Sunday, November 29, 2009
weary feet!
am back from boston, will update with photos soooon. now i'm just glad to be in the comfort of my own room and bed. for now, a nice little shot of my travel buddies will suffice.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
now put your hands in the air!
had the craziest weekend in a reallyyy long time. hung out alot, introduced new friends to old friends, got to know some of my new friends better, and met lots more new people. didn't get any work done, but well, had truckloads of fun, which made it all the more worthwhile!
yuhei and i were invited by my newly made turkish friend, yusa, over to his place to sample some turkish dishes that him and his roommates were cooking.
here's the japanese croquette that yuhei and his friend, mari made for us!
mahout (i'm really not too sure how to spell this), a turkish tomato based stew dish with lots of garbonzo beans and other stuff. the photo does not do the dish justice!
a meat dish. i have no idea whether it even has a name, haha. yusa taught us to use bread to soak up the oil around the base of the pan and then eat it. deeelicious.
group shot. (:
the story behind this shot was hilarious. we couldn't find a high enough spot to place the cameras so all the boys scrambled around the house, trying to find a way to do it.
one of them exclaimed, "we are civil engineers, we can do this!" (most of the turkish students are here to do a degree in civil engineering) and proceeded to get the rest to hoist up one huge table upon the coffee table. with the table perched precariously on top of the coffee table, we quickly huddled up to take this shot. ha.
flying to boston early tomorrow morning. happy thanksgiving, my loves!
Monday, November 16, 2009
let's get lost!
went out for a tummy-warming lunch of pho with j today, and after that, we spontaneously decided to make full use of the car and go somewhere we hadn't been before. at that, i happily suggested, "let's get lost!" and getting lost was exactly what we did. well, kinda, if you ignore the gps that was installed in the car.williamsville was where we ended up, with a beautiful waterfall in a park wedged in the midst of all the civilization. it's a little reprieve from all the hustle and bustle--the pace of life immediately changes once you step into the park. found a perfect spot to sit and daydream by the pond at a bench under a huge willow tree. j was just preoccupied with scaring the ducks. what a kid, i know.
the next stop was meant to be a short one, just dropping into a nearby mall to check out what stores were there, but we ended up spending hours there in the arcade reliving our childhood days and leaving very much of our fate to lady luck who decided to shine down on us for the most part of our time there. we left with a new addition to the family, a huge stuffed elmo (plus a tiny bag of jellybeans) for whom we traded in our overflowing bucket of tokens for.
final stop was at SPoT coffee, a coffeehouse that's cosy and has a menu of very fun and interesting drinks to choose from. predictably, i chose the cocomoco, a drink with coffee that was mixed with chocolate milk, topped with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cocoa powder and a healthy drizzle of chocolate sauce. here's a photo of it, joel took one of it the last time he was there. does it not look absolutely drool-worthy?
headed back to watch the basketball game our school was playing against vermont, disappointing match, but all the events of the day pretty much cancelled out all the disappointment, and my internal good/bad day balance was definitely still leaning very much on the 'good day' side.
one of the best weekends i've had in ages, owing very much to spontaneity and great company. and a big shout-out to my spontaneous buddy jesmund, who's an awesome friend to have despite how we disagree on well, practically everything. but that's what makes for great friendships, no?
Friday, November 13, 2009
maybe in fifty years.
i was sitting in the subway sandwich outlet off the freeway having dinner with J, when the door tinkled and in walked an elderly couple. her, with her silver hair swept immaculately into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, walking slowly with her arm looped through the crook of his arm. him, with his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, leaning on his walking stick for support, and yet, still proudly leading his wife to the booth. he went to the counter to order while she grabbed the utensils and napkins.there was a strange disconnect between this elderly couple and the setting we were in--cheap fluorescent lighting, crappy rap music blaring through the speakers hanging from the ceiling and unswept floors with crumbs and scraps of the previous customers' meals littering the ground. they were so out of place and still, so comfortable in it.
they hardly spoke, but they moved in perfect unison, complementing one another. he unwrapped the sandwich and broke it into four parts, placing them neatly side by side. she unwrapped the straw and placed it in the cup so he would not be troubled by having to pick up his cup with his shaky hands. they ate in silence, chewing slowly on each bite that they took. occasionally, a glance in the other's direction and a napkin was slid over to the other, the drink passed from one to the other.
i was captivated. the routine borne from years of practice, so well rehearsed that no cues were needed at all. so simple, so ordinary, yet, so beautiful.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
豆浆油条
STINKY. says:i want 豆浆油条
can you bring it for me
FTC hao says:
okok
FTC hao writes:
STINKY. says:
hahaha
awwwwwww
i wish i could grab it from the screen
----------------------------------------------
zhihao strikes again! can't wait to see him here in december.