tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87608174526470386042024-02-24T15:44:55.283-05:00The Minimalist's Guide to LifeHow many Chanhong's does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A thousand. One to screw it in, and nine hundred ninety-nine to blog about it.The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-45143229183785812442024-02-18T11:25:00.003-05:002024-02-24T11:55:52.804-05:00Can anyone make a good bowl anymore? The decline of the American fast casual restaurant<p>First, it was Chipotle, then it was a local bowl place. Next, a smaller, more local chain. Will my beloved Cava face the same fate? Can sweetgreen save them all or will fast casual salad and grain bowl restaurants die like the frozen yogurt fad before them? I won't be able to live if fast casual pizza restaurants like &pizza follow suit.</p><p>Never again:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Chipotle</li><li>Rainbowl</li><li>Roots</li></ul><p> On the bubble:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Cava</li></ul><p>Still up for debate:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>sweetgreen </li></ul><p> <br /></p>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-62656079920843897132024-01-10T10:35:00.009-05:002024-02-24T11:56:15.905-05:00The Minimalist's Guide to Bubble Tea Update<p>I don't buy milk tea anymore. 1. Because I can make it at home and 2. Because I can't trust these boba shops to make it vegan. So many of them come premade with non-dairy creamer, a misnomer, as it still contains casein, a protein derived from cow's milk.</p><p>My go-to order is now Passionfruit Green Tea, which I never understood the hype for because I had literally never <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmKEFt8pjVo" target="_blank">eaten a passionfruit</a> before, and my favorite or top bubble tea shop is Kung Fu Tea despite what my San Diego-born bubble tea snob cousins say. Kung Fu Tea is consistent, reliable, and widely available, in addition the other plusses I mentioned in my previous <a href="https://www.theminimalistsguidetolife.com/2020/03/the-minimalists-guide-to-bubble-tea.html" target="_blank">story</a>. </p><p>Passionfruit Green Tea is passionfruit when you can't get passionfruit. It's refreshing with the perfect amount of caffeine, not too much to keep me awake, tartness, and sweetness, especially when combined with coconut nata jelly. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoTwlwKIlcPPKyjyVEfasM9XEcJmwBuHp-9TE1Q6qo0oNBnwIlNMsdM1Qmm_IgSzP4L2r4hlOVqQttxF422vLXO3nfdRORcDjBDqes9bZrtiP3TFGQzWqcWPo82ZntH16brne2Ni6EitF-2XVHRA0W5ls8NZ5rogUdXfTA34aEnfiMLSHh1vKsfbKfyuc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoTwlwKIlcPPKyjyVEfasM9XEcJmwBuHp-9TE1Q6qo0oNBnwIlNMsdM1Qmm_IgSzP4L2r4hlOVqQttxF422vLXO3nfdRORcDjBDqes9bZrtiP3TFGQzWqcWPo82ZntH16brne2Ni6EitF-2XVHRA0W5ls8NZ5rogUdXfTA34aEnfiMLSHh1vKsfbKfyuc=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div>Update: I went to San Francisco and tried Boba Guys again. Because they are very vegan friendly, I couldn't cancel them per my last <a href="https://www.theminimalistsguidetolife.com/2020/03/the-minimalists-guide-to-bubble-tea.html" target="_blank">post</a>, and I went against my first paragraph rule and bought a banana milk tea because I had a canned banana milk tea once and it was good. This one was bad. It was so bad, I asked the barista to add hojicha, thinking I made the mistake and ordered the less flavorful banana milk tea drink on the menu. She made another drink for me free of charge so I ended up having not one but two ice cold drinks to carry with me on a windy San Francisco winter day. Reader, she did not make it to her final destination with her drinks: I had no desire to drink them, and my hands were so cold, I had to throw them away, and I NEVER waste food like that. This blood orange tea from Asha was fire though.<p></p><p>Tea house with actual good hojicha: Matcha Cafe Maiko <br /></p><p></p><br /><br /><p></p>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-71407981254619401412024-01-06T20:23:00.003-05:002024-02-24T11:57:11.381-05:00Fridays<p>A reminder of how much work it takes to survive<br />When your meal prep runs out and you have nothing to eat<br /><br />Your weekend job starts <br />Racking your brain for recipes and<br />Treading to the grocery store for groceries that cost way too much <br /><br />Fridays <br /><br />A reminder of how lonely you are<br /><br />How you live thousands of miles away from friends who don’t have time to hang out with you anyways<br /><br />A reminder that sitcoms lie <br /><br />Fridays<br /><br />A break from routine that shatters you <br /><br />Fridays<br /><br />An expectation of a reward for working 40 hours that never comes<br /></p>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-26383726072876752682022-09-03T16:54:00.000-04:002022-09-03T16:54:27.096-04:00Road To Self-Acceptance by shiru<p>I think I always knew that I was into girls or that I was at least a bit queer and not because I fell in love with my best friend or that I enjoyed the company of women more than I did men. I think I was queer in the way I lived my life in the media I consumed, the music I listened to and the women I found inspiring. I will not deny that I found women quite stunning and beautiful to watch and listen to; however, queer things such as parades and leaps in political actions also brought such life to me. I could not understand why a star like Whitney Houston would choose to stay married to a man despite knowing the freedom that came from being with a woman. I think I primarily associate my queerness and coming out to Whitney because she provided an avenue to this freedom. I didn’t want to be like her, closeted and unable to live freely. <br /><br />Euphoria and out-of-body experiences where I would oscillate between intense joy and discontent at the things I was doing characterized my teenage years, and I could not quite pinpoint why navigating this world felt so hard. If anything good came out of the harrowing lockdown that was 2020, it was the ability to sit with my thoughts and grief, an ability to understand that my ineptitude to fit in this world was not in my lack of trying. Growing up different in a churchy and homophobic society limited my ability to express my queerness, and stifling my queerness allowed me to mask my neurodivergence because if I could hide this fundamental part of me, what was a little quirks and ticks. <br /><br />I realized I had ADHD when people on Twitter would describe their symptoms, and I would relate to each one of them. My neurodivergent journey began with this discovery and was then followed by the revelation that my autism masked my ADHD. This overlap between my autistic and ADHD self made it almost impossible for anyone to see my internal struggles and battles. While my ADHD makes it impossible to keep time, my autism and empathy cannot make people late; therefore I always keep time. My autism does not allow me to be messy, but my ADHD can never allow me to be a neat freak; therefore living alone has proved quite challenging, as my space constantly rotates between messy and clean. However, the most prominent dichotomy was my ADHD could never establish schedules, but once I found a routine, my autism allowed me to stick to this routine.<br /> <br />I cannot express how freeing both my self-diagnosis and official diagnosis was. I could finally understand why simple tasks like taking care of my hygiene were harrowing. Why I could not hold down a simple job, why I could obsessively consume media, and why I picked up and dropped hobbies on a whim. It helped me realise that there was inherently nothing wrong with me. The world was not built to accommodate the needs of those at the margins. This freed my desire to be like everyone else. I stopped seeking the centre and found a way to live and thrive in the margins. I embraced my masculinity all while honoring my femininity. I stopped applying for corporate jobs and found my niche online, all while thriving in openly queer spaces. <br /><br />This discovery while freeing was also deeply unsettling, I didn’t know how to exist without masking. Feeling and knowing you are different is acutely different from knowing why you are different. It made me sad, anxious, and at times I felt out of control. I yearned to explain to my peers how it was like to be in my head: the constant chaos, the overwhelming stimuli, the inability to focus on the mundane, and the crashing feeling that what one is doing is never enough. Many like to believe autism, ADHD or other neurodivergent traits make people geniuses. While I admit there are moments where my neurodivergence has opened up a world that neurotypicality would have limited, being neurodivergent is more than simply being smart. It is an inability to prioritize deeply important things like hygiene, work deadlines, a desire to escape a loud world, and a reckless indulgence to quiet the inner turmoil and anxiety. <br /><br />This is not a coming out post, but I don’t want the straights to claim me; neither is it a self-diagnosis. My official diagnosis took a lot in me and is a story for another day. I wanted to rant about how someone should have seen how much I was struggling. They should have noticed how restless and anxious I was. They should have told me my queerness was not a burden, nor was my existence outside the binary but this bigoted world. Living in the margins so long, I was so misunderstood I didn’t care to explain any more, but I felt I owed it to this milestone to try and embrace my neurodivergence and my queerness, to not feel shame around my ineptitude to navigate this world that was neither created for me nor cater to my needs, and to be able to withstand and thrive within the margins without seeking the center. Twenty five years is a long time to exist in spaces that haven’t wanted me, or wanted to know me without masking. Those who will read this and know me will wonder if I was masking around them. Yes I was, there has never been a time in my life when I wasn’t anxious or depressed or just struggling.<br /><br />This is an unburdening of shame that I have been carrying for too long–shame that is not mine to bear. My thoughts are still too many. I am still typically “lazy.” My follow through sucks, and I will probably always prefer the comfort of women even when I hate all humans, but now I feel no shame. My mind is less foggy. This is to not masking and to acknowledging and loving the whole package—faulty or otherwise. <br /><br />I have been sitting with myself longer than I ever have, and my thoughts have finally raced and caught up, so this is me coming to myself. This me deserves a lot more compassion than I was given or that I gave others. This is to the me that couldn’t stop daydreaming in class, to the me that couldn’t stop picking up new hobbies and dropping them, the me that enjoyed and loved women but didn’t know it was an attraction, and the me that fell in love with my straight friend, the straightest of people.<br /></p>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-84422565707778129832022-01-13T22:15:00.003-05:002024-02-24T11:57:21.210-05:00Chipotle's Plant-Based Chorizo Review<p> FYI the Chipotle plant-based chorizo is good but it’s dry, and doesn’t mesh well with a burrito bowl.</p><p> (apparently everyone else loves it though)</p>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-24823023076540379822020-11-10T18:15:00.018-05:002022-01-13T23:13:12.952-05:00Why I Quit Teaching/Going Back to Grad School Was The Biggest Mistake of My Life<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-align: left;">It started with a dream...however the dream is not the reality. </span></li>
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<li>You can't teach what you want.</li><ul><li>For example, sex education is scripted, and you can't veer from it despite sex education being one of the most important and applicable things you can learn in school.</li></ul>
<li>Kids don't know how to make goals outside of what they've been taught (e.g. career, passing standardized tests, etc.).</li>
<li>They don't have metacognitive awareness to say what they want to learn because they've never been asked that question before. </li>
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<li>I wanted kids to know that learning is lifelong and not just a thing that exclusively happens in school. I wanted them to know that they can learn to do anything at any age like how I learned to ride a bike and swim as an adult. That was what I saw in my dream. However, when I posed this topic to kids in real life, all I got were blank stares.</li></ul>
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<li>Why I wanted to quit originally (Fall 2017-my first semester of grad school)</li>
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<li>I hated what I saw in the classroom.</li>
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<li>Kids' needs not being met</li><ul><li>Students visibly upset because she couldn't copy what the teacher was writing fast enough</li><li>Fights between students</li><li>An extremely needy student who hung onto me</li></ul>
<li>Inattentive teachers not trying to help you, a new teacher</li>
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<li>Waiting for you to fail</li>
<li>Not wanting to develop relationships with you</li><li>Using you to watch her students during recess while she pumped milk</li>
</ul><li>A teacher going off a student simply for refusing to put on his coat when the weather wasn't even severe</li>
<li>Worksheet after worksheet</li><ul><li>One student wanted to break the teacher's printer to stop the worksheets.</li></ul><li>Bored students</li>
</ul><li>Grad school was boring.</li><ul>
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<li>All the "best practices" videos we watched were of well-behaved children</li>
<li>The elementary curriculum was so easy for me. I didn't understand why my classmates were so confused about everything.</li><li>I spent the majority of my first semester in class doodling.</li>
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<li>Why I changed my mind (Spring 2018-second semester of grad school)</li><ul><li>I finally opened up to my advisor and professors about my struggles and started making peer connections in the program.</li>
