the coffee life

peppermint white chocolate. while we are still in the midst of fall season (the leaves have not even turned their traditional colors of red, yellow and orange), winter season is slowly approaching. I can't wait to hide myself behind big bulky coats, and scarves and hats. peppermint is my all-time favorite, whether it be on fresh chocolate cookies or mixed in with my warm fuzzy-feeling drink.

my friends and I spontaneously discovered this dessert place, and I have to say, this place has the best coffee hands down. Although I am not much of a coffee guru, and still have not come to appreciate hand dripped coffee, I still enjoy myself these type of drinks quite often. the guilty pleasure of sweetness, with the caffeine that will provide me with energy for the coming day, whats not to love about it. this makes me wonder what life would be without coffee, an important catalyst to many peoples lives. would we be less functional? or on the other hand... would we push ourselves to sleep more? coffee has been in this culture for so long, sipping that warm coffee at 7AM while reading the newspaper. Well, the desire of pretty much everything paperless has made it convenient (or less) to get the news of the day, either from the computer or television. I also sense that transition of coffee, the symbolic meaning that I correlate it with, to a source of need and dependency. can we function without it in the society we live in now? well that's for us to ponder...

note to self: how about some tea?

too many choices

on a lazy sunny sunday, going to an oyster bar is a must. although I am not an oyster expert, I never knew there were this many choices of oysters. I was pretty shocked walking into this quaint restaurant. when the waiter came, I asked him what he recommends. He started listing off his favorites, but I obviously didn't know what the differences were. in the end, he brought me four kinds since I couldn't make up my decision. they came in different sizes and each had their own distinct taste. through this experience, I realized that one can never stop learning. there is so much to learn in life, things outside school and my work, and it's opportunities like these that I should cherish. also, when there are too many choices, I feel overwhelmed. but, through the help of the people around me, I am able to accomplish my goal: enjoy my oysters. humbly

being able to ask for help and confessing when one doesn't know are also traits to strive for. we are placed into this world to be a part of society and live amongst community, but we sometimes forget and therefore try to do things on our own. however, I'm starting to understand that it's okay to ask for help and not be shy about it. it's impossible to be an expert in every field, but by working together with experts in their respective fields, we are able to live functionally in this tiny place called earth.

note to self: never stop learning

a glimpse of my childhood

it is easy to forget the little things in our past as we try to diligently live in this busy world. however, I was able to take a pause as I sporadically stopped by this bakery called Champagne and bought this cake today. a bite of this cappuccino mousse cake brought back so many memories, thankful memories to say the least. I normally had this cake on special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays and celebrations. for me, it was a sign of achievement, accomplishment, and just genuine happiness. even though time has passed, this cake is the same sweet spongy cake I remember eating ten years ago. how amazing is it that the recipe, appearance and taste are all the same. I realized that some things don't change, and that it's okay. maybe there is a reason why it didn't change..for people like me to reminisce the past while savoring the wondrous taste.

note to self: pause

within my closet

as fall weather begins, it is only appropriate to change shorts to skinny jeans, necklaces to scarves and sandals to boots. one of my favorite outfits for this fall, something that I can feel comfortable in, and most importantly, layer enough to last day and night. what I love about southern california seasons is the ability to reuse clothes that I wore in the summer, for fall or even winter. before last year, I refused to wear color jeans, only denim. if you look in my drawer of shorts, majority is denim color. something about denim is simple yet familiar. I honestly love simplicity, since the day I could choose what to wear. but as time went on, I started to slowly accept non-monocolor shirts, patterns and most importantly, colored jeans. I am not sure how this dawdling transformation occurred, but one thing I learned is... not to be scared of change. it is okay to venture out, not just in fashion but in life as well. I guess I always tried to play it safe. some may think even this outfit is pretty standard, but for me, it is one step towards the edge of the box.

note to self: buy more colored jeans

outside the box

blogging is not something I normally do, but something I always wanted to do. therefore, I decided... why not? this commemorates the start of the compilation of memories through this blog, hoping to share my thoughts and inspirations~

note to self: dream big