in LA!

Catching the perfect rays of sun filtering through the towering buildings in downtown LA while finishing up our ice cream before entering The Last Bookstore

What a national treasure trove of books to be found here!

My favorites – A Day Late, Time & Confusion, Paperthin Hymn, Audrey Start the Revolution!

Kickin’ it like the old days.

Post-concert bonus meal at Kang Ho Dong Baekjeom. That pork jowl, corn cheese, egg and veggies – so good!

Sunday morning coffee

my love 💕

guava strudels, cheese rolls, potato balls – the end.

I hadn’t decided on how many I was going to buy, but had priced them at around $2 in my head and didn’t want to spend more than 30 bucks. When I asked the guy how much they were, he said around 90, and I was like, 90 what? And he was like, 90 cents. Mind. Blown. I think I bought like 30+ items just because I could.

The Getty Center – one of my favorites of LA

special exhibit on mythical creatures – totally my jam

i need this gold unicorn skull

quote according to the medieval bestiary on bonnacons – “when it turns to run, it sprays fiery dung that covers three acres and burns whatever it touches. This uncommon form of practice discourages pursuers”…what six year old brain came up with this idea????

grabbed ice cream from my favorite, Saffron & Rose, and sat down on the grass in front of my old apartment to munch on this deliciousness

line too long at Diddy Riese so no cookies – not that i’m complaining after coffee, Porto’s, ice cream, and Coco boba…

Now on to see something precious to D – the Pyramid Lake dam! This is probably one of the most beautiful moments of the drive between Norcal and Socal, and I’m so glad that we actually go to stop by and see the place in all its glory

frutas con chile – what more do you want out of life???

i was so happy on this trip to spend time with good friends, reliving memories of the bands we grew up on, and visiting so many of my favorite places in Los Angeles. we must do this more often.

HOmecomeWING – South Korea (Busan)

part ✌️ of my heart’s home.

from jan 18, 2016 – “what i love about busan is that it is a city that has built itself from the ground up. these aren’t your city socialites. they’re the hot blooded country folks who built industries with their own hands and feet. they’re passionate and friendly, and every word that comes from their mouths, does so in the form of lilts and accents: a song.”

gukbap – i got food poisoning the first time i ate this busan specialty, but i still eat it every time i come back. also, oops, forgot to take a picture when we started (photo by C)

just missed the fireworks that happened to be ongoing this friday evening, but still got this panoramic nightview of the sea

coffee street (photo by W)

  

Le Bakery featuring the most drool inducing baked goods (photos by C)

         

oryukdo glasswalk – so peaceful and lovely to be by the ocean to feel the breeze and share some croissant crumbs with the creatures of the sea

jagalchi market – so nervewracking to be in a new environment negotiating for things i have no sense of value for. it really helped that C and W love seafood so much because it gave me the courage to speak up to the vendor ahjumma, be assertive in communicating what we want, and even cut deals by asking for bonus items. love is so empowering

    

all the spoils including live octopus and sea urchin, raw/grilled abalone, some unidentified species, and korean style sashimi

the view of the port from outside of the market

accidentally stumbled across the yongdusan stairs and took a walk through the park to see busan tower on our way to the trickeye museum

              

   

the trickeye museum is one of my favorite parts of korea – they moved locations and tried to become fancy with some VR app on the phone, which is an unfortunate move, but still had a lot of fun taking crazy pics here! (photos by W and C)

      

street yums – busan style hoddeok and ddukbokki (photo by W)

something tells me this chinatown is dying a little bit which is why it was so hard to find jjajjangmyeon here – so sad

milmyeon and ddukmanduguk for breakfast. doesn’t it look so perfect for a rainy morning?

reached gamcheon cultural village in the pouring rain, and we’re not too eager to go outside, so we’re dawdling a bit in the coffee shop with a view, and poring over this fashion guidebook for men (side hobbies)

trying to pretend that we are totally okay with the rain, but really, we’re not. and neither is the little prince (photos by C)

     

we meant to head to haeundae beach for a sand castle building festival, but with winds and rains like this, who are we kidding? everyone was cold and miserable and wet, and we ran straight to our american haven, mcdonalds, to feed, sleep and wait out the rain. i think the videos of this day will always bring laughs, and we’ll always remember this day with fondness. because sometimes it’s really just the worst days that bring you closer together and remind you of the goodness of friendship.