<li>As a result, I was paired with a great teacher with 40+ years experience. In addition, I had another student teacher with me. However, the placement was at a practically all-white school with richer students, meaning there were way less challenges. I wanted to work with more diverse students. </li>
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<li>What I learned in student teaching (Fall 2018)</li>
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<li>You have to scare kids into submission, and I was not respected by students.</li>
<li>While the students were challenging, I had amazing coworkers. They were super supportive and friendly. </li><li>You can watch the video below for more information.</li>
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<li>What I learned in my first full year of teaching (Fall 2019-Spring 2020)</li>
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<li>Kids still don't respect me. </li>
<li>I have nothing in common with my coworkers. They were the complete opposite of my coworkers during my student teaching and were more like the teachers I saw during my first semester of grad school. </li>
<li>Academically, students are so sooooooo behind. No matter how hard I tried, I could not catch them up to unnecessary and ridiculous grade level standards. </li><li>You still can't teach whatever you want. </li><li>It doesn't matter what you do as a teacher if a child's parent suck. Parents are children's first teachers. </li><li>School lunches are destroying the health of our children. Students starve because they have nothing good to eat or they stuff their face with cheese and meat from the salad bar and cartons of milk. </li>
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<li>In conclusion, I'm only a teacher because I thought I had to choose a career. Teaching in the American public school system is not an act of service; it's an act of obedience, of maintaining the status quo. I elaborate on this thought in my videos, which you can find at my YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtL_OddxxWplF8JFoD741g/" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtL_OddxxWplF8JFoD741g/</a> Here is the link for all my videos on the topic of education: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKp8rE4iA6GdllU3paniHeDwF8mEoaJAM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKp8rE4iA6GdllU3paniHeDwF8mEoaJAM</a> Imagine if I had spent all this time, energy, and money the last three years pursuing my dreams instead of this fruitless career. </li><li>Although I allude to what I think public schools should be like in all my videos on the topic, below are additional videos that support my ideas. I'll also link a paper/presentation I did for one of my grad school classes examining the morality of compulsory schooling. </li><ul><li>Going Natural in Education: Lora Smothers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0hQNR5fDKw&list=LL&index=138" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0hQNR5fDKw&list=LL&index=138</a></li><li>The Decline of Play: Peter Gray <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg-GEzM7iTk&list=LL&index=94" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg-GEzM7iTk&list=LL&index=94</a></li><li>Education is Broken <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm59B3F_G0E&list=LL&index=3&t=7s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm59B3F_G0E&list=LL&index=3&t=7s</a></li><li>Is Compulsory Schooling Moral? (Presentation) <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zBvvXkZh88kaqhLFjQFj1TtHaD64XP_XfaDz6i4Dki0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zBvvXkZh88kaqhLFjQFj1TtHaD64XP_XfaDz6i4Dki0/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li><li>Is Compulsory Schooling Moral? (Paper) <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jQXnne0WGbx9VKvdPsfSrQvGWIHkgOirQbdxjjNNgEg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jQXnne0WGbx9VKvdPsfSrQvGWIHkgOirQbdxjjNNgEg/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li></ul></ul>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-24475037042754284102020-03-19T21:25:00.005-04:002021-04-12T16:22:34.528-04:00The Minimalist's Guide to Bubble Tea: A Ranking of NOVA's Best Bubble Tea<div>
What makes a good bubble tea? After drinking bubble tea for about nine years, I finally have the answer. </div>
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The first bubble tea I ever consumed was on the storied Grounds of the University of Virginia. It was the start of the <a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/food-trucks-added-menu-universitys-dining-options">food truck</a> era at UVA's <a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/uvas-mcintire-amphitheatre-getting-new-old-feature">amphitheatre</a>. One student group, allegedly run by Commerce School students, started a stand called TJ Tea (TJ standing for Thomas Jefferson for those of you not well-versed in Virginia history). They had two simple options: green milk tea and black milk tea. A couple of people I had met through various Asian organizations worked for TJ Tea, making the memory even more nostalgic. According to my ex-boyfriend, TJ Tea became a direct competitor to his Asian-interest fraternity and/or-I don't remember-Taiwanese Student Association's bi-annual bubble tea sale. This was true because during my four years of college I never bought a bubble tea from Lambda Phi Epsilon or TSA. TJ Tea was my first exposure to bubble tea, and it was great. Because Asian students ran the storefront, I was blissfully unaware that it was owned by white people and thus of supposedly lower quality than that of the Asian interest groups. </div>
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Edit: Technically when I was in high school, I had a taro smoothie with tapioca pearls from a Vietnamese restaurant in Florida. Vietnamese establishments have long offered fruit smoothies and slushes with tapioca pearls. However, this was before bubble tea became mainstream, and milk tea was still new to me, having grown up in a small rural town in Southwest Virginia with no access to Asian food besides my mom's cooking and Chinese takeout.</div>
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During my second year of college, Charlottesville got its very first bubble tea shop less than a mile away from campus on the historic UVA Corner. Berry Berry was founded by the owners of another lunchtime tenant of the amphitheatre: Got Dumplings. They must have witnessed TJ Tea's success. </div>
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By my third year, the Comm School students graduated and TJ tea was no more. That's when my visits to Berry Berry started skyrocketing. The owners of Berry Berry had taken advantage of the frozen yogurt and emerging bubble tea craze. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6z_RIQWjfnzpEaUxfJXYDG3Tg-YRURqZm8ZUKQDtLBHJY3XDHp-QHuSZgGQg4tAJo2JHcSSuxo-gxPQlXagbDoninmci9stQlfKMvSorDpGdt2NhbJbRhT9BwvghBAY1A1uEf4vahOs/s1600/bubble+tea+transactions.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6z_RIQWjfnzpEaUxfJXYDG3Tg-YRURqZm8ZUKQDtLBHJY3XDHp-QHuSZgGQg4tAJo2JHcSSuxo-gxPQlXagbDoninmci9stQlfKMvSorDpGdt2NhbJbRhT9BwvghBAY1A1uEf4vahOs/s1600/bubble+tea+transactions.png" /></a></div>
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Fun Fact: I once saw UVA men's basketball star, now Indiana Pacer, Malcolm Brogdon order Thai Tea with his girlfriend at Berry Berry.<br />
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In 2015, during the spring semester of my fourth year of college, <a href="https://www.c-ville.com/popular-food-truck-got-dumplings-moves-berry-berry-space-local-restaurant-news/">Berry Berry rebranded as Got Dumplings</a>, the same name as its food truck, and eventually got rid of their frozen yogurt, now a dying trend, machines to expand seating. With the introduction of a new food ordering app to Grounds around the same time, bubble tea became even more accessible. OrderUp (now incorporated under GrubHub) was not started by a UVA student nor in Charlottesville, but they had a market in Charlottesville, and a ton of my friends worked for them. To promote the app, our friends shared a number of free delivery codes, which could be taken advantage of if you signed up with different email accounts. At the time, they didn't have the capability to check whether you used the same phone number or if you added a period to an existing email address to sign up for an account. My roommates and I took advantage of this, and bubble tea became my apartment's new favorite study companion.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuosXRHoAuD25arxXGX0fu-Qdd51t3UuN8S1-0XAXHQsbrihBWvUA7fs6p8skETvmbFYxqIUOd3b93Ox2VNRvc6dP7D6BgI0GH0LJCKI2oy1EyzOJLWAvBGV0O4gcbbND2DsyBKqiM7As/s1600/Screenshot_2020-03-19-14-18-51+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1049" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuosXRHoAuD25arxXGX0fu-Qdd51t3UuN8S1-0XAXHQsbrihBWvUA7fs6p8skETvmbFYxqIUOd3b93Ox2VNRvc6dP7D6BgI0GH0LJCKI2oy1EyzOJLWAvBGV0O4gcbbND2DsyBKqiM7As/s400/Screenshot_2020-03-19-14-18-51+%25281%2529.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Graduation came, and my boba addiction stopped-mainly because I became vegan and more conscientious of what I was consuming. However, when I moved to NOVA, I continued to drink a lot of Kung Fu Tea believing that their non-dairy milk powder was actually dairy-free until I learned that non-dairy creamer still contains casein, a protein found in cow's milk, so while the lactase was not present, animal cruelty still was.
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From there, I kind of stopped drinking bubble tea aside from the occasional fruit tea at various places because there was simply no vegan milk tea options. That all changed when my friend who was aware of my search went to San Francisco and sent me a Snapchat of a bubble tea shop called Boba Guys offering vegan milk options. There was hope, so when I went to LA in December of 2018, Boba Guys was at the top of my must-visit list. It did not disappoint and set the gold standard for all bubble teas moving forward. </div>
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Back in Virginia, my search continued to dishearten me until I moved back to DC this most recent fall and discovered Ocha Tea, the only bubble tea shop in the Northern Virginia area publicly offering non-dairy milk options until two new boba shops in Alexandria, the only two, opened recently. None of these stores existed the first time I lived in NOVA. New dessert and boba shops continue to open every day in the area, proving that bubble tea continues to remain popular among customers, especially those of Asian descent. </div>
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Note: Several other dessert places in the DMV such as Matcha Cafe Maiko and Who Seek offer dairy alternatives but don't specialize in bubble tea. </div>
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Because of my proximity to these shops, I've been drinking bubble tea regularly again. It was my experience with one of these newer shops that inspired me to write this story. A month ago, I got a "Peach-Mango Fruit Tea" from Monster Tea that really made me question, "What is bubble tea?" more specifically, "What is fruit tea and why is this one so good? What is good bubble tea?" because later that night I could not sleep. I ordered a fruit tea because I didn't want caffeine, yet here I was struggling to sleep because in my mind fruit tea is this: <a href="http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/herbal/fruit-tea-sampler">the caffeine-free Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler</a> and because Monster Tea had not clearly labeled their menu to include the ingredients in their fruit tea, I was confused. </div>
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I quickly found my answer to "What is bubble tea?" and "What is fruit tea?" with a swift Google search. It turns out I had been drinking fruit tea for years without knowing it had caffeine in it unless otherwise stated, but in my defense, I almost always opted for the milk tea before going vegan. To answer my last question, I needed to break down and analyze the individual components of each of my favorite bubble tea store's drinks-basically what I had just learned on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea">Wikipedia</a>. Using information from the store's website, menu, and Yelp page along with employee interviews, I compiled the following data:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUIRZwiamLnVS1LsEDhAaIcPyI6Ik7-BzMzyjXKV8Q8qWgYEhochQ6HNzVfEXhzU5X04JLEccgm7fQB6cNvrVvWxe32lO8cuss254A-OGF2q5m2puIEiaIyBaqU9vhSvSADIEasFaxEw/s1600/bubble+tea.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="956" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUIRZwiamLnVS1LsEDhAaIcPyI6Ik7-BzMzyjXKV8Q8qWgYEhochQ6HNzVfEXhzU5X04JLEccgm7fQB6cNvrVvWxe32lO8cuss254A-OGF2q5m2puIEiaIyBaqU9vhSvSADIEasFaxEw/s1600/bubble+tea.png" /></a></div>
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After analyzing the data along with my personal experience, I had my answer, which I now present to you in a list: A Ranking of NOVA's Best Bubble Tea.<br />
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6. Spill The Tea</h2>
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Alexandria's second-newest bubble tea shop ranks at #6 for their watered down version of bubble tea. Based on my experience and that of several other Yelp users, the drinks at Spill the Tea are flavorless with no defining fruit or tea flavor. I had the namesake, Spill The Tea drink of oolong tea and dragon fruit, and there was neither an oolong or dragon fruit taste. The dragon fruit component of the drink came from a syrup and dried fruit bits, which added more to the aesthetic of the drink than the taste. Overall, the drink tasted more like sugar water, which fits with their use of organic sugar as a sweetener. </div>
