Friday, April 28, 2006

Blogging for Breakfast












Unusually alert at this time. Somehow have found more inspiration to blog.
For my friends, I thought I had to share this story.
You know that MTV show Super Sweet 16? Its gotten a huge TV following, I among them, but now I feel more relieved that I'm not the only nonteeneager who's watching this show. According to Neilson ratings, even 30somethingyearolds+ watch this show!
Anyway, so these kids have become semi-celebrities, hated or worshipped for their exposure. I do admit, I do have a love/hate relationship w/ this show.
The over-the-top fabulousness of the parties, the selfcenteredness, the catfights w/ parents...drama people! drama!

The New York Times reports on the phenonmenon of the show and the attention the teens have gotten since they've appeared plus more on others who will appear on the show.
MTV's 'Super Sweet 16' Gives a Sour Pleasure : Here's a funny exerpt I've included:

Dr. Srinivasa Rao Kothapalli, a prominent cardiologist in Beaumont, Tex., is more than willing to relinquish his checkbook. His daughter Priya turned 16 earlier this month, and she is in the throes of planning a joint birthday-graduation party with her elder sister, Divya, 18. "If you can afford to have a grand celebration, then why not," said Dr.Kothapalli, who immigrated to the United States from India in the mid-1980's. "It's the American way. You work hard and you play hard."

Born with silver ladles in their mouths, his daughters have certainly mastered the latter. Their Bollywood-themed party for 500 guests will be held in the family's backyard — all 4½ acres, behind the 10,000-square-foot house. The Format, their favorite band, will perform. And they will make their grand entrance on litters, during an elaborate procession led by elephants.
...Priya, who received a Mercedes convertible and an assortment of diamond jewelry for her birthday...Her sister's graduation gift package included a Bentley, diamonds and two homes in India. "I was really surprised," Divya said, "because I was only expecting a Bentley and one house."

Asian Desserts

Why I love Asian Desserts:


1. They're not too sweet. Most desserts are light, delicately flavored, subtle.
Ex: Sweet Almond Tofu w/ fruit or honey.

2. They're rare.
Most Asian restaurants don't serve ethnic desserts and green tea ice cream and chinese fortune cookies don't count. Why?
Because when you visit the home countries, desserts over there aren't as a majority either of two. Go to Vietnam, people eat fruit or icy mungbean-coconut milk confections. Go to Hong Kong, its red bean pudding or egg custard tarts or something else not made in America.

3. Not overly processed.
No corn fructose syup here. Easy to digest and with not too much weight on your diet consciousness.

4. Because they remind me of my childhood.

All very simple reasons. Y'all know that I'm a boba tea fanatic. I think the best bubble tea you can get is in the San Jose/Bay area of California. In Miami, the best bubble tea is at Lan Cafe in South Miami in the Dadeland Station (1st floor).
The worst bubble tea? Easily Ann Arbor, Michigan followed by New York City.

If you're a foodie, you'll find this San Francisco Chronicle article by Jeff Yang engrossing at the least: Don't Miss the Mango Mochi
He's mentioned the latest Asian dessert fads on the West Coast and goes briefly into NYC.
Here's an exerpt:
The fact is, dessert, in all of the intoxicatingly intricate and calorie-choked ways that Westerners enjoy it, is just not a part of the Asian culinary vocabulary. As my foodie friend Wendy Chan -- co-author of the recently published cookbook "New Asian Cuisine" -- notes: "First of all, in Asia, people usually eat sweets as a snack, rather than with their meals. And secondly, you have so many beautiful varieties of fruit available in Asia -- rambutans, longans, durians and so on -- that there just isn't the same incentive to create more complex sweets. In a lot of tropical countries, you put a mango on a stick, and there you have it, that's your dessert."
It shouldn't be surprising, then, that the history of Asian sweets in the United States has been pretty fallow -- a sort of dessert wasteland, if you will. Chinese bakeries, while everywhere in metropolitan ethnic enclaves, haven't exactly spread into America's malls and suburban shopping strips. People aren't lining up on street corners to consume Filipino bibingka or Malaysian chendol or Indian gulub jamun. In fact, there's really only been one major Asian sweet-tooth fad, and it's one whose prime is long past.
The Boba Bubble

Thursday, April 27, 2006

French Ninja Workout

Le Parkour: Parkour (also called PK, free running and le parkour) is a physical discipline of French origin in which participants attempt to pass obstacles in the most smooth and fluid manner possible, using skills such as jumping, climbing, tricking or the more specific parkour moves. The obstacles can be anything in one's environment, but parkour is often seen practiced in urban areas because of many suitable public structures that are accessible to most people, such as buildings and rails, according to Wikipedia.