  

we were not going to go anywhere for dinner, so we instead scoured the downstairs supermarket for the cheapest goods and the yummiest instant food and made a feast out of it

also remembered with fondness are the evenings spent watching Secretary Kim – i love this drama love for admin figures (photo by W)

was not expecting much from the fishcake store, but this stuff was actually really good! (photo by W)

W bought me a Ryan chocolate milk for the plane ride back to HK. W knows my heart ❤️

HOmecomeWING – South Korea (Seoul)

south korea is not my actual heritage, but it is my heart’s home. it is through this nation’s people, food, and culture that i have learned how to enjoy food with more depth and appreciation, develop an eye for aesthetics, pursue excellence in music and language, and really embrace my own identity by seeing life from a different perspective. needless to say, it was with great joy that i was able to bring two near and dear friends to meet this second home, to enjoy all that this city has to offer.

in december 2016, my sister and i landed in south korea in the late evening, and pomato, right around the corner from our humble airbnb studio, greeted us with the wonder of its cheap, delicious kimbap and the most bomb rice cake dumpling soup, hot and steamy, on a cold winter’s night. it’s a late evening on our arrival in may 2019, and i’m so happy to be greeted once more by the same familiar sights and yummy dishes

 day one – kimbap ladies on the side of the road serve the most delicious kimbap in huge portions. We finished every bite. The secret – that sesame oil sprinkled on top adding that amazing nuttiness and depth of flavor

we tried to go down this alley and order one dish between the three of us, and as the ahjumma’s heard our request, they instantaneously went from soliciting our business to shooing us along and rejecting us, spreading the news about us with derision to each of the stalls in front of us. We were finally ushered into a corner at the front of the alley as the lady graciously allowed us to order one dish. We’ve definitely been blacklisted here (photo by W)

rice cakes of every variety – pretty and delicious

maybe it’s because i’m an extremely habitual person, so every time I’m in Seoul, i always start with the same route – Namdaemun market and the gate, and we walk north all the way until we reach the palace.

coincided with a gate ceremony and got a photo with one of the guys (everyone wanted a photo with the center guy but we wanted to give the side guy some love)

Seoul Metropolitan Library – “A day without a name still becomes spring; a flower without a name still smells fragrant”

 the most beautiful city hall in the world (photo by C)

i love the lovely gyeongbokgung, but one thing i’ve never been able to do is successfully take a good photo with the beautiful bugaksan properly in the background

tongin market is such a fun lunch spot, but we arrived late, and were unfortunately only able to grab some lukewarm leftovers. how do they make the pancakes so good?? (photo by W)

injeolmi everything – ice and toast! this was a delicious first for me (photo by W)

Korea has always been about fulfilling dreams, my own and others as well – so stopping here to grab a hotbar (fishcake on a stick) and fulfilling one of C’s dreams was very exciting!

the streets of dongdaemun rife with sights and smells, activity and movement, life and people. N Seoul tower peeking through

Sarangbang Kalguksu is the recommendation of my roommate. Lots of side dishes, a savory light stock broth, and strips of chicken ripped straight off the bone to dip in either the soup or the tangy, sweet, spicy sauce – not the prettiest meal, but loads of yum!

Step into any convenience store in Asia, and you’ll want to come out with every item on the shelf

the korean people are so impeccable with color. somehow, they just slap together four or five very vibrant and very different colors together, and it looks classy and chic, never tacky. i was not created to look very flattering in pink, but this was one of those moments when it was worth it to pick something lifegiving over nice looking (photo by W)

W’s poses are literally straight from the cinema. A-lister (photo by C)

hanboks – spring edition (photo by W)

i love myself and the place that i have given in life, but i still wish there were more opportunities to dress up, to play pretend, and to masquerade in another identity. so much fun to step into other shoes occasionally (photo by W)

this grandma stopped us on the street to fix the bow in the hanbok top. such a sweet moment of pride for her own people and their traditions in the form of a kind act

revisiting a favorite meal from last time – i love the plates here

dessert!!! baked injeolmi toast and smoothies and traditional cinnamon ginger drinks from this super nice lady (she even gave us free crackers for taking a long time!) – such a nice time to just rest and enjoy and play games and hide from the heat (photo by W)

ssamgiri -the kind of place where you just want to buy all the artisan goods from every store you see, from DIY goops to carabiners to journals to soaps to stationery to plants and more

hongdae by night – college town

of course the college kids have access to the best fried chicken (photo by W)

i still remember the first time we came to this market and my sister was super hesitant about eating something as unappetizing sounding as a mung bean pancake. our fears were instantly banished by the savory, crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside flavor of the pancake dipped into the perfectly complementary sauce, complete with fermented raw onions. also tragic is the fact that i tried to eat one in the States one time, and it was just NOT the SAME (photo by C)

they let us order one bibimbap without any questions asked. needless to say, we love this market

the fattest spicy rice cakes in the world (photo by C)

this is one of my dreams – popping by a convenience store on a hot day to look through and purchase your favorite ice pop