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I should have known better when I saw the mountain of fruit syrup bottles on the counter behind the cashier. While using fruit syrup is not a sin-many other places on this list use fruit syrup-Spill The Tea has not quite figured out the right combination of syrup, tea, and sweetener to get the flavor of their drinks down. While their tea is loose, who knows what's actually in those tea dispensers behind the counter, and how long it's been sitting there. Based on the watered down flavor of both fruit teas and milk teas, my guess is there isn't enough tea being brewed with the water. Nevertheless, Spill The Tea makes the list by default for offering a vegan milk option and for also offering delicious vegan food.<br />
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5. Monster Tea</h2>
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Monster Tea is actually very good, but their unclear menu, as previously mentioned, ranks it #5 on our list.<br />
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Their old website menu is a lot clearer, but the menu above is what I saw in-person. It does not mention which drinks are caffeine-free. Additionally, non-dairy milk options are not listed. I only found out they offered coconut and almond milk when I called and asked. </div>
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Looking at this menu, the Peach-Mango fruit tea looked the best. I ordered it with the fresh mango bits, which I thought automatically came with the drink based on how it's presented on the menu. Imagine my confusion when the cashier asked me if I wanted any toppings. Upon realizing that adding toppings myself meant adding to my cost, I forgoed the strawberry poppers also listed with the drink even though I really wanted them. </div>
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Given all my confusion, I wasn't expecting much in terms of quality. However, at the time, I was suffering from a sinus infection, so I was severely dehydrated and needed something to drink pronto. This tea temporarily cured me. It was so good, making it easy to devour and quench my thirst. In comparison, it took me two days to finish my Spill The Tea. </div>
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Monster Tea has figured out the right combination of tea, fruit flavor, and sweetness using primarily the same type of ingredients as Spill The Tea: loose tea and artificial fruit flavor. However, the difference in quality became clearer when I zeroed in on two minor differences: the tea and sweetener. Monster Tea claims to use their own blend of tea and a homemade syrup to sweeten their drinks. By selectively curating their ingredients and offering fresh fruit toppings, Monster Tea shows that they care about the quality of their drinks. I wish this was clearer and more transparent to customers.</div>
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4. Kung Fu Tea</h2>
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KFT is honestly not my first choice for bubble tea anymore, but I had to put them on the list as an homage to the OG founded way back in 2009 and "Starbucks of bubble tea" [Washington Post]. Despite not offering any vegan milk options at the moment, Kung Fu Tea makes our list at #4 for what Monster Tea doesn't have: transparency. On their website you can find merchandise, news, extensive menu information, and a whole downloadable PDF ingredient list for. each. of. their. drinks. They didn't have to go that hard, but they did, and that's what I love about them. </div>
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KFT has a constantly changing menu, but I've never been confused by the options there because of how clearly labeled everything is on their in-store menu. Okay, so they did deceive me originally with that whole non-dairy milk powder business, but that was all in the past, and with a whole ingredient list online, it's suffice to say that they have atoned for their sins (They should really clarify it though because it is misleading if you take things way too literally like me). </div>
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Quality-wise, the Kung Fu masters, as the founders like to call themselves, researched and sampled many ingredients before coming up with their original recipes. They settled on hand-picked tea leaves from the highest peaks in Taiwan, the birthplace of bubble tea, brewed every three hours, homemade boba cooked every two hours, non-dairy creamer for "the most natural and creamy flavor of milk" and presumably for a longer shelf life and lactose-intolerant customers, cane sugar syrup, and various jams, juices, syrups, and powders to flavor their drinks. </div>
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While I don't go to Kung Fu Tea for bubble tea anymore because I can't drink their milk teas and because I'm not a huge fan of classic fruit tea flavors, I can still rely on them for a unique non-caffeinated and vegan-friendly refresher, something most bubble tea shops are missing. My favorite is the Longan Jujube Tea-it has tea in its name, but trust me, it's caffeine-free. It says so on the menu and ingredient list.</div>
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3. Ocha Tea</h2>
Ocha Tea really wants you to know that they "only brew premium loose teas, no powders!" but from my research, most places do use loose leaf tea, so I'm not so sure why they chose this marketing strategy. That <a href="http://www.ocha-tea.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ocha-tea-logo-print-1.png">leaf logo</a> is pretty darn cute though. "Ocha" also means "tea" in Japanese, but the owners are Vietnamese. However, "cha" is tea in Chinese and basically how you pronounce "tra" in Vietnamese so no <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/non-asians-screw-up-asian-food_n_59011e43e4b0af6d718b4058">cultural appropriation</a> here. Besides, Asians have been cooking their neighbors' foods for centuries without managing to offend anyone-something Americans haven't quite figured out. </div>
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Side note: I'm just now realizing how tautological their store name is (it's like saying Sahara Desert or Chai Tea), which reminds me that I totally forgot about TT Lounge in Richmond, where I experienced a bubble tea cafe for the first time. </div>
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I found this picture, and I am clearly drinking a bright orange Thai tea with boba at TT Lounge, which means TJ Tea definitely took my Taiwanese milk tea virginity! (Amazing how a random picture you don't even remember having can serve a purpose nine years later-also it's been nine years since my first year of college?!) Thank you Jeson for taking this photo.</div>
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In my opinion, Ocha Tea is the vegan-friendly and better version of Kung Fu Tea. They have a wide variety of drink options besides bubble tea such as chai, matcha, and real fruit smoothies, making it more approachable to newcomers than the traditional bubble tea shop. I've had their Oreo Milk Tea with almond milk and Guava Cooler Signature Fruit Tea, clearly labeled on the menu as a Jasmine tea drink, and can vouch for both. The only thing keeping Ocha Tea from the top two spots is that two of their ingredients are not homemade or fresh: the fruit flavoring and boba, but hey, I wouldn't want to deal with those guava seeds either.</div>
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2. Boba Guys</strike></h2><div>Edit: Boba Guys has since been cancelled: <a href="https://sf.eater.com/21285651/boba-guys-manager-fired-racism">https://sf.eater.com/21285651/boba-guys-manager-fired-racism</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Since this article was written, I've had TeaDM in Falls Church, VA (they also have a "mini" location in Vienna), which offers plenty of non-dairy drinks in addition to almond milk for their milk teas. I wasn't in the mood for a milk tea during my visit, so I opted for one of their most popular drinks, the Green Iceland of green apple and lychee green tea. The serving sizes here are huge, so it actually took me two days to finish my drink, but it was still tasty the next day. In terms of aesthetics, in addition to their space-themed interior, which we unfortunately did not get to sit in because of COVID, the drinks here also have the coolest names and appearances, such as the color-changing lemonade my sister got.</div><div><strike><br /></strike></div>
<strike>Okay so Boba Guys isn't technically located in DC yet or anytime soon, but it's so good, it makes the list at #2. Think of Boba Guys as a more mature version of Kung Fu Tea. It's more organic, more sustainable, and more hipster with the same openness and transparency. </strike></div>
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<strike>The two ingredients Kung Fu Tea doesn't offer fresh, Boba Guys does. Boba Guys uses actual milk and fruit for all of their drinks. You can visibly see the difference in their Strawberry Matcha Latte of "organic matcha over [your choice of milk] and housemade strawberry purée."</strike><br />
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<strike><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bobaguys.com%2Fnutritional-info&psig=AOvVaw3fCwqLH53KlQyhnLSWeG3u&ust=1584754265482000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOi2z-zzp-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for boba guys strawberry matcha latte" height="197" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/50ce46ece4b01020c34fd52b/1538688142616-8Q6019573PWO6MSXILHN/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kDr0J2w-a3TTJhV8bzCKxrBZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVFmdbmIqbUC4InSmH7dr7Vy90uxdJ0vXfdWia1L2FOTnDqWIIaSPh2v08GbKqpiV54/Screen+Shot+2018-10-04+at+2.22.04+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_H0x2voI1PLeYzxvVfUZYUS_9jU0aVdw8yk-38-XAgdx5QoBD3SEf7AMP-EjFqodHy74wDCKzMsnLRpD0KHoxMtVwegoCyofDBhBa2E9LTCeqC_6hqzVisZ1LPC9BgDlLxZNuwGlIcg/s1600/boba+guys1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_H0x2voI1PLeYzxvVfUZYUS_9jU0aVdw8yk-38-XAgdx5QoBD3SEf7AMP-EjFqodHy74wDCKzMsnLRpD0KHoxMtVwegoCyofDBhBa2E9LTCeqC_6hqzVisZ1LPC9BgDlLxZNuwGlIcg/s320/boba+guys1.jpg" width="180" /></a></strike></div>
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<strike>Boba Guys was one of the first cafes to offer <a href="https://www.tastecooking.com/inside-great-oat-milk-shortage/">Oatly</a> in America and as previously mentioned, the first bubble tea shop I discovered to offer dairy alternatives. My trip to Boba Guys actually coincided with the great <a href="https://www.delish.com/food-news/a25619874/oat-milk-shortage/">Oatly shortage of 2018</a>, which explained why the shop was out of oat milk. Thankfully, they still had almond milk. </strike></div>
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<strike>In addition to offering more sustainable milks, Boba Guys most recently introduced bamboo fiber straws as a replacement for traditional plastic straws. They also sell metal straws and drinking vessels for hot and cold drinks on their website. </strike></div>
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<strike>Kung Fu Tea sells mugs and cups too, but there's a stark contrast in design. Boba Guys has definitely taken a more mature approach with their merchandising and branding, opting for a simple black and white logo and aesthetic permeating through their stores and website, whereas Kung Fu Tea has taken a much brighter color scheme.</strike></div>
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<strike>With vastly different menu drinks from traditional bubble tea shops, Boba Guys has set itself apart from the competition. They've revamped classic bubble tea drinks to incorporate local, sustainable, and organic ingredients and offer seasonal menu items with global influences such as the Ponche Navideño Mexicano and Black Sugar Hojicha from their 2019 Fall/Winter menu. </strike></div>
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<strike>With this worldly approach, Boba Guys is making sure bubble tea isn't another dying trend. Their success has undoubtedly influenced others to take on the challenge of redefining and introducing bubble tea for the masses not already in love with this classic Taiwanese drink. </strike></div>
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1. Yagut St.</h2>
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One such restaurant offering bubble tea to new customers is Yagut St. in Old Town Alexandria, a predominantly white neighborhood in a predominantly white city. They take the top spot our list by actually being located in the area and offering high-quality ingredients, vegan milks, classic cafe options like cafe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) and black milk tea, new unique and colorful drinks with names like Night Fall and Lavender Dream, and a highly Instagram-able floral wall with a neon message touting "Treat Yourself." </div>
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According to DataUSA, Non-Hispanic Whites make up more than 50% of the total population of Alexandria. That's 80,100 people in 2017. In Old Town, the percentage is higher at 84.77% according to <a href="https://www.areavibes.com/alexandria-va/old+town/demographics/">areavibes.com</a>. Meanwhile, Asians make up less than 10% of the city's population.</div>
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In comparison, in Annandale where Ocha Tea and the Kung Fu Tea I frequented are located, the White population is a little more than 30% of the city's total population or 14,200 people. Asians are not far behind, totaling about 25% of the city's population or 10,600 people. </div>
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This population disparity explains the lack of Asian restaurants in Alexandria. However, the owners of Yagut St. have been working on changing that since 2011 with the opening of their first restaurant, Caphe Banh Mi. In 2017, they opened their sister restaurant combining Vietnamese food with America's love for brunch, Sunday in Saigon, located right next door to Yagut St.</div>
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Note: This makes Yagut St. the third Vietnamese-owned bubble tea shop on this list after Spill the Tea and Ocha Tea. Both Kung Fu Tea and Boba Guys were started by Taiwanese guys, and Monster Tea is Korean-owned (Berry Berry/Got Dumplings is Chinese/Vietnamese). As you can see, it really doesn't matter who makes your bubble tea as long as all the ingredients are there. I think my ex-boyfriend was just salty about TJ Tea stealing his customers. Fans of bubble tea were just happy to finally have it consistently on grounds. </div>