Or as Cindy puts it succintly, "Those without MAJOR SUPER NINJA SKILLS NEED NOT APPLY"

I first saw Le Parkour in a Nike commercial shot in Paris where an athletic man is pursued by a chicken that follows him as he darts, flips, climbs, and leaps around the labriynth of Parisian buildings with the chicken showing up at each turn.




Then I found out that this sport, which started in France, has recently become more popular in the United States. Go figure, I was reading the LA Times and saw that urban sprawl of a city has spawned its own Le Parkour practioners: No Strings Attached
I don't know if it could work in South Florida, some of the hot spots for Le Parkour in LA is around UC Irvine. I can easily see it being practiced at UM ~ The Physics building, Cox Science , and School of Business.

I just wish I could practice this. When I was a little kid, I'd pretend to be a ninja but these guys are totally free with their body movements. I'd just break into a sweat thinking about doing a back flip. Into a pool. LOL.

The guy in the video above is one of the cofounders of this sport. The guy in the video below is the other cofounder. He explains more about this sport and shows off
more jawdropping stunts around his neighborhood. French w/ subtitles.


Saturday, April 15, 2006

Hmmmmm....

Heya...

For those far and away, I'll let you in on some news I've told those near me.
Brace yourself....
.
.
.
.
I have to give up my car!
LOL. Nothing too serious! Well, my mom told me a month ago that since my little brother's heading off to UF this summer, that he'll need a set of more dependable wheels then the current car he has (96 Camry). Where is this mystery car supposed to come from? Moi. Of course.

Meantime, I've been perusing thro' Edmunds and other sources to figure out what I want.
I've narrowed it down to about 3 cars and now its about price, whether I want to deal w/ loans, gas efficiency vs. comfort, safety features, etc.

I threw this question out to my coworkers: "What car can you see me in?" Based on a few months of knowing me, some spewed out horrible responses:

"A Volkeswagon beetle!"
Grimace.
"A Scion XB"
Scowl.

Their theory being, she's a girl, she's petite, she's gotta love one of those cute, petite girly mobiles.
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

So readers, what car can u see me in?
I'll let you know what it comes down to. I have till late June to decide.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Fake it till you make it

Why I would never make "employee of the month" at work.

1. Technically, I'm not an intern, I'm an employee with benefits, a living wage, and cough, cough, I've graduated, but people keep asking me, "So....(insert long pauses)
how long you here for?"

2. When I comment to a fellow coworker about their fitness and add that I'm interested in dropping weight, suggesting, oh 10lbs as an ideal achievement, they roll their eyes and say, 'You can never be too thin, just like you can never be too rich.'
When I repeat it to my paunchier coworkers without even thinking about it, they look at me and say, "Girrrrrrl, best to step away now."

3. I hate working more then 40 hours a week.

4. I'm starting to realize I'm more antisocial then I thought I was.

5. I could never disguise my dislike for someone therefore I'm not management material nor a sycophant.

6. At the end of my 6-month work evaluation, my boss concludes the mostly positive meeting in which he states, "You just don't seem enthusiastic enough."
Damn, I'm not wearing enough flair already?

For anyone curious to see what I have been doing at work, go to News Page Designer and look me up under 'journalist' category. My work's on there.

And, to go off topic here, this site greeted me when I walked along Miracle Mile w/ my friend Jillian Friday right next to a pop-art gallery. Is this fake or real?




Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Mmmm...Mashups

I was online looking for some music on iTunes when one thing led to another and I was testing out some singles to hear on Radioblogclub! Breakdance iTunes compilation (iTunes) > Kraftwerk (radioblogclub) >
COLDPLAY vs. KRAFTWERK mashup on this random person's radioblog. In fact this person's radioblog was filled w/ tons of mashups that were fantastique. I love'em and wish I knew where I could the mp3s of'em.
Here are the ones I really enjoyed

1) Fischerspooner vs Pussycat Dolls**
2) Gorillaz vs The Bravery
3) Nirvana vs Basement Jaxx**
4) Coldplay vs Kraftwerk
**Would totally recommend these 2 for a hard workout soundtrack.

If you want to find this dude's radioblog list, I found that by searching under "Fischerspooner vs Pussycat Dolls" will pull up his radio list.

Enjoy!













This asian chick looks pissed.
Bet who in these 2 photos would win in a fight?
The shirt on the right can be your's for $17.95 here
Spotted it at Angry Asian Man.
Man I wish I had one of these while I was in college,
anyone want to give a girl an early birthday gift?