Say Aah It's Your Birthday! Say Aah I know You're Thirsty!

Okay, maybe it is not the best song to let everyone know it's my birthday today because it's not Thursday and I am definitely not thirsty (but hungry at the moment). So wish me a happy birthday if you haven't already *no shame greedy face.

Surprise... Surprise...

I am not doing anything special for my actual birthday since it lands on a Tuesday, besides sleeping for 13 hours straight and didn't go to work. My kindness told me not to bother my friends either. Nah, you know I am just joking right? True story was they were insane for the birthday dinner they had with me on Friday! As we were eating dinner at the Japanese fusion Restaurant Asana at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, two of them stole my key and ran to my apartment to decorate!! Of course I didn't find out until after dinner they asked to come to my apartment to chill. I was in awe and speechless when I saw the decoration and wine and champagne and cake. Nobody has never done anything like that to me before. So overwhelmed >< I have the best friends!!!

Look at my overly dramatic face-_-

The Next Morning / sorry it's so messy!

The next morning I woke up to this, well, more like one of the ribbons fell onto my face and woke me up :) The card they gave me is also amazing. It lights up when it's open, and the birthday song music will follow suit once I "blow" the candles. Pretty Cool *Miley Cyrus voice.

Baby also cooked me noodles and gave me a fruit cake it hit 12am midnight, but they look more like they're for ancestors -____-

I should have more pictures for the weekend but I am still waiting to get them. So as for now I am going to share what I have got instead (and will update later). I feel like the age of getting luxury gifts are gone now. Maybe getting money is harder these days (instead of spending my parents), I'd rather spend money eating out with a group of good friends then getting a limited edition Prada purse. I hope my memories do not build upon materials... But getting myself nothing for birthday isn't acceptable either wtf, So...

 What I got for myself:

1) Free People Lacey Top - Look at the details, who can resist?

2) Kiehls Lip Balm Pear -  I hated the original, but saw my friend using this one and fell in love with the smell. Review soon ^^

3) BCBG heels - It was just a urge of femininity to buy heels since I a trying to embrace my age positively instead of killing myself

4) F21 heels - These shoes freaking suck! To all of you out there, never ever buy heels from F21. Rather spend your $20 on twin lobsters in Chinatown. It's so hard to walk in! I have already worn them so have to keep them. I bought a pair of silicon paddings but can't figure out where to put them, anyone knows?

What I have received:
5) Gift from Sephora
6) Wine from friends - one bottle is gone and saving another one for this weekend. Yumm

7) Photo prints from my beloved younger brother - I have been dying to have these prints for ages. All taken by him. Aren't they amazing!? Can't wait to frame them.

8) Marc Jacobs iphone case

9) Links London Bracelet - Gifted by my best friend from Hong Kong. She has the regular version and gave me this mini version from the trip to New York last month. She said so we can match since we are apart ><

It's one of the most memorable birthdays I have had. I simply can't thank everyone enough for everything! It's nothing superficial but filled with love <3 *cries

Sorry for the lack of reviews. March maria just happens to clash with my birthday and my best friend Tedi is coming to visit me from Oregon on Thursday til Monday so if time allows more random life bits and bites will be posted. Hopefully if I wasn't killed by then, more reviews will be on the way!

Boston Restaurant Week 3 & Birthday Alert!

Much different this time when the biannual Restaurant Week comes around and majority of the restaurants are within walking distance from my apartment.

Sel De La Terre

774 Boylston Street, Boston

I really don't think Sel De Le Terre is worth going to for Restaurant Week. Their regular dishes are not even expensive or anything special. But it was a decision made last minute so it doesn't really matter. Everything was very So-so. The environment, the food and the service...

Charcuterie with jams, pickles, mustard and baguette

Poached local fluke and mussles with saffron potatoes, cider broth and baby Brussel sprouts

Grilled hanger steak frites; red wine-shallot reduction
(Not on the Restaurant Week menu but almost the ONLY good dish of the night)

Coconut panna cotta, blackberries, lemon verbena syrup
Almond cake, cranberry compote, blood orange, vanilla ice cream

Capital Grille

359 Newbury Street, Boston

Truly worth it!  Their Dry Aged Sirloin Steaks are to die for! You won't find a more flavorful steak. Their New York strip is dry aged and hand cut in-house. A robust steak that is served au jus with no need for other adornment. The desserts were just okay but the steaks were so good to make up for everything. Surprisingly their filet mignon was just okay but mine was so good so just let my friends suffer *just kidding!

14oz Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Shallot Butter
(Crunchy on the outside, perfectly medium-rare cooked with the butter taste so soaped up on the inside -
OMG *dies - best steak I have had in life! )

Classic Cream Brulee
Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake
Raspberry Sorbet

Asana

Mandarin Oriental
776 Boylston Street, Boston

Always love Asana because it is SO grand especially at night and always the best place to grab a couple of cocktails with friends. Asana has been on my list as one of my absolute favourite restaurants in Boston. Though thhe Restaurant Week menu was just okay this time, (Read the very good one from last time HERE), I decided to have my birthday dinner here instead of Morton's. I will update this post when I get better quality pictures and not have to use these shitty iphone pics -_-.

Okay this is only the first half of the night. My friends actually pulled off some crazy sh*t for my birthday later on that night but will continue this post tomorrow. I was actually tearing up ><)

At this point you probably realize how shallow and superficial I am wtf. I just freaking love going fine dining with friends and spend my money on these unworthy necessities :)

To be continued.... Stay tuned for the post tomorrow!

Ups and Downs in 2010!