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Yagut St. is named after a street in Dalat, Vietnam, a coffee-growing city. It's the only shop on our list that doesn't include a component of bubble tea in its name but make no mistake, their bubble tea is worthy of this top spot. They are the lone bubble tea shop in the area to offer oat milk in addition to soy and almond milk, thus making their <a href="https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-out/6-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-brown-sugar-pearl-milk-trend">black sugar milk</a>, a popular new tea-less drink seen all over social media, accessible to vegans (Note: I definitely did not know it was tea-less when I ordered it, making yet another case for clear and descriptive menus). The oat milk perfectly mimicked the flavor and consistency of cow's milk, and the homemade tapioca bubbles were soft and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness from the brown sugar. My only quibble is that there wasn't enough of the drink as half of the small cup was ice. However, this is an easy fix. I also tried and enjoyed my friend's Night Fall, which was a blend of butterfly rose tea and pink-rose poppers. </div>
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Like all the other restaurants on this list, they use loose leaf tea for all their teas. In addition to their homemade boba, they also offer homemade syrup. The only thing that isn't fresh is their fruit flavoring, which as we've seen does not hinder the taste of the drinks. </div>
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<div>
The only thing missing from Yagut St. is a running website and a clearer menu. Those should come in the upcoming days as they continue to refine their brand. </div><div><br /></div><div>Update: Not all milk teas can be made vegan as the flavorings are pre-mixed, but the ones that can still hit the spot.</div><div><br /></div>
<h2>
Conclusion</h2>
This is by no means a complete list-it will constantly change as bubble tea shops continue to open and innovate-nor at 3,000+ words is it a minimalist list, but to those new to bubble tea, I hope it clears any confusion. To those who have been drinking bubble tea all your life, I hope this brings back memories and inspires you to make smarter, more conscious, and yummier food choices. Maybe this guide will serve as a resource to someone considering opening a bubble tea shop one day. Even if none of that happens, at least I finally know what fruit tea is.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<h2>
</h2>
</div>
<style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--></style>The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-3838463656702315092020-01-25T21:52:00.002-05:002024-02-24T11:57:31.568-05:00Simple Things I've Learned That Have Improved My CookingIf your mashed potatoes are not sticking together, it's because there's not enough moisture/liquid/water/whatever you want to call it.<br />
<br />
I learned this one from Chrissy Teigen: peel ginger with a spoon. It is so much easier than using a peeler or knife.<br />
<br />
When making dalgona coffee with a electric mixer, make sure to use a deep bowl or cup because the coffee mixture WILL splash.<br />
<ol>
</ol>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-24059443560096946452020-01-25T21:51:00.003-05:002024-02-24T11:57:45.933-05:00A Short List of Food I Will Never Eat at a Restaurant Again<div>
<i>Why? Because I can make it better at home.</i></div>
<br />
<b><div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Tacos</b><div>
<i>Exception: Crafted The Art of Taco's "Hoodie" Falafel Tacos // Greensboro, NC</i><div>
<ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Sushi</b></div>
<div>
<i>Exception: Sushi Momo // Montreal</i><br /><ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Cake</b></div>
<div>
<i>Exception: Fare Well's chocolate chip cookie dough // Washington D.C.</i></div>
</div>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-48625239778064362762020-01-21T22:27:00.003-05:002024-02-24T11:58:41.862-05:002017 Year in Review2020 update: I never finished this because of how much work it was, but I should have quit grad school.<br />
<br />
I started the year off with my very first short, "Vegan Dating Problems," based on real life events. It honestly wasn't the best thing ever, but I was proud of myself for putting it together i.e. collaborating with another human being aka my friend Julie. She was such a good actress, and I can't wait to work with her again.<br />
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Unfortunately, it won't be for a while, as I quit my job and moved back to Charlottesville for grad school. I didn't plan either of the two when the year started. I talked about my decision to leave my job in a <a href="http://theminimalistsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2017/04/5-signs-its-time-to-leave-your-job.html">blog post</a> and a video titled "Why I Left Buzzfeed," parodying the ones of actual Buzzfeed employees leaving the media company. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The initial goal was to find another job, but I couldn't imagine doing anything besides teaching and becoming a Youtube star of course. For a whole month, I actually tried to be a Youtuber. I made some videos and blogged a lot (see my blog archive on the right), but rent money was running out, so I got a job as a hostess for a sushi restaurant. Working at Ichiban Sushi & Ramen was a highlight of my year because of my amazing and super cool coworkers.<br />
<br />
I also had to work because I got a cat! He does not look like the screenshot below, but he is pretty obese. My roommate currently has custody while I'm away, but I get to see him from time to time.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2017 was a big year for Asian Americans. Kevin Kwan's bestselling book, <i>Crazy Rich Asians</i> was adapted into a feature film set to release later this year. I actually auditioned, as you can see below. Hasan Minhaj released his standup special on Netflix; Ali Wong went on tour again-I was lucky enough to see her in DC; Master of None Season 2 was a hit, and so much more. This success was what made me regret my decision to go back to grad school instead of moving to LA with my savings. I seriously thought about quitting grad school, but somehow made it through with help from new friends.<br />
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</div>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-30515112403568627142020-01-19T23:21:00.001-05:002024-02-24T11:59:03.958-05:00sometimes all i see are imperfections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt_BJMZiew4kO9dGuIrWiHBjnFsqnfnEX4kU2tDPlIVUfdueEnMWUdUHcKb7gRpxoxRwoMvBezKBuvqgcnrBqDa49sXdRjt7lKnxthPmmW6AEddynP2zghGufeesvwpndcpzYFp1tzVw/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt_BJMZiew4kO9dGuIrWiHBjnFsqnfnEX4kU2tDPlIVUfdueEnMWUdUHcKb7gRpxoxRwoMvBezKBuvqgcnrBqDa49sXdRjt7lKnxthPmmW6AEddynP2zghGufeesvwpndcpzYFp1tzVw/s640/IMG_0608.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPkzZmlZfbQ1fPlFmSZ21I8f30TWX6lO9yTmMMeHc_MrcFlAYO77_pnSIs5b6zqb5nTqI8j-DPBGgqyzyQMw9NALEtTX8_OtQqmUKfAX1g0nLffyMDAtBJ3kU8StIo72ZnFSArxPr39Q/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPkzZmlZfbQ1fPlFmSZ21I8f30TWX6lO9yTmMMeHc_MrcFlAYO77_pnSIs5b6zqb5nTqI8j-DPBGgqyzyQMw9NALEtTX8_OtQqmUKfAX1g0nLffyMDAtBJ3kU8StIo72ZnFSArxPr39Q/s640/IMG_0613.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfMY4d9D-zQzwoG0bSiDs_tRYAaaiN9_GQRBQBdOIYXq80RMmG9DQ3e8BAauuuZhnnGC0Zhj0jOH82M9jvQmOU68W39SGE2UJe3jetcjG6odwoaobkJ_hAp3GK0KE7Awl8ypVQjX_2Ck/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfMY4d9D-zQzwoG0bSiDs_tRYAaaiN9_GQRBQBdOIYXq80RMmG9DQ3e8BAauuuZhnnGC0Zhj0jOH82M9jvQmOU68W39SGE2UJe3jetcjG6odwoaobkJ_hAp3GK0KE7Awl8ypVQjX_2Ck/s640/IMG_0615.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
hair: badly in need of a haircut<br />
<br />
makeup: lipstick not fully able to cover my peeled and bleeding lip<br />
<br />
outfit: cut from a dress but i'm always bloated so crop tops don't look good on me so i tucked in the shirt, but it doesn't hide my protruding stomach because i'm always slouchingThe Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-45919202322249374762020-01-19T21:11:00.001-05:002020-03-30T12:08:03.529-04:00North America City Guide<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>New York City</u></b></h2>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yldF-cKRsymxRsJakhMjT0gVH_XFsAwUKNk3tbuPFGJQxxuNXYR3LclkS98Py6c0zT6BBPKSacjVcAjGGvGidCm1dkhzo6uMeKDY6BZqZWYCLTsiSFxzD64RPvj60arltxDNdjj9w48/s1600/20190714_132344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yldF-cKRsymxRsJakhMjT0gVH_XFsAwUKNk3tbuPFGJQxxuNXYR3LclkS98Py6c0zT6BBPKSacjVcAjGGvGidCm1dkhzo6uMeKDY6BZqZWYCLTsiSFxzD64RPvj60arltxDNdjj9w48/s320/20190714_132344.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<h3>
<b><u><br /></u></b></h3>
<h3>
<b><u>Must Do:</u></b><b> </b></h3>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<ul>
<li><b><u>Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum</u></b></li>
<ul>
<li>$7 admission with valid student ID</li>
<li>If you are a fan of the Smithsonian art museums in DC, then you will enjoy the Cooper Hewitt. </li>
</ul>
<li><u><b>The Museum at FIT</b></u></li>
<ul>
<li>Free admission</li>
<li>For those interested in fashion and or design</li>
<li>Your boyfriend will probably be bored and start playing Pokemon Go</li>
</ul>
<li><u><b>World Trade Center + other unique skyscrapers/buildings in New York</b></u></li>
<ul>
<li>If you're into architecture</li>
<li>Other examples:</li>
<ul>
<li>9/11 Memorial</li>
<li>Flatiron Building</li>
<li>Oculus at One World Trade Center</li>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
<li>If you want to see how capitalism has taken advantage of a tragedy</li>
<li>"Imagine if they made a shopping mall at the Holocaust Museum."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><u><b>All that other touristy stuff</b></u></li>
<ul>
<li>NYC's got something for everyone: 5th Avenue, Times Square, Chinatown, etc.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>
<b><u><br /></u></b></h3>
<h3>
<b><u>Not Worth It:</u></b></h3>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<ul>
<li><b><u>The Metropolitan Museum of Art</u> (</b>$12 admission with valid student ID)</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you've been to other art museums, then the Met is not worth it because everything in the Met, I've seen before. Sure the specific pieces will be different, but the collections are the same as say The Getty, LACMA, or any of the DC museums. I recommend these museums because they are smaller and easier to navigate. Aside from LACMA, these museums are also free.<br />
<br />
As a person with social anxiety, the Met was way too overwhelming. Because it's so large, it is hard to navigate: not everything is labelled on the map, and you can't access certain parts of the museum without returning to the main lobby. Normally, this would not be a problem, but with a museum so large, it is a lot of work and time wasted trying to find your way [instead of seeing everything and easing your anxiety].<br />
<br />
If you're a new museum goer with NYC as your only means to an art museum, then the Met is for you. Otherwise, I'd recommend more niche museums like the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum or Museum at Fit when traveling in the city.</blockquote>
<h3>
<u><b><br /></b></u></h3>
<h3>
<u><b>Food:</b></u> </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/bodhi-kosher-vegetarian-restaurant-new-york?hrid=_n71_zlmTZqdFenkyewEiw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Bodhi Vegetarian</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/seasoned-vegan-new-york-2?hrid=H7fBuUtiYwAAc2lYJRuuXg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Seasoned Vegan</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-whiskers-bakery-brooklyn-2?hrid=fm2mQJ9iN1aqvcww71KDoA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Brooklyn Whiskers</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/xian-famous-foods-new-york-35?hrid=mwqEtKsWf2IDdMqVuHbRNQ&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Xian Famous Foods</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/chickpea-and-olive-brooklyn?hrid=zPg9n3mGtOAHO9dN4U5xPg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Smorgasburg</a><br />
<div>
<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Connecticut</u></b></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXr5smPuCd9RQeeiNUpmdog7NncWSPxcEa5bVvHrYVm1sY23uWUOXhFb1-X4ArpdWDZKVEwInCnIEVYikwGxJdeeKfLW9K4BPDymp2VWXA6UYBbYdX6ZGgrGyWqRQg8ndcYvH6CpHXDA/s1600/20190715_183521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXr5smPuCd9RQeeiNUpmdog7NncWSPxcEa5bVvHrYVm1sY23uWUOXhFb1-X4ArpdWDZKVEwInCnIEVYikwGxJdeeKfLW9K4BPDymp2VWXA6UYBbYdX6ZGgrGyWqRQg8ndcYvH6CpHXDA/s640/20190715_183521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<h3>
<u>
Must Do:</u> </h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Rocky Neck State Park</u> </b>Located right off 95, Rocky Neck State Park is the perfect stop for those looking for a beach on their road trip up north. I really wanted to go to a beach, but the ones I researched were out of the way. Then while leaving Connecticut, a brown sign on the side of the highway granted me my one wish. In addition to a sandy beach filled clear water and bright green seaweed, the state park features a pathway of large rocks adjacent to the water perfect for those looking for an adventure aka bored boyfriends.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Not Worth It:</u> </h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/frank-pepe-pizzeria-napoletana-new-haven?hrid=8h3FBT3M1hRSLIsp83Sfbg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)"><b>Frank Pepe's Pizzeria</b></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Rhode Island</u></b></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa5Q18PpKFrx-QXW3uAEzQ39kwgmt1B6-eua-1bEgw7DS0Bm5Eov62TK0zTCv4Bcr-vbhHliRDcNdahZk5PU6DOkGNMN1Or0M2rA715eLzOUz_RVJb6FYxhTg5uTLrdFrYhfBuSbQCx4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-08-18+at+11.37.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1279" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa5Q18PpKFrx-QXW3uAEzQ39kwgmt1B6-eua-1bEgw7DS0Bm5Eov62TK0zTCv4Bcr-vbhHliRDcNdahZk5PU6DOkGNMN1Or0M2rA715eLzOUz_RVJb6FYxhTg5uTLrdFrYhfBuSbQCx4/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-08-18+at+11.37.43+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<h3>