cityscape from ehwa mural village, which was an excruciating walk up – hopefully worth it

common ground – i don’t know how they contrived to make shipping containers look so good, but they did, and here they are. the best part of this trip was the a/c and eating the tempura at a restaurant after

i tell everyone that this is my favorite moment of the trip, when we looked up the best grilled intestine restaurants in the city and made a special trip out to this stop just for dinner. and it’s not just because the food was good. it was the fact that it was something i wanted to do but few people in my life would have gone on such a dinner expedition with me. to have friends who would come alongside with me, desire to do the things i want to do, and enjoy the things i enjoy was so empowering and made me feel really loved. thankful for friends and grilled intestines (photo by W)

i literally cried when i took the first bite. what a beautiful intersection of time, tastebuds, and friendship (photo by W)

coin-operated karaoke machines make for a cheap and extremely fun post-dinner experience. my go-to karaoke song these days is “love the way you lie” by eminem and rihanna. what’s yours? (photo by W)

perspective is such a funny thing – i’ve been to ddp multiple times and was unimpressed, so i didn’t even put it on our itinerary, but C mentioned wanting to go, so we went. imagine my shock when C and W were both blown away and fully amazed by the structure. i clearly have much more to learn about what my friends like, and that’s okay! the taiwanese night market being hosted on site was also helpful

my name is chris paul and i’m a victim (photoset by C)

biking by hangang – C’s brilliant idea for our last morning in seoul ended up being one of my favorite activities and a new memory for the annals (photo by C)

an ahjumma dragged my brother into this jokbal restaurant three years ago and i was so angry that time because there was way too much food for the two of us. so i came back with an extra person, but it was still way too much.

seoullo 117 – a beautified skywalk area next to the train station with lots of plants, benches, and an atmosphere of peace in the midst of the city bustle. Plus a view of the beautiful train tracks

HOmecomeWING – Taiwan

The summer home of C’s childhood – on the outside this is a small, humble island nation, but on this inside it is truly a mecca of creativity, entrepreneurship, beauty, and feasting. It was amazing how much our eyes, ears, noses, mouths, and hands were delighted in the short 24 hour sojourn here, but even with all we were able to take in, it is impossible to do justice to this place in such a short time. Will be back.

So many things to say about this China Airlines flight. Like how old is this plane??? Old school remote controls with credit card swiping access to phones. Flight delayed 2-3 hours :O but the snacks are sooooo much better than peanuts. Also, meal for like a 2 hour flight??? So confused. So unclear how to feel (photo by W)

The cutest, quirkiest Airbnb. I’m getting one of these bear lights for my home. And the toilet paper roll.

Black window shades – genius

W worked so hard to get this LED heart to light up for me – thank you! And lookit that loft with a bed and a bedroom with shower underneath!!!

Cone of shame lamp!! Why does anyone need this, and at the same time, why doesn’t everyone have one of these???

Taipei is home to several little arts districts that are just so wonderful – you literally just want to spend hours and hours at each shop, and as you walk down the lane, there’s just more and more and more to see. W and I went to Songyan district, which used to be a tobacco factory turned into a hip area with leather goods shops, beautiful coffee shops, and of course I spent a good hour in this stationery store and wanted to buy everything inside… (photo by W)

Kyushu Pancake Cafe and matcha flavored souffle pancakes. I need not say more. Make your way here as soon as you can. Bonus is the stool that is literally shaped like a stack of pancakes with a pat of butter on top.

Only one night for night market, so it’s the best of the best for us – Raohe Street Night Market

black pepper meat buns – buns on buns on buns in this cooking contraption that I don’t know how to describe

mango loves strawberry shaved ice, and I love you all

all my mario party dreams have come true with the eating of these steak cubes

I could eat Taiwanese breakfast all day every day…hot and delicious, with so much variety, and so cheap! Was quite indignant by the Google reviews that referred to 油条 as a biscuit fritter. None of this Western terminology to compare!

Visiting C’s favorite Fukienese restaurant – we clearly ordered way too much food, but it was so good that we finished every bite of it, and we each also consumed a bowl of grass jelly that came as dessert. More to follow.

The saying is true that one can NEVER be too full for boba. My eyes are opened to the wonders of fresh milk with brown sugar boba, and my life will never be the same again.

One may be stuffed to the brim, but one also cannot pass up a chance for the best 刈包 in town. Heart heart heart heart heart heart heart

train station sushi for less than a buck a piece? I’ll have some of that, thank you. Also a shout out to the delicious shrimp burger and fish burger at Mos Burger, also to be found at Taipei Train Station

mr. donuts mochi rings have no rival in this world. Please bring them to the States soon. Please.