2010 was (still 'is' at the moment) definitely one the most exciting and meaningful year to me. Even if Elisa didn't tag me, I was gonna to do a memory type of post in the last day of 2010! Time can only proceed - there is no turning back! Live the fullest, you people! It's the toughest to really narrow down 5 Ups and Downs I had this year.. so I had all UPS LOL

1) Study Abroad in Beijing & Shanghai

I had the most amazing time studying abroad in Shanghai and Beijing! I had never actually been to China because my parents thought it was too dangerous for me to go and I also had no desire to go ever since childhood. However, I was going to graduate early in the States so I thought I could use the extra time I had to improve my Mandarin.

Temple of Heaven!

"If you had to go to China to learn Mandarin, you better go to some famous school". Just kidding. My parents never give me any pressure. Though I went to Peking University (one of the top universities for liberal arts), the host program sucked. Regardless I learned a lot about myself and had a lot of fun meeting people from all over the world! The way I see things are different now. Though I am already an international student in the States at the first place, being and working in mainland China definitely put me further out there to take on challenges and changes. I am no longer fear (sounds soooo cheesy but true LOL) Even up to this point, I still have such strong desire to work in Shanghai. Without my experience in China, I wouldn't have had the skill-set to take on this career path I am on right now.


"If I can survive through China, there's nothing I cannot do"

The Great Wall

typical night out in Beijing!

My best friend Tedi and I went hotpot literally 5 times a week
at the end of the semester the staff would give us seats right when we walked in
*Hot Pot VIP Status*

Bird's Nest built for the Beijing Olympics 2008

Celebrating friend's birthday in Wudaokou - a place that was really close to our campus

Chinese Oprea

Exploring Beijing

REvisited Shanghai and the Bund

Zapatas - best Mexican food in Shanghai

Drinking with strangers in Shanghai (please don't do it)

Chengdu, Sizhuan (3 hour flight from Beijing) - an amazing time being ZEN

Visited friends in Hangzhou (1.5 hour flight from Beijing)

2) Back to School & Graduation Marathon
After all it was time to go back to UMass to wrap up my degree lol It was my last semester and of course I was trying to utilize my time best to fit my senoritas in! For your reference I got a 4.0 in my last college semester - I played hard, but worked even harder!

As for graduation, since a lot of my friends are international students and probably not going to be in the States for awhile, we had activities lined up for 3 days LOL It was the best graduation I could have ever asked. Our last gathering before we split :(

Mohegan Sun Casino - won $400!

Restaurant Week in Boston

Club in Amherst

Graduation after 2 hours of sleep haha

Graduation Party

at Boston Common the morning after graduation

3) Traveling (SHA, PEK, HKG, INC, MV, YYZ, NYC)
Besides Beijing and Shanghai, I got a lot of my unmet need to travel out of my system this year. I went to Hong Kong and Korea twice, spent a weekend on Martha's Vinyard - an island off Massachusetts,  went to New York 4 times this summer, July 4th weekend in Toronto Canada, 3 weeks in the fall in California - LA, San Diego and Las Vegas, was in Hong Kong for thanksgiving. Though I didn't go anywhere crazy or too special, I am glad I stuck with what I planned and traveled to places, esprcially to see important friends. All the memories are worthwhile <3

Seoul in Janruary

Authentic Korean BBQ - Best I've had in my life!

1881 Hertiage in Hong Kong in November

Nice dinner with dear friends in Hong Kong :)

Martha's Vineyard in August

Meet up with my best friend from Hong Kong in Toronto in July

In front of Toronto CN Tower in July

Surprise birthday visit in New York in July

:) So much fun in New York

Tryst - Las Vegas in September

San Diego 

4) New Car & New Apartment = New Life

This is probably one of few bad things not living with my parents. After graduation I was in a crazy panic about not being able to find a job. My parents live in Hong Kong. So unlike other people, I don't have *home* I could just chill at after graduation. I had to manage everything on my own, from moving out from the apartment I stayed at in school to a summer sublet, to sign a lease for a studio in the heart of Boston... those of you who live with parents should really be thankful that everything is taken care of for you. Though my parents aren't here with me, they were nice enough to give me money I need for rents, expenses, and a new car even if I was to go on jobless for a year. I already don't have loads I need to pay off for school to begin with. It truly is a beginning of a new life, I really can't thank them enough.

You have all seen my new car from the shoveling post below HAHA It's a brand new white 2010 Honda Fit Sport. I don't like to do financing on material goods so within my budget that's the best I could get. I am so happy with my purchase! As for my apartment, I still don't have time to really settle down due to all the traveling. I literally started working the day after I got back from Hong Kong for thanksgiving but here is a snapshot.

5) Blogger's LOVE
It's crazy but I really don't have much downs this year - so I will have to make my last point as an 'up' again. As cheesy as it sounds, one of my ups is really to just have you all with me, well, at least from April when I started writing here. I know I know.. I post mostly pictures (because I know my grammar is still really poor) but I honestly, humbly appreciate the friendships you all have given me. I cannot believe 8 months of blogging has flew by and at the same time I cannot believe how many good friends I have made through here! I really try my best to reply to all the comments / suggestions you give me. Thank you SO much for all your support. This blog makes me further realize how amazing a lot of people are in this world. Love you all <3


I was originally going to tag 5 bloggers (though i never thought the rules for these tags were fair) but I really recommand you all do it! Take some time today to think about what you have learned, who you have met, what has changed you. Most importantly, how could we become better human beings and what contributions we could give back to the society we live in. We cannot just take and not give.


Last but not least, I hope you all have a wonderful new years!