<u>
Must Do:</u></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Plant City</u> </b>Why? Plant City is the first and only vegan food hall in the world.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<u>Not Worth It:</u></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Plant City</u> </b>Why? The food is still a work in progress.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><u>Boston</u></b></b></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgAIZsliD2TnmcLRmUTajseurKfN7ar39LMZgWh9a1Kv1n_m-48AQ-Nww_zGkEPzZiYESwfoZ2mlCX4dgsz8lOxaK0d3_ytilrk-H2LCwdC_AxJbp7DDenpHjXIZnFNmtFErXlghjVac/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgAIZsliD2TnmcLRmUTajseurKfN7ar39LMZgWh9a1Kv1n_m-48AQ-Nww_zGkEPzZiYESwfoZ2mlCX4dgsz8lOxaK0d3_ytilrk-H2LCwdC_AxJbp7DDenpHjXIZnFNmtFErXlghjVac/s640/IMG_0705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><u><b><u><br /></u></b></u></b></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Must Do:</b></u> </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b><u>Brookline Dispensary</u> </b>Massachusetts began selling recreational weed in 2018, and this dispensary opened in March 2019 in a former bank, making it one of the prettiest dispensaries in America. Order ahead for pickup to avoid the long lines stretching way outside the door even at 8 p.m. on a weeknight. </li>
<li><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Boston Public Garden</b> 😍 What more do I have to say other than we went on a cloudy day and it was still beautiful</li>
<li><b><u>Rose Kennedy Greenway</u> </b>Best viewed at night when the lights are out and the light and water displays are on</li>
<li><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Boston Waterfront</b> The perfect spot to view the transition from day to night after the public garden and before you head to the Greenway</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<u>Not Worth It:</u> </h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Arnold Arboretum</b> Maybe it's because we went on rainy day, but it was a lot of effort walking around for not a lot of reward; I don't think I gained anything from the experience besides a little exercise. The bonsai collection was closed by the time we got there. The best part was probably the shrub and vine garden.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Food:</b></u> </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-white-boston?hrid=sRyh6T9_JDISBUe6r5C2sA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Red White</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/my-thai-vegan-cafe-boston-3?hrid=yyy_uZJolM2ZzhU8jSP0Cg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">My Thai Vegan Cafe</a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><u>Montreal</u></b></b></h2>
<div>
<b><u><b><u><br /></u></b></u></b></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Must Do:</u></h3>
<ul>
<li><u><b>Barbie EXPO</b></u></li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpjLxE4Ibba8HCg4DNylYF9Zd_9Jd9slfkcaDjGWGJ0XmVfpONJHlT5cJZJo8OTC_M168tIR5J8DRkNLGJAmz50hKE7UgSRWEI_iYHXWNJ8LFYM5flYM5XY9IMkIPV_inl6zd-4PCuRA/s1600/20190720_204534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpjLxE4Ibba8HCg4DNylYF9Zd_9Jd9slfkcaDjGWGJ0XmVfpONJHlT5cJZJo8OTC_M168tIR5J8DRkNLGJAmz50hKE7UgSRWEI_iYHXWNJ8LFYM5flYM5XY9IMkIPV_inl6zd-4PCuRA/s200/20190720_204534.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="112" /></a>
<li>Free admission</li>
<li>A must go if you grew up playing Barbies and love fashion</li>
<li>You can step inside a Barbie box for a photo opportunity, but beware: the box is made for tall skinny people; I finally understand why people don't like Barbie now.</li>
</ul>
<li><u><b>Old Montreal</b></u></li>
<ul>
<li>Put this in your GPS to walk around the cobblestone city by the waterfront</li>
<li>Also where LOV McGill is located</li>
</ul>
<li><b><u>Grocery Shopping</u></b></li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cVjrrlwueanNyZ0SLEKnKxNrYPuXaYecqKM9ETR40pkQs0zWG_ISTGiWuUyhHFD65QcjXH2o2pb2oIQK6CAwCr7PKwRDuRLZvv8crfaWmxQ0V8cgI8BcERfi5WhjCMNlkgILmjmGd8s/s1600/20190720_204526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cVjrrlwueanNyZ0SLEKnKxNrYPuXaYecqKM9ETR40pkQs0zWG_ISTGiWuUyhHFD65QcjXH2o2pb2oIQK6CAwCr7PKwRDuRLZvv8crfaWmxQ0V8cgI8BcERfi5WhjCMNlkgILmjmGd8s/s200/20190720_204526.jpg" width="112" /></a>
<li>Honestly, this was one of the best parts of our road trip. </li>
<li>$1 100% fruit juices!!!!! like pure grapefruit and a tropical guava mix </li>
<li>Ketchup Doritos </li>
</ul>
<li><b><u>Convenient Store Shopping</u></b></li>
<ul>
<li>For Canadian beer</li>
</ul>
<li><b><u>Fast Food Restaurants</u></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Tim Horton's coming through with the Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich </li>
<li>Even the fast food restaurants like A&W have poutine on the menu...speaking of which</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.theminimalistsguidetolife.com/2019/07/the-best-vegan-poutine-in-montreal.html"><b>Poutine</b></a></li>
<li><u><b>Dispensary-SQDC</b></u></li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAi4gqvhd5utjRlr3RsfIzSqS3SBAfS126lpmGEe4GXhXxJRwpcdISsns4rhuRHaLjUY71u5d50CcfymWGdhsDaT80I9iVZl8YnCPl-ed-8txA8PhI6v7sDIVdMqteNWgSUtKCNcQCL0A/s1600/20190721_123256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAi4gqvhd5utjRlr3RsfIzSqS3SBAfS126lpmGEe4GXhXxJRwpcdISsns4rhuRHaLjUY71u5d50CcfymWGdhsDaT80I9iVZl8YnCPl-ed-8txA8PhI6v7sDIVdMqteNWgSUtKCNcQCL0A/s200/20190721_123256.jpg" width="112" /></a>
<li>Weed is 100% legal in Canada.</li>
<li>SQDC has a monopoly on the sale of recreational weed in Quebec.</li>
<li>There was also a long line here, but it moved relatively quick, and the inside was nice and bright. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Talking to people who will assume you speak French even if you are Asian but who are bilingual and can also speak English</b></li>
<li><u><b>Gay Village</b></u></li>
<ul>
<li>Close to Sushi Momo </li>
<li>Has a Copper Branch</li>
<li>A lot of cool artwork and displays</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/27953568?source_impression_id=p3_1579482637_Vhf2zepoSuVg%2FxRc">An Airbnb in Repentigny</a></b></li>
<li><b><u>Eat vegan food</u> </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Canada is way ahead of the curve and even has vegan chains.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<u>Not Worth It:</u> </h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-banquise-montr%C3%A9al-2?hrid=yWcOqZGlevoa_b4hez95nQ&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">La Banquise</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>
<u><b><br /></b></u></h3>
<h3>
<u><b>Food:</b></u> </h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/lov-mcgill-montr%C3%A9al-2?hrid=ZqMpOdOXoQnWjNMvb48MhQ&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Lov</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-momo-v%C3%A9g%C3%A9talien-montr%C3%A9al?hrid=O66WbfkAj7aZdWuXhuGVZg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Sushi Momo</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/copper-branch-montr%C3%A9al-29?hrid=YGH-6WG-9Smh0sMd4bXDxg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">Copper Branch</a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><u>Philadelphia</u></b></b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH6Tp2H_lgEREre8MPhKoZ1_MqVVRT_pfybpt6SACaZyG_ZpZaMbXx5wtOpreMoTPaviG2s4UZnZItqkwIJ8Mqm5FyKgy1zTYy-viqZNec_alKETAJBXhT77a4AYnVAeYCQjOezlv9_s/s1600/20190724_173537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH6Tp2H_lgEREre8MPhKoZ1_MqVVRT_pfybpt6SACaZyG_ZpZaMbXx5wtOpreMoTPaviG2s4UZnZItqkwIJ8Mqm5FyKgy1zTYy-viqZNec_alKETAJBXhT77a4AYnVAeYCQjOezlv9_s/s320/20190724_173537.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><u><b><u><br /></u></b></u></b></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Must Do:</u> </h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><u><b>Philadelphia Magic Gardens</b></u> $8 admission-buy tickets in advance, and do it for the gram. Honestly, this was the only thing in Philadelphia we ended up doing besides eating at Hipcity Veg. Nothing else really captured my eye, and parking was a bitch during a midday afternoon, so we didn't go anywhere else like the Liberty Bell. Everything else the city had to offer, we had already experienced elsewhere. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<u>Not Worth It:</u></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Hipcity Veg</u></b> There's no reason to go here if you live in DC. A Hipcity Veg in its birthplace is no different than a Hipcity Veg elsewhere. </li>
</ul>
<br /></div>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-10696912279350215662019-07-30T15:08:00.003-04:002019-07-30T19:23:29.713-04:00The Best Vegan Poutine in Montreal<i><b>"hehe the only thing I know about montreal is.... poutine"</b></i><br />
<br />
When traveling I, like most others, start by researching popular tourist attractions and the local food scene. I can usually and quickly find sensory experiences on TripAdvisor and food options by searching for "Vegan Food" on Yelp. By only searching for vegan food, I filter out a lot of restaurants. However, with Montreal it was a different story.<br />
<br />
I had heard of poutine before, but it never really stayed on my mind as a must-have because it wasn't a vegan dish. Little did I know how vegan-friendly Montreal and Canada was. After my boyfriend mentioned poutine, I immediately did a Google search to see if there was indeed vegan poutine. I stumbled upon this list by Miranda Cipolla, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/best-of-mtl/8-restaurants-in-montreal-where-you-can-get-poutine-yes-vegan-poutine">https://www.mtlblog.com/best-of-mtl/8-restaurants-in-montreal-where-you-can-get-poutine-yes-vegan-poutine</a>, the only list of its kind, and thus our quest to find the best vegan poutine in Montreal began (and how our meals in Montreal were subsequently planned).<br />
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1. <b>LOV.</b> The first stop on our Montreal trip was the first place on Miranda's list: LOV. When researching LOV and many of the restaurants on the list, I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple locations: Canada is so vegan-friendly, it has vegan chains! Although, the multiple locations became super confusing when trying to correspond locations on Google maps with the ones on the list. Adding to the confusion was the language barrier between French and English. Thankfully, LOV McGill was easy enough to remember so in the GPS it went. However, upon seating and looking at the menu, poutine was no where to be found. My boyfriend asked the waiter if they had poutine, and he responded with "Sorry, we don't have poutine." This is a good time to note that I did not thoroughly research the poutine list before our trip, which is very unusual for a planner like me. I somehow figured we would wing it depending on our location. Thus, when the waiter told us there was no poutine, I thought poutine had permanently been removed from the menu. It was only later when researching for this story that I realized poutine was only absent from the weekend brunch menu. Nevertheless, I was not deterred in the moment because we still had seven restaurants left on the list, and we shared a delicious apple french toast at LOV.<br />
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2. <b>LOLA ROSA.</b> After walking Old Montreal and downtown Montreal, we were ready to try again. Because the #2 spot on Miranda's list was outside Montreal, we tried going to next spot, Lola Rosa. This is when Google Maps really tripped me up-again, another failure due to my lack of planning-because all the Lola Rosas had different names-four compared to LOV's two. Additionally, all of the addresses were given to us in English on Google, whereas they were French on the list and Yelp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RkJ47M7fmuF9qAikjninxbYPXDfFXPh3Xnelip8Q8GS3ZoW4iebuAcA40KU2SEvBA254NMTotCasuB6ZJ-Dgp2DEMrBKrdRFlXBBESUlslLJZM5-L_YM33SZiBzZ_akk5u1ij2VEV0U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+2.55.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="388" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RkJ47M7fmuF9qAikjninxbYPXDfFXPh3Xnelip8Q8GS3ZoW4iebuAcA40KU2SEvBA254NMTotCasuB6ZJ-Dgp2DEMrBKrdRFlXBBESUlslLJZM5-L_YM33SZiBzZ_akk5u1ij2VEV0U/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+2.55.52+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I ended up choosing the location closest to us at the moment, but there was no parking nearby, so we just gave up because by then I had already planned for us to go to another poutine place on the list-La Banquise-where my boyfriend could try and compare non-vegan and vegan poutine side-by-side.<br />
<br />
3. <b>LA BANQUISE. </b>La Banquise is situated outside downtown Montreal and has no other location, so it was pretty easy to find and park nearby. It was also the perfect dinner spot before we headed further north towards our Airbnb in Repentigny.<br />
<br />
La Banquise is a poutinerie, meaning it specializes in poutine. At the #8 spot, it is the only poutinerie and non-vegan restaurant on Miranda's list. Upon arriving at La Banquise, you will see a sign at the front of the line informing guests of the accepted forms of payment, which was very smart and considerate. If you do not have Canadian cash or debit, they have conveniently provided an ATM in a corner next to the entrance.<br />
<br />
After we converted our money, we were seated outside where our server informed us alcohol would not be served. I was kind of mad at my boyfriend, who's allergic to alcohol, for agreeing to this because I wanted beer with my poutine, but I didn't want to inconvenience the staff or wait any longer for this delicacy. The menu had plenty of customizable options, so essentially any poutine could be made vegan, but because this was our first poutine experience, we opted for the "La Classique." They also offer non-poutine options if you're interested in non-potato foods.<br />
