Tag: California

The Gingerbread House

venturatreker1 Comment


This weekend was the famous Gingerbread House Decorating party at my house.  This is an old tradition of my family that dates back all the way to when my mother was a child.

It started with my Nana making two houses during Christmas for my mom and her brother.

After my Nana married my Big daddy it became a little party for all his seven kids.  As their kids grew and her friends kids grew, more and more kids were brought into the fold.  Soon it became an annual party in San Antonio, Texas, with around 200 people or so every year.

When my mother moved to California she stopped going. But after I was born and a little older, my mom started it up again. And from then on we have had a Gingerbread house Party.

This year was the last year for the party.  We had about 80 people come this time, with kids from five years old all the way to 18 years old.

It was a lot of fun and I am really sad it has come to an end.

Asian population in the U.S

thehungryrunnergirl1 Comment

I see a lot of Asian people (well, including me) in the United States, especially in California. I wondered what percentage of the U.S. population is made up by Asian-Americans.

An Asian-American is a person who has an origin from an Asian country (either combination with additional races, or alone) ; Cambodia, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Phillipines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.

According to the U.S census Bureau, they occupy 5.6% of the U.S population in 2010 which is 17.3 million people (3.8 million of Chinese, 3.2 million of Fillipinos, 2.8 million of Asian Indians, 1.7 million of Vietnamese, 1.6 million of Koreans, and 1.3 million of Japanese).

Now, if you take a look at by state…

Even though this picture is from 2000, according to the U.S census Bureau, California still has the highest population of Asians than any other state, which is approximately 5.6 million people.

BECAUSE, CALIFORNIA ROCKS.

Anyway, there are many Asian people in America.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder…

yrreskrap1 Comment


Everybody told me that long distance would be trouble. That it would hurt. That it wouldn’t be worth all the stress–especially during my senior year.

But I, being the stubborn love-struck puppy I was, didn’t listen. Nope. I didn’t want to believe what people said, so I didn’t. I told myself that it would be easy.

Now, here I am sitting in my room in Ojai, California. 2643.071 miles away from my boyfriend of two and a half years.

It’s funny. In the beginning, I had kind of wished Kai was a recluse that veered away from any female contact.

But again, the beginning was the hardest part. The time difference made it even worse. He was already at school when I would wake up most days and by the time study hall ended, it was around 12:30 in the morning where he was.

And boy, would we argue. Over the most minuscule things. I argued because we were so far. He argued because of the time difference. We argued because we missed each other. We argued. And. We argued.

I began to wonder if they were right. If long distance was too much for me to handle. It seemed, with all my college applications and school work, that they might be right.

But, as much as we fought and as much as I hated the distance, I did not want to give up.

And I didn’t. Things got better, and I honestly don’t think that long distance is all that horrible. Sure, it takes a while to get used to but if you love him (or her), all of those frustrations–those initial arguments, getting used to the time difference–was worth the greater moments when I would get to hear his voice on the phone or see his face on Skype.

I still miss him dearly and love him so much. And I don’t regret choosing to be in this long distance relationship with him. He makes me happy although I don’t get to be with him nearly as much as I did last year which turned out to be a good thing. I have more time for friends and more importantly, when I do get to see him, it makes it all the more special. It’s almost like we just started dating. There isn’t anybody I’d rather have than him.

So let me tell you from my experience that eventually, distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.

Winter Winds.

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Autumn
Yes, Winter is coming. Although the sun is still shining in sunny California, the  temperature change does not reflect this warmth. Stepping out into the crisp, cool air it is evident that the Winter winds have began to blow and with this the cold weather has arrived.

The seasons of Winter andAutumn are really picturesque. As the tree’s leaves begin to fall and the ground transforms into a carpet of the auburns and oranges, everything else begins to turn green and return to life. Walking out among the beauty, one can’t help  but to gaze in amazement at the array of colors.

This time of year is a period when you need to put on your big coats, layer up and put on your warm boots. Now that the cold weather has come it’s beautiful to venture out but afterwards you have every excuse to stay at home and be lazy. Gather your blankets, make a large mug of hot coco, put on some classic films and snuggle on the sofa in front of an open fire.

Many complain about the cold temperature change, but for me it’s pure luxury.

Boston Bound!

yrreskrap1 Comment

Around me, the chatter of many different people diverged into one dynamic buzz. Cash registers ring, papers being printed, suitcases being dragged. Noise engulfs me as I sit in a grey pleather chair in the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

 

I sit here, a venti Starbucks black iced tea (with two Sweet’N Lows and easy ice) and a packet of organic dried mangoes, and I can already tell the difference in the environment.

Although this is just an airport, I can feel the change in the vibe. I am on the East Coast. I am not in California. I can tell in the way people walk, talk, and gesticulate that the city I am in is absolutely different.

I guess I my awareness of all of these differences is especially heightened because this is my first voyage to Boston. As high school senior, I am applying to numerous colleges, many of which are situated in the East Coast. I am scared, nervous, excited, and curious of how different life in Boston will be.

What will the food be like? Will I stand out, strike people as different just as I do them?Who knows?

