Donut Surprise

So I was working at Asian Bowl... and my coworker, K, was sweet enough to stop by and bring me a whole box of donuts from a famous Austin bakery^^ It really made my entire night.

Just... he's going to make me so fat... haha.

Sushi Bet

I WON :D

^Avocado sushi! I kind of wish I ordered something with seafood now... but somehow I wasn't in the mood for raw fish that day, probably because of hanging out in the kitchen around fried objects all day, blehhh :/

Too Much of a Good Thing is No Good

LOL my boss at work is hilarious.

Kev: "Since we're going out... let's all go in my new car..?"
Yen: "NO! NO! DON'T! Take your own cars! That way, if you get into an accident, there won't be three tragic deaths!"

Bwahaha, strangely enough, I can sort of see the logic in that^^

Food Spam

I need a post full of food, I suppose.

^A lunch of dim sum with my mother in Plano's Chinatown!

^Made salad for my grandparents! It was their first time eating bell peppers and mushrooms raw :D LOL they're so cute.

^My manager at Asian Bowl made me a late dinner of Sundae Roll, which was really sweet of her. Tempura roll, cream cheese, avocado, with crab on top of special sauce.

^My portion of Malai Kofta at Masala Wok! I hardly ever like Indian food... but really, this was delicious :) Mashed potatoes with minced vegetables and paneer rolled into balls cooked in a yellow curry sauce.

^My friend's portion of The Southern Curry with Chicken at Masala Wok! He seemed to enjoy it as well, even choking on the peppers^^ An authentic South Indian style curry, chicken tempered with mustard seeds, red chili peppers and curry leaves and cooked in a lightly coconut flavored sauce.

^Vegetables Shrimp Spring Roll at Asian Bowl! The other waitress messed up on the order and accidentally told the manager to make too much... ^^so we got to eat it!

^Mango pudding from my best burl!! I LOVE IT.

Teavana's Tulsi Dosha Chai Rooibus Tea Review

 Legendary Tulsi, the most sacred herb in India, creates an aromatic harmony equaled only by its extraordinary ingredients. Red rooibus melts into cinnamon sticks, ginger, whole cloves, and rose blossoms. Heavenly Madagascar vanilla is the height of luxury perfectly balanced by roasted coconut and cardamom to soothe the spirit and mind.

• Perfect amount of cinnamon and spices in one sip; extremely exotic and refreshing. Not too overpowering, and definitely not weak at all.
• The aroma is to die for. It's got a tinge of coconut, plenty of cinnamon sticks, and some sweet spiciness to form the wondrous smell. You can practically taste it just by smelling it.
• Enough said. Try it!!

Price: $7.80 per 2 oz/$3.90 per oz
Preparations: 1.5 tsp, 208 degrees F, 5-6 min.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!!

自由

Working has made me into somewhat of a free person lately.

• I've obtained my driver's license
• Began work as a cashier at Asian Bowl on a somewhat sporadic schedule
• Began working as a waitress at Hunan Dynasty from Mondays to Thursdays
• Opened up my own college checking and savings account

I've decided... when I go off to college, I do not want my parents paying off my tuition.

Over the years, they have already done so much for me. I'm going to take that full loan offered, and pay it back in whatever way I can.

In fact... I don't want them to even give me money. I hate that my mom keeps trying to sneak in more money in my account; I can see these transactions, and I do keep a careful eye on all of my account activities. I can't even understand why it bothers the hell out of me; I suppose I should be grateful... but honestly, I don't need it.

I feel like I'm capable of supporting myself now - or trying to, anyway. They have already given enough for me, and I don't want to take any more.

^One of my friends chose to allude to Dorian Gray when referring to the beauty of my ugly metal braces... haha. Just looking back at this conversation makes me laugh.

What I've Learned From Being a Cashier

A messed-up order is better in our stomachs than wasted.

How to make sushi.

IB Results

So... I didn't make it to University of Hong Kong. Just four points... gah.

These are out of 7 points, and SL means standard level, HL means higher level.

English (HL): 6
Spanish (SL): 6
Mathematics (SL): 5
History of Americas (HL): 5
Chemistry (HL): 4
Physics (SL): 4

Total adds up to 31 points (add 1 pt for TOK extended essay and finals)... HKU accepted me under the conditions that I get a 35 or above... oh shoot...

Well, UT Austin isn't bad either.

Sometimes it's better to be the head of sheep rather than a tiger's tail.

Dedication

I really respect him now that he's failed,
isn't that funny?
But I can see him trying his best,
he's working so hard...

"With great effort comes achievement."
Not necessarily a true statement -
it takes the perfect combination of
keen understanding and perseverance,
along with great effort, (and maybe
some skill and luck too)
in order to go beyond the average norm.

Grasping a concept isn't as easy as it sounds...
Maybe you'll fail again. And again.
But hey! you're trying to redeem yourself,
and you've got motivation.

So who knows, maybe this time
you'll win.

I really respect that.

Skincare Routine

This is how I do!

1). Cleanse in upward motions to get makeup, dirt, and grime off your face. (Currently using Avalon Organics' Vitamin C Renewal Refreshing Cleansing Gel, $12.50; pure botanical, antioxidant-intensive cleanser, full of Vitamin C, Lemon Bioflavonoids, and White Tea, helps fight photo-aging.)

2). (Optional) Exfoliate about twice a week, once during the week and then during the weekend, in order to unclog pores. (Currently using Meishoku Detclear's Fruit Peeling Jelly, $12.50; rinse-off exfoliater blended with fruits extract, loosens debris, gunk, and oil from skin's surface, controls sebum secretion and reduces blackheads.)

3). (Optional) Apply a facial mask once a week, preferrably after exfoliating, to combat stress and add hydration. (Currently just using a great variety of Asian sheet masks, whatever I find!)

4). Tone with a cotton pad to get rid of any excess dead skin cells. (Currently using Usana Sense's Hydrating Toner, $15.54; pure-plant extracts toner will balance pH of skin, soothe and refine skin.)

5). Use an essence or a serum to pack in the extra benefits of the super ingredients. (Currently using Chifure's Non-Alcohol Essence, $17.90; non-alcohol essence improves texture of skin.)

6). Moisturize depending on day or night, for essential suppleness. Generally, the moisturizer in the morning should have more oil control, wherease the moisturizer for night should be thicker and more nourishing. (Currently using Mentholatum Acnes U's Oil Free Moisturizer for AM, and Alba Botanica's Smoothing Jasmine and Vitamin E Moisture Cream for the PM, $19.49; Vitamin E, jasmine, and papaya help to protect from free radicals.)

7). (Optional) Use on-the-go cleansing wipes or towelettes if you feel too oily or dirty in the middle of the day. (Currently using Burt's Bee's Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea, $5.99; White Tea and other botanical extracts will remove dirt, oil, and makeup without rinsing.)