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"La [Classique] Véganomane" was very visually appealing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuBuHdkfrEmRv6uRUZ8PgR-DAmGyw2vl_lX7K2fnyWI5NBVgGVsR07YA1Gl0C7IioolxcGhT1iBanGfAGzLpU7by6SiV3VqlrPSjjbJk7VQca1mcesuQoz5RzlMIYuscvrQ98T2AIe9Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+4.49.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1265" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuBuHdkfrEmRv6uRUZ8PgR-DAmGyw2vl_lX7K2fnyWI5NBVgGVsR07YA1Gl0C7IioolxcGhT1iBanGfAGzLpU7by6SiV3VqlrPSjjbJk7VQca1mcesuQoz5RzlMIYuscvrQ98T2AIe9Y/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+4.49.20+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, its taste did not live up. The vegan gravy was bland, and the mozzarella cheese shreds were not fully melted (traditional poutine is made with melted cheese curds). Even the fries themselves had no flavor. I later bought a beer at a convenience store, which made stomaching these leftover fries easier, but I left La Banquise with the possibility that poutine just wasn't for me like how restaurant tacos aren't for me.<br />
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4. <b>57 CALS. LOLA ROSA (again). VEGAN RAPIDE. & L'GROSE LUXE VEGE. </b>With internet at our Airbnb, I finally did the proper research on the list. I found out that the #2 and #6 restaurants on the list, 57 Cals and L'Grose Luxe Veg, had closed since the list's 2017 publication, so while vegan restaurants were more prevalent in Canada, they were also highly volatile. With three restaurants remaining on the list (Lola Rosa, Vegan Rapide, and Copper Branch), I decided to forgo Lola Rosa because its poutine appeared to be the same as La Banquise's. The Vegan Rapide location on Miranda's list also used shredded cheese, but I found another Vegan Rapide location using vegan cheese curds. I was prepared to order the Orbit Poutine, which came highly recommended by Yelp, with seitan, minced vegan meat, mushrooms, and caramelized onions, despite initially avoiding the restaurant because of its fast food moniker. The next morning came, and my faith in poutine was temporarily restored, but when we arrived at Vegan Rapide, it was closed-permanently. Sadness overwhelmed me to the point of not knowing what to do next, but luckily there was one restaurant left on the list-Copper Branch. <br />
<br />
5. <b>COPPER BRANCH </b>Copper Branch wasn't my first choice for several reasons: 1. It was the most chain-y of the list-I had to endlessly scroll on their website to find the location I wanted. 2. It had the worst ratings on Yelp (the location closest to Vegan Rapide had 3/5 stars because a reviewer saw an employee eating a popsicle while preparing his food lol). 3. Their poutine-made with a mushroom gravy and cubed potatoes instead of fries-was the least traditional. Despite all of this, Copper Branch ended up having the best vegan poutine in Montreal. Neither my boyfriend or I expected our last ditch effort to fulfill this quest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUx6aKIYZdATSxun8LliceY0viYC9uslmVx2cIqOGiCNSK4PB67-8PrrOGOL-2aKGaJv-c7thZirFfF18aDn8S_mtWxQbfxN8xIf60qKlsatZiGvCOY8LIQ5EN_jCZeEo741kqmmsu3I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+5.50.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1267" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUx6aKIYZdATSxun8LliceY0viYC9uslmVx2cIqOGiCNSK4PB67-8PrrOGOL-2aKGaJv-c7thZirFfF18aDn8S_mtWxQbfxN8xIf60qKlsatZiGvCOY8LIQ5EN_jCZeEo741kqmmsu3I/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-30+at+5.50.13+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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For a different experience, we opted for the sweet potato poutine first. It was a game changer, as the sweet flavor contrasted perfectly with the savory gravy and cheese, which actually melted. It was so good, we regretted not ordering a large, but we ordered a potato one to try too. The potato one was not as distinct, but it was still good because of the gravy, which I deducted as the key to a good poutine. </div>
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So to conclude, don't put all your blind trust into a list, especially if it's outdated. Do your own research. However, I wouldn't have had my vegan poutine experience any other way. If it weren't for the horrible poutine at La Banquise, I wouldn't have looked on Yelp for nearby vegan restaurants and discovered Sushi Momo, the best vegan sushi in North America nor would I have given Copper Branch's sweet potato poutine a try-what if I had tried LOV's poutine and been satisfied with plain potato poutine?! I'd still like to go back to LOV to try to their poutine but from what I've eaten, you can't go wrong with Copper Branch's vegan sweet potato poutine. With so many locations, it's highly unlikely it will disappear after reading my list! After visiting for two days, my boyfriend and I know a lot more about Montreal now: everyone is bilingual and assumes you speak French even if you're Asian; it is home to the largest permanent Barbie exhibit in the world; their grocery store juices are fresher and better; their Starbucks equivalent, Tim Horton's, serves Beyond meat; it is the birthplace of poutine, and last but not least, it has a lot of dank vegan food, including poutine. </div>
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*For prices, please visit <a href="https://en.lov.com/our-menus#our-menus-1">LOV</a> and <a href="http://www.labanquise.com/en/poutine-menu.php">La Banquise's</a> websites. </div>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-48646083194758655392019-06-22T19:46:00.000-04:002019-07-26T10:02:59.122-04:00We Can't Trust Robots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for atm" height="300" src="https://img.etimg.com/thumb/height-480,width-640,msid-65407250,imgsize-254697/atm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In this edition of I can't write a review for this place on Yelp:<br />
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As a child of the 21st century, I have a blind trust in computers, so I never understood why my mom would calculate her bank deposits with blank ink on her hand before turning her checks in with the teller. Machines are supposed to be smarter than us, more precise and error-free. That is until one betrays you.<br />
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Last weekend, I had $300 cash to deposit, and the ATM repeatedly counted it as $280. This was not the first time this particular ATM had counted my money wrong. On one occasion, it counted my total wrong the first time but corrected itself the second time around. I believe it counted it wrong on one other occasion, but I was not aware of it because of my blind trust: I had not counted the money myself to cross-reference with the machine, so I believed what the machine said even though the total did not make sense with the amount I was paid for my job. With the knowledge I've since learned, I realized I was gypped $20 by this ATM. However, at the time I blamed it on human error: my boss had counted wrong and not given me the correct amount of money. I couldn't believe a machine designed to make our lives easier had actually made it harder, as I repeatedly entered my money trusting the machine would fix its mistake.<br />
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After the machine counted my money wrong three times, I switched to another one. It counted my money correctly on the first try. There's hope for the robot race after all. I on the other hand will not let a machine have the upper hand again. I can't become a mindless human who allows technology to make my decisions for me. Otherwise, the robots will take over or those controlling the robots will.<br />
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Editor's note: I truly did not know it was possible for an ATM to miscount cash and that it was common for them to do so, hence my shock.The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-89228460002268444532018-08-16T00:38:00.001-04:002019-07-26T10:02:38.684-04:00All The Things I Loved About Crazy Rich Asians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2XzuNV__NZEy69x7WEU_208v0dAthx5-LCVxpUElWfkpL4G7Wh3s34G0eSejttYBrDBXuwPjJIA1LtvaIg83m87dve0FY5Oe7e93UXhJhf-4M55rI4BZ7JqNlkbXhR1JJwUqHvec9yA/s1600/p06hhj8p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2XzuNV__NZEy69x7WEU_208v0dAthx5-LCVxpUElWfkpL4G7Wh3s34G0eSejttYBrDBXuwPjJIA1LtvaIg83m87dve0FY5Oe7e93UXhJhf-4M55rI4BZ7JqNlkbXhR1JJwUqHvec9yA/s640/p06hhj8p.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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*An overwhelming sense of Asian American pride you'll get from watching the film if you're Asian American</div>
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*Seeing white people watch the film and actually caring about your story</div>
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*How badass the opening scene is</div>
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*Ronny Chieng from The Daily Show as Edison Cheng</div>
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*Henry Golding and Constance Wu in the wedding scene</div>
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*The feels</div>
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*All the hot Asian men</div>
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*Astrid Leong (my favorite character from the books) & Gemma Chan</div>
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*Again, the overwhelming sense of pride you'll get from watching it if you're Asian</div>
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*Just how beautiful the film is</div>
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*The last scene in the end credits and its hinting of a sequel</div>
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*Oh I forgot about Kina Grannis' surprise appearance as the wedding singer!</div>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-62202852431760773492018-08-10T16:49:00.002-04:002019-07-26T10:02:16.675-04:00Beyoncé and a Lesson on Accessibility: OTR II Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On July 27, I went to see Beyoncé and Jay-Z on their OTR II tour at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. I thought about buying tickets when the tour was announced but wasn’t convinced until I saw Beyoncé perform at Coachella. I also didn’t want to go alone, but after Coachella, I had to go, so I bought a ticket for my sister as well. It was only fair since she bought my Reputation ticket. <br />
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Because of my moderately low income, I bought the cheapest tickets available. I don’t have a choice. This has been my strategy since I started buying any type of ticket. As a result, I fail to ignore the location of the seat in relation to the stage for concert tickets and the departure times for airplane tickets, which has caused some stress in the past, but when I bought my OTR tickets, I thought I did good: “$50 for Beyoncé AND Jay-Z?! What a steal!” Little did I know, how much these billionaires had swindled me because my seats, for lack of a better word, sucked. <br />
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Two weeks earlier at the Taylor Swift concert, my sister and I had scouted our OTR II seats and thought they would be nicer than our Reputation seats because well, we’d actually get a seat, as opposed to standing room only. <br />
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As a result, we were in positive spirits when we sat in our seats for OTR. We were even closer to the stage than last time. That all changed when opening acts, Chloe x Halle came on, and we couldn’t understand a word they were saying, which was really disappointing because I think they’re really talented and wanted to hear their music. Yet, my sister and I were still optimistic: “Okay, maybe their sound engineers just suck, but Beyoncé and Jay-Z, they’re experienced veterans, so they’re going to sound awesome.” We were wrong because I couldn’t understand a word Jay-Z said throughout the entire concert. I only understood Beyoncé because I was more familiar with her songs (I thought Jay would sing more songs from his most recent album, 4:44, which was the only album I had listened of his, but he only sung “The Story of OJ” from it. They also didn’t sing any songs from Everything is Love except for “Apeshit”). <br />
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We couldn’t understand anything because all the speakers were frontwards facing, and according to my sister, sound waves travel in straight lines, so our positioning for Taylor Swift, while farther, was better because we were facing the stage.<br />
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To make matters even worse, we couldn’t even enjoy the visual show because we couldn’t see anything. We didn’t see them enter the stage because they entered at the center of the stage, which was blocked off by the screens, which were also all frontward facing and partially covered by speakers. As a result, we didn’t even get a clear look of the exclusive images of the Carter family during Beyoncé’s performance of “Perfect” (My favorite moment of the night even though I could never love a man the way Beyoncé loves Jay-Z. I also enjoyed “****** in Paris” and “Apeshit” aka the Jay-Z songs I was familiar with. Everything else I couldn't understand or I had already seen from Coachella i.e. it wasn’t anything new). <br />
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Taylor Swift’s screens were curved for those on the flanks of the stadium (see below).<br />
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Alas, my sister and I weren’t the only disappointed ones at FedEx Field on July 27. Our whole section was silent for the majority of the night. The party next to us even left before the concert was over. I had wanted to get there early so we could see the opening acts and get the most of our $50 tickets, but the whole experience was a bust. <br />