I’ll let you know how I like it soon:)

Washington D.C. 2009

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

Check out the links.  I promise they’re not standard Wiki pages!

My best friend (yes, the same one I mentioned in New York City 2008 who says I can’t cross a city street) and I have an ongoing debate.  East vs. West, New York or California?  San Diego or Washington D.C.?

Of course being from California, I always say West.  We have better beaches, better waves, we’re more relaxed, we have Hollywood and Disneyland.  He laughs at me, claiming they have better cities, better public transportation, better manners, New York City and the good colleges.

In California, we don’t really have seasons.  But when we do, we can have all four seasons in one day -even one afternoon.  So when I went to Washington D.C. with my school in October of 2009, it was quite a shock seeing the trees changing colors and watching the rain fall steadily every night and early morning.

We took the red-eye out of LAX, flying out at 10:45 p.m. on my first Virgin America flight (I highly recommend this airline.  It’s super awesome.)  The inside of the cabins look like this:

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An Inner Battle.

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Eagle
Sometimes there’s only so much you can do when the world is crumbling at your feet. Despite the pain, fear and distress you have to fight through no matter what. Those down days we experience are for a reason, feel them, feel the loneliness, feel the hurt, but at some point you have to come out the other end, not feeling sorry for yourself.

Since my sister left I have felt down and weary. I missed England, I missed my life, I missed everything. As I began to climb into the deep slumber of regret and sadness I forgot about everything else. Not wanting to be where I was, everyday became a greater chore. My life in California became a chore.

So as everything slipped away I thought it was about time to suck it up and not give up the fight. Driving home from school, my windows wound down, my music blaring, the sky serenely blue, the mountains picturesque on the horizon and an eagle circling overhead, I couldn’t help but to love life.

Sometimes letting go is hard but you often have to realize the good things you have in the present to gradually push away the past.


A Blazing Issue

therightliberalLeave a comment

Marijuana; such a taboo to many and such an addiction to many more.

About a week ago, The Federal Government stepped into California’s legal system, going through the state telling medical marijuana dispensaries to close. This came after the Obama administration formerly stated that it would not waste it’s time on prosecuting the medical marijuana industry in California.

I guess now they have so much free time that they can afford to do this. But really, it is just not necessary. I am not upset about a states rights issue here, I have always believed that the Federal Government should have overriding power.

But now we are just battling ignorance. I am not justifying the use of marijuana, nor condemning those who use it. It is a minor drug that should be treated as such. It is no more dangerous than alcohol and quite less dangerous than cigarettes. But the hippies smoked weed so it is obviously bad.

Instead of wasting tax payer money on throwing people in jail for smoking a native plant that just makes you hungry and giggly, how about we go and educate the general population in the hopes that they do not feel the need to use drugs on a regular basis.

America is a prude society and this just shows it. Instead of making millions off of the potential taxes of legalization of marijuana, we throw thousands in jail because they smoke the Devil‘s lettuce.

Open your eyes people. Prohibition does not work! Let us learn from that handy thing called history and realize that we will be a lot better off as a society if we just roll with our capitalist ways and tax the hell out of all sales of permits and paraphernalia.

We as a country should move beyond our fears and judgements and make a rational choice. I say this not because I want to be able to smoke weed, I say this because I want a country which makes smart choices.

We need to at least leave the medical marijuana industry alone. Plus think of this; if we legalize marijuana, imagine what it would do for our food industry!

A Tropical Adventure (Continued)

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

As I was saying, Costa Rica was an eventful trip.  We went to Manuel Antonio National Park.  It has this beautiful beach that’s right on the jungle.  We were already wearing our bathing suits so we went swimming and my dad took a picture of me spitting water at my waterproof Olympus Stylus 7.1

He’s been obsessed with motion water pictures ever since.  I used to be really into horseback riding.  I rode English in California but in Manuel Antonio, the only place we could find with horses rode Western.  It was tricky, trying to ride with one hand and the saddle was a little different.  It had a pommel, which I liked.  I could hold onto it and it was the perfect size for my hand.  My horse was really nice too, but the best part was the ride.  We rode alone along the deserted beach for hours.  It was foggy and cool, late in the afternoon.  The light was beautiful, calm and glowing.  I had never been on a better ride, and even though I quit riding 2 years later, I still never have.

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A taste of India.

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Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven great wonders of the world, one of the glories of India. A tourist trap, but also a sacred site for many its white exterior shimmers serenely under fluorescent spotlights. Standing tall, superior and spectacular in the light of the Taj Cafe, the pure exquisiteness of this wall hanging capturing my attention and transporting me to the bustling streets of India.

This sanctuary displays a snippet of a different culture from across the globe. Acting as a place or spot where one can be transported to another land without actually travelling very far. The Taj Cafe, Ventura is the perfect place to do just this.

The traditional food, exquisitely furnished room and the unique sounds of the traditional song come together to give one a small taste of India. The ambience of the restaurant represents this eastern culture perfectly in the streets of California.

If you want an eastern experience from the comfort of your own city why not take a trip to your local Indian restaurant. Take the opportunity to inhale the aromatic scents of the spiritual motherland and experience a unique journey of your own.