Still alive

School sucks. Lookin' forward to winter break.



I've been eyeing this dress from Zara. It's such a classy and pretty shape. I NEED toget my hands on it.

Birthday Business

V and I celebrated his birthday with dinner at Bistro 101 in Granville Island a couple weeks ago. It's runned by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and all the food is prepared by students. Basically, we enjoyed a fine dining experience without the fine dining prices. The Groupon coupon that V found made it even sweeter deal. Overall, the service, food, and presentation were all fantastic!

Hanging out at Granville Island during the day


The restaurant had a very calming atmosphere. V mentioned that they had just recently renovated, which really upped the level of sophistication.


My appetizer and entree: halibut and steak


The highlight was definitely my dessert that was almost too pretty to eat! It was a burger made from a sweet pastry as the bun, strawberries as tomatoes, melon and kiwi slices as lettuce, white chocolate as cheese, and a piece of brownie as the patty. Creative eh? And surprisingly tasty! It came complete with fries made of shortbread and sweet fruity dipping sauces. MmmMmm.




I also had a mini birthday celebration of my own with some friends last week. It feels weird to think that I'm already in my mid-twenties! Not long until I reach the big three oh! Good thing 30 is the new 20 nowadays...

Dinner was at Felico's and it was great! Greek food never disappoints :) I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday and those who made it to dinner. I had a wonderful time and I hope you all did too!


A few snapshots from dinner:


L: Me with V and A - all smiles
R: Ly and Ernz chowin' down


L: G waiting anxiously to start eating
R: Photo op with J and Winf, my weekend girls. Love you!


L: With Cin and Lyds
R: Paparazzi shot - when you least expect it


L: The Famous Platter that V and I shared
R: BCIT buddies

Thanks for all the love :)

time for a much needed update!

What I've been doing in the past few weeks...



Hiking up the Chief in Squamish
It was definitely a good challenge for someone like me who has not been active for quite some time. The top was breathtaking and made every aching step worthwhile in the end. Next up: Grouse Grind!



Celebrating Canada Day at Granville Island
My first time! The place was packed and very lively. The parade was fun and I enjoyed walking through the market.



Hanging out at Jericho Beach for V, M, and K's birthdays
Definitely a nice beach. We had access to the a private tennis club facility and made good use of their barbecque (thanks K!). We played some frisbee, beach volleyball, and soaked up a lot of sun.




Biking along the Seawall and enjoying some Fat Burger and fries afterwards
For me, this was the most enjoyable :) I'll never get sick of biking while enjoying the picturesque view of the water. Must and will do this again this summer!



As you can tell, I've been desperately trying to make the best of the gorgeous weather that we've been having in Vancouver. If you aren't doing the same, I advise you to start NOW. Go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Don't forget to load up on the SPF!

retail therapy.. once again

Despite the rainy weather, me and a few of my girlfriends headed downtown today to do some shopping. It was the first time we've been down there since the riot broke out last Wednesday. I remember watching the news that night and just being in complete shock that some people in our city can become so violent and destructive. It's hockey, not the end of the world. The Canucks had a good season and will get to play again next year. Thanks to the volunteers who helped clean up the streets on Thursday, Granville and other areas seemed clean and back to normal again. Although we did see some broken windows that were temporarily blocked off with boards.

So on a happier note, a whole bunch of stores were having sales, including Zara, Plenty, H&M, and Banana Republic. Check out those stores if you're looking to add to your summer wardrobe!


A few things I saw at Zara on Robson:




L: Trouser pants for about $35.99. Large selection in many colours and styles.

R: Blazer for $69.99. I almost purchased this one because I was looking for a light-colored blazer. I ultimately decided against it because I still want one that's more of a blush color.




L: Khaki trench coat for $79.99. If you are looking for a nice trench, go find yours at Zara now! They had a great sale selection today, but they sell fast! I have this exact one and the fit is great for petites.

R: LBD for $99.99. A cute, classic shape.



Jumbo hot dogs! No better way to refuel after hours of walking.

tis the season

.. of graduation ceremonies!

Earlier today was my sissy's high school graduation convocation. The event was held at the UBC Chan Centre (just like my high school grad x number of years ago! **note, my sis and I graduated from different high schools!) and the ceremony alone lasted a total of 3 hours.

At 4:30pm, my family and I headed out for UBC only to discover 15mins later that sissy had left behind a piece of her gown! We then had to drive all the way back home to get it, and the rush hour traffic did not help! And of course, my parents were not pleased. Sissy became irritated with the thought that she would not have enough time to take pictures with all her friends. Luckily, we arrived at the rose garden with about 40 mins for pictures. I somehow ended up with the role of the photographer and fortunately, the lighting was absolutely perfect! It was a bright day but definitely not too sunny. At around 6:30pm, we headed into the Chan centre to get seated. I don't know why we didn't think to walk a little faster because we ended up sitting high up on the second floor where the view was not the best. Overall, the ceremony was long but I appreciated the effort of the grads and the faculty to make it as enjoyable as possible.

Some photos from the day:


L: Parents with B
R: Seastars



L: B getting a grad smooch
R: B and her besties



L: B receiving her scholarships
R: The graduation stage



L: Graduation Winnie the Pooh
R: Grads of '11



Congrats, B!

Playing badminton on Sunday left me with sore muscles that didn't feel better until today. It's sad and shows how extremely out of shape I am! Ironically, my friends and I have plans to go hiking on Monday (possibly doing the Grouse Grind!). No idea how I'm going to pull that off. I very much might be out for a week after. Actually, it would be nice to just be able to finish it in one piece!




After our badminton workout, we headed off to What8ver cafe. Upon hearing news about bubble tea powder + pearls being cancerous, we opted for the fresh fruit drinks and the green teas. Better safe than sorry right? We also got the orderd the honey toast to share. Magnificent isn't it? It's a cube of toast with filled with honey, ice cream, strawberries, banana, oreo, and Pocky sticks. It's yummy but definitely looks better than it tastes... especially since our toast was a bit burnt :(

So I'll be heading downtown to watch game 7 with Vic and his friends tonight. I'm actually worried about how crazy it might get. I just hope we win and that there will be no big riot!