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Together, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are worth a billion dollars. There is no reason why they can’t afford to make their stages, screens, and speakers curved so everyone in attendance can hear and see. This is what accessibility is: providing an equitable experience for all. If celebrities really cared about their fans, then they would do this, but all they care about is maximizing their profits, so they can provide better lives for themselves, not us. Otherwise, why would bad concert seats exist? They don’t care about us, which is why we need to stop worshipping them. While we may not have the same talents as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, we have the same capability to improve ourselves and make the world a better place for others. That’s the message I took from this concert: how to make the world a more equitable and accessible place for all. <br />
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TL;DR: OTR II sucked. We couldn’t hear or see anything, and they didn’t even play any new songs. Celebrities are cancelled because they have the money to do something about this inaccessibility, yet they choose not to. Also, if these artists really cared about us, then they would end their concerts before public transportation stops running, so everyone can get home in a safe and timely manner, but they don’t, so we try not get trampled as we fight for a spot on the last Metro <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760817452647038604#_ftn1">[1]</a> and wait two hours to haul an affordable Uber home. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760817452647038604#_ftn2">[2]</a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760817452647038604#_ftnref1">[1]</a> OTR II was on the weekend so the Metro was still open when the concert ended. <br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760817452647038604#_ftnref2">[2]</a> Taylor Swift’s concert was on a Tuesday so the Metro was closed when the concert ended. The whole transportation situation was a mess. First, we had no idea what direction the Uber pick up zone was. Once we eventually got to the pick up zone, we had to wait at least two hours for the surge to go down from $80 to its normal price of $15. Then, the stadium staff wanted the Uber drivers to park and then call their customers, but this was not clearly communicated, as the drivers wanted us to meet them where they were in the pick up line. As a result, there was a lot of yelling and annoyance. Thankfully, our Uber driver wasn’t difficult and getting a ride home was the only blip in our Reputation experience. I wish I could say the same thing about our OTR II experience. <br />
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P.S. Jay-Z wore a headband. It was cute.</div>
The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-68889100421693160812018-07-05T02:18:00.000-04:002019-07-26T10:01:46.248-04:00I Wore a Push Up Bra for 7 Days <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My mind was awakened the day my friend Michelle went braless for an empire waist dress with a fitted bust.<br />
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Since that fateful moment two years ago, I’ve stopped wearing bras unless it was absolutely necessary to conceal my nipples. I’ve also abandoned my push up bras after realizing how much they cater to the patriarchy. <br />
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In the last year, I’ve essentially only worn three bras, which I would cycle through the week and wash every six months if I could even quantify it as such: a nude unpadded Hanes bra, which I stole from my mom because it was so comfortable, an old white Victoria’s Secret bra, and a more padded nude bra for when I want to feel “more feminine.” <br />
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I was wearing that bra when I humored my aunt and let her buy me something at Victoria’s Secret’s Semi-Annual Sale. Upon seeing the bra I was wearing in the dressing room-after I lazily asked why we had to try on the bras if I knew they were going to fit based on my size-she made me promise I would trash it. <br />
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It was like a real life episode of What Not to Wear, where I told her I wear whatever's comfortable: why wear a bra when I don’t have to? On this day, I happened to be wearing one because my shirt was thin. Otherwise, I see no purpose in bras other than to hide nipples and use them to make my boobs look bigger in order to attract men.<br />
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My aunt didn’t buy any of this, but I begrudgingly accepted because I’d be stupid not to accept two free Victoria’s Secret bras and because I had to admit, I did have a posture problem. Somehow, my aunt convinced me that wearing a push up bra would fix it. What better way to test this theory than to wear push up bras for a whole week. Plus, I promised my aunt I would wear the bras-otherwise she wouldn’t have bought them for me.<br />
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Day 1: <br />
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To start the challenge, I chose to wear my favorite, old mint Victoria’s Secret bra with lace details on the straps and bands, which I scored for only $15. However, I stopped wearing it because it was too pretty to wear, and I had nowhere pretty to go. Additionally, my lazy habits had caused it to become dirty, as I just threw it into the wash with all of my other clothes. To prevent it from becoming even dirtier, I stopped wearing it.<br />
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I felt my posture improve, and my heavy bag felt lighter than normal as I walked into work. Was it actually the bra’s magical work or the heightened focus on my posture? I didn’t have an answer at the end of the day, but I did successfully separate my pretty and everyday push up bras when I got home. <br />
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Day 2:<br />
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Suffering from the guilt of wearing a pretty push up bra to work the day before, I opted for a more everyday nude push up bra from Rue21. This was a newer bra I hadn’t really worn. I quickly remembered why: it’s too big for me. Another reason why I stopped wearing push up bras was because of the boob to push up bra gap. I didn’t like the idea of faking big boobs with air essentially.<br />
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Most push up bras don’t fit people with small boobs, even though these are the people who would benefit from them the most. Victoria’s Secret has done the best at catering to the itty-bitty titty crowd in my personal experience. The only positive from this new bra was the intact straps. At the end of the day, I decided to remove it from my closet. With two new better-fitting options, there was no reason to keep this one around. I now see the value of trying on bras and not buying them blindly simply because they’re in your size, especially when you’re trying a new brand. <br />
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Day 3:<br />
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Back to Victoria’s Secret, as a pink everyday t-shirt bra was appropriate for this day off from work. However, it seemed stupid for me to wear a bra at home under a t-shirt that completely hides my nipples. Nevertheless, I had to complete the challenge, so I re-adjusted the loose straps on my bra and sucked it up. I ended up taking a nap with the bra on, taking a shower, and putting it back on in order to film a video. Bras were never uncomfortable to me; I was just too lazy to wear one, especially when I didn’t have to. Although I do have to admit that it felt good to finally take it off. I also have to acknowledge that my figure did look better with a bra on.<br />
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Day 4: <br />
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Today, I wore the first push up bra I ever got: a hot pink and sequined 21st birthday gift from my friend Julie. I wanted to wear a pretty white lace bra, another new one from Rue21, but the straps were too short and the boob to bra gap wide. The nude one and this white one are from my mom, who bought them for me without realizing that not all 32As are created equal.<br />
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Both of my options were too pretty to wear on yet another regular day, but I was out of non-pretty push up bras. I still had my neon green extra push up bra, which I bought after my introduction to push ups, but it smelled and looked dirty, so I hand washed it with my two new bras: another reason why I stopped wearing bras; I thought they were such a hassle to wash. I was wrong though because I actually enjoyed hand washing them today. It was the first time in almost two years I hand washed something, and it was nice: I cleaned the bathroom sink, filled it with water and detergent, and Voila! Magic.<br />
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It’s a good thing I appreciate hand washing clothes now because the bra smelled after a day of cooking, washing dishes, moving and taking apart furniture as well as months without a wash. It was definitely too nice of a bra to wear with the same t-shirt I wore yesterday as well as do chores in, but it’s a good thing I did because otherwise, it would have never made it to the hamper. <br />
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Day 5: <br />
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I opted for the neon green extra push up bra from yesterday’s wash to match my teal Phofest shirt. Despite it being an extra push up bra, it was pretty comfy with only a narrow boob to bra gap. Good job, Charlotte Russe. Even though I just washed it, it smells bad again because I sweated simply from driving to the bank and the store. Posture update: it’s still pretty pathetic, so there goes my hypothesis. <br />
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Day 6:<br />
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I finally got into the new bras. I chose the soft pink one first because I love the double strap design and color. The second pair of straps are black with “Victoria’s Secret” printed in white. It is the first front-clasp bra I own. As a result, I had to drastically adjust the straps to get it to fit right. Do I just have an extra long torso or something? <br />
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My boobs definitely felt nice with the bra on, but I sweated just from going outside and moving my car. This is why I don’t wear bras if I don’t have to: I don’t want the extra laundry.<br />
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Day 7:<br />
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After yet another day from sweating, I was definitely over it because I didn’t put on a bra until 4:00 p.m., and I only did it because someone was coming to check out my coffee table. I probably should have done this challenge on days when I actually had to leave the house, but this new black one has a lattice racer back, so it’s definitely a more sporty and casual push up, perfect for days like this. <br />
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Bonus Day:<br />
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I had one non-strapless push up bra left and a day at work, so I wore it and lived to tell the tale of the Cosmopolitan black and pink embroidered push up bra with a front bow detail that makes boys think I have a B cup. The Victoria’s Secret sales associate who measured me when I was with my aunt also thought I was a B cup, so it’s not just boys who are clueless about bras and boobs. I knew the nude bra made me bustier. This black one makes me bustier because it is so friggin’ tight. As a result, my posture was slightly better because I had to stand and sit straight to keep the bra from suffocating me. It became more uncomfortable when I came home and started slouching. In the end, I was glad to rid my body of it and end my experiment.<br />
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I set on this challenge hoping to change my mind about bras and improve my posture, but the hot summer heat only made me want to wear less clothing. Push up bras do help me fill out my clothes and look more presentable like my aunt said it would, but I still haven’t found a good reason to start caring about my looks again other than to impress a man. Yes, I feel beautiful when I’m wearing a push up bra because they are undeniably cute, but I also feel beautiful when I’m not wearing one, and that’s what matters the most. <br />
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Femininity has a new meaning now, and it doesn’t have to include push up bras. Women want equal rights, and we’re going to get it without pushing our boobs together. Push up bra? Nah, I prefer pushing up the glass ceiling, but thanks, now I'll look damn good while doing it. I think I found my reason again.The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-69087123877131849312018-01-07T18:09:00.000-05:002018-03-11T00:42:27.544-05:00The Final Howl to Be VeganHappy new year, everyone: I'm writing this post to tell you guys that I've decided to leave Howl to Be Vegan behind in 2017 because I think my goal of showing the affordability and diversity of vegan food has been accomplished.<br />
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I hope you've learned that vegans eat more than salads. I don't even know the last time I ate a salad. There's so much edible plant foods the majority of the population haven't eaten tried. This is a great quote from <i>Eating Animals</i>, which I mention below: "Americans choose to eat less than .25% of the known edible food on the planet." Hopefully through this series you've been introduced to more foods like bottle gourd and colocasia gigantea, and hopefully I've dispelled the myth that eating vegan is costly. Yes, you can get a burger for $1 at McDonald's, but you can also get rice, potatoes, and beans for dirt cheap when you divide the costs per meal. Gary Yourofsky explains it perfectly in this video: <a href="https://youtu.be/7PR64HGJoyk?t=40s">https://youtu.be/7PR64HGJoyk?t=40s</a> (except I actually liked the taste of McDonald's). I'm paraphrasing, but "The same shit [but vegan] can be found at Taco Bell."<br />
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I'm also ending the series for selfish reasons because recording and documenting what I eat isn't really my forte. There are people who love doing this, but I'm not one of them. Nevertheless, you can continue keeping track of my restaurant reviews on my Yelp: <a href="https://chanhong.yelp.com/">https://chanhong.yelp.com</a>. <br />
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Additionally, once you know a few recipes, you can start repeating the same ones over and over again, which is totally fine. You should eat what you like, so ultimately it comes down to your preferences. One of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pY_nxcEXHQ">Jenn Im's weight loss tips</a> is to find the "healthy foods" you like and stick with it: you don't have to eat brussel sprouts if you don't like them. There are so many other vegetables for you to try. For example, I learned last year that I'm not really a fan of butternut squash unless they're pureed into a ravioli or something lol<br />
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If you want to continue hearing about my vegan experience, I have a playlist on Youtube called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpkiS2z67QBBDipO5Z0UIPSUUuNN_qo95">My Vegan Journey</a>," which I update with my own videos and videos from others that have helped me on my "vegan journey." There are so many great Youtubers you can learn from. One of my favorites right now is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV8d4At_1yUUgpsnqyDchrw">That Vegan Couple</a>. They do a lot of response videos, and they're honestly so sassy: I love it.<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLpkiS2z67QBBDipO5Z0UIPSUUuNN_qo95" width="560"></iframe>
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Additionally, there are so many amazing vegan cookbooks, documentaries, and books you can use as resources. I recently received <i>Chloe's Kitchen</i> as a Christmas gift and watched <i>What the Health </i>and <i>Forks Over Knives</i>. If you find <i>What the Health</i> to be sensationalist, then I suggest <i>Forks Over Knives</i>. They're both available on Netflix. Some books I've read but haven't advertised on my social include <i>Proteinaholic, Eating Animals, </i>and <i>How Not to Die</i>. I didn't publicize them because I weren't big fans of them, but you might enjoy them. The one book I do recommend is <i>The China Study</i>, which I did post about on my Instagram, so make sure you follow me <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justcallmechl_oe/">@justcallmechl_oe</a> to see the latest.<br />
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This is not the end of my "vegan activism" if you want to call it that-it's just not very practical for me to record everything I eat - good and bad (because vegan food like all foods has the good and the bad). I like to enjoy my food in the moment and not think about how I want to present it to my followers - just because I didn't record it, doesn't mean it wasn't delicious. I have hope that you will find vegan food accessible, affordable, and enjoyable without my continued guidance, but if you need that extra push, follow my sister <a href="https://www.instagram.com/luus_thebeef/">@luus_thebeef</a> if you haven't already done so. Trust me, she's so much better at this than I am.The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-50964308970876649532017-12-14T18:52:00.002-05:002018-03-11T00:57:46.281-05:00Howl to Be Vegan: Thanksgiving & ExamsHi everyone, it's been a while. Immediately after Thanksgiving, I had exams so I haven't had a chance to update this blog, but without further ado, here is the menu for our very first vegan Thanksgiving:<br />
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<b>Appetizer #1:</b></div>
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<i>Daikon radish, celery, carrot, cilantro, lime, and apple cider vinegar salad</i></div>
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Chef: My mom</div>
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<b>Appetizer #2:</b></div>
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Chả lụa chay</div>
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Chef: My aunt's mom</div>
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<b>Soup:</b></div>
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<i>Carrot, beet, daikon radish, chayote, tofu, and noodle vegetable soup</i></div>
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Chef: My mom</div>
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<b> Main Course:</b></div>
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<i>Bánh hỏi with Thug Kitchen's citrus marinade tofu, fresh herbs, cucumber, and soy sauce</i></div>
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Chef: My mom and sister</div>
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<b>Dessert:</b></div>
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<i>Raspberry oatmeal squares & cupcakes from Frostings in Richmond</i></div>
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Chef: My sister</div>
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Cupcakes courtesy of my aunt and uncle</div>
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<b>Leftovers & Meals Since Thanksgiving (not including fruit, although I will mention clementines because they're in season)</b><br />
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Because of exams, I wasn't able to cook any besides guacamole and carrot cake cookies from Thug Kitchen for a potluck this past weekend and braised melon (with tofu my sister fried) two days ago so everything listed is courtesy of my sister, mom, or grandma.<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;">A lot of strawberry toast crunch cereal with almond milk and seaweed and rice</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 leftover ramen packet</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Stir-fried broccoli with rice</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbz0akljSOB/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Chicken noodle soup with Beyond Meat chicken (my sister also made this before Thanksgiving because we were both feeling sick)</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBQv1wjX46/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, and parsley</a> (more like a snack)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcfEp-uD5BK/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Sweet potato, green bean, and tofu curry</a> with rice</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcfFA_9jeRh/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Roasted red wine potatoes and Korean potato salad</a> sandwiches</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcfFxLEDydx/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Broccoli cheddar soup</a> with rice</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcsal7FDv-f/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Wild rice with acorn squash and kale</a> (acorn squash is more buttery than butternut squash)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Rotini with pasta sauce, wine, and almond milk </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcs2qqJj5e2/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">Lentil, tomato, onion, and corn nachos with leftover guac</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcs3NwFjQzA/?taken-by=luus_thebeef">French toast with blackberry compote</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Japchae noodles with veggies</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Vegetable noodle soup</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Clementines</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Homemade hot chocolate</li>
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Wow! listing things is nice. Most of the ingredients we got from our mom. As a result, we have't spent more than $20 (individually) on groceries in a long time.</div>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-27358168796752980102017-11-22T01:50:00.000-05:002018-03-11T00:58:03.918-05:00Halloween BTSMy outfit inspiration came from Ari's performance at A Concert for Charlottesville, which I had the pleasure of attending. It was my second time seeing her perform this year. I had a grey sports bra, so that was easy to imitate. Replicating her signature ponytail was not as easy. My arms got tired from trying to lift my hair up as high as possible, and in the end, it just fell into a regular ponytail. I would have needed extensions to get the hair exactly right. For the makeup, I tried to follow a video tutorial with the makeup I had. You can't even see my eyeshadow in the final black and white image, which is actually good because I did not have a red-brown eyeshadow like the Youtuber or Ari. I think the most important part was the winged liner and full lashes, which I think I nailed given my supplies. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5l61H8MEF50aGrgTmSD739x4K_WS-8T0ex3YC08kl_fjL3-q0pQgYnz95ykeig_SMKcJ6qyYhQF5jnFi3jRyscVe7ygB7608dm2OPi-FvFx9bPsOeFiPgsis2WDCzZaT9XZz9YLYCok/s1600/44B05C9300000578-4916058-image-m-33_1506310554460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="634" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5l61H8MEF50aGrgTmSD739x4K_WS-8T0ex3YC08kl_fjL3-q0pQgYnz95ykeig_SMKcJ6qyYhQF5jnFi3jRyscVe7ygB7608dm2OPi-FvFx9bPsOeFiPgsis2WDCzZaT9XZz9YLYCok/s400/44B05C9300000578-4916058-image-m-33_1506310554460.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outfit inspo</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iHWdT_A7XJ0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iHWdT_A7XJ0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YDG4ZeAHw_1VEveH5Y0ZJs6EcRt6V8AcdkLXvt8IeXhNpD51vAMNc5YA6cORph_0cR9rYX3QpTNp6FRseIuymEN1xur4Jui2yXmDMGcOr91-7OAdrHfyyB1YwZse97UwUR29TqB-MrM/s1600/20171028_205711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YDG4ZeAHw_1VEveH5Y0ZJs6EcRt6V8AcdkLXvt8IeXhNpD51vAMNc5YA6cORph_0cR9rYX3QpTNp6FRseIuymEN1xur4Jui2yXmDMGcOr91-7OAdrHfyyB1YwZse97UwUR29TqB-MrM/s400/20171028_205711.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kind of look like a boxer, but check out the makeup.</td></tr>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-74528692744610945222017-11-21T14:50:00.002-05:002018-03-11T00:42:15.675-05:00Howl to Be Vegan XI: Pre-Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqZ0546LI_hce7i6TspNiBwuUXI_PkumWE0656_1qj3MKpWmpnJk_o6lX8vycOrCeWjkNsZIYQOjOncrNCzUHMJ9zneponGgA7woNNERSIpAsiMKHkDYL4yyGtCQe-PAxvROk9PcRqOA/s1600/IMG_20171120_195243_509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqZ0546LI_hce7i6TspNiBwuUXI_PkumWE0656_1qj3MKpWmpnJk_o6lX8vycOrCeWjkNsZIYQOjOncrNCzUHMJ9zneponGgA7woNNERSIpAsiMKHkDYL4yyGtCQe-PAxvROk9PcRqOA/s400/IMG_20171120_195243_509.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I made $50 in cold hard cash doing experiments at the business school, so I was finally able to buy groceries again! The original plan was to go home for a high school teacher's 50th birthday party, but my sister and I saw the guest list and was like "Nope, our anti-social asses can't handle an event with this many unknown people." While home, we were going to eat our mom's food for free and bring back more ingredients. Luckily with the timing of the studies, it all worked out: we could avoid an uncomfortable social situation and eat comfortably for the week.<br />
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For the last few days before the studies and before I was able to go grocery shopping and cook, I ate fermented bean curd, rice, and cucumbers to sustain myself during dinner (the cucumbers were 2/$1 at Kroger. I also bought bananas to eat with oatmeal and sustain myself during breakfast). The rice was still soft even though I had made it who knows how long ago #amazing.<br />
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On Saturday, I made vegan brownies for a Vegan Potluck hosted by various vegan-affiliated groups on grounds. The potluck was at such an odd-time: 2-4 p.m., so it was during the UVA-MIA game in which we were leading. As a result, after I brought the brownies and grabbed a plate of food, I snuck out. No one noticed. The food was okay, and we ended up losing. My favorite dish was a pecan pie. I had to eat bean curd again because the plate was not enough to serve as my lunch and dinner.<br />
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Sunday consisted of another potluck: my cousin and her roommate's. For this one, I made <a href="https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-cauliflower-mashed-potatoes/">mashed cauliflower and potatoes</a>. My sister had extra parsley from her <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-meatless-loaf.html">vegan meatloaf</a> dish, which she made for the potluck, so I added it to the mashed potatoes for extra flavor. Someone else also made mashed potatoes even though they didn't indicate so on the spreadsheet, so I still have leftovers :P I have made this recipe before so I knew it was good (same with the brownies). The only thing I could eat at the potluck was my mashed potatoes, my sister's meatloaf, some green beans, and cranberry sauce. I also ate two pieces of yeast bread before realizing yeast bread contains butter and eggs. It was really sad. I was hungry at the end the night. How to not overeat over Thanksgiving: go vegan. P.S. The meatloaf is a little on the sweet side.<br />
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Anyways, I also used Sunday to make food for the rest of the week, and this time I actually planned, which really helps with saving money. I turned to my trusty Good Housekeeping cookbook and made the following dishes: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/7o8r5rzuwz2vwlw/20171121_141558.jpg?dl=0">Bow Ties with Butternut Squash and Peas</a> and <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/6aoz1vuyze654j2/20171121_141520.jpg?dl=0">Stovetop Chili</a> (click on the hyperlinks to see the recipes).<br />
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Let's talk about the Bow Ties first. I actually used a 12 oz. box of bow ties because they don't sell 16 oz. boxes at my Kroger. That was $1. The butternut squash was $1/lb, and the frozen peas were also $1. I replaced the half-and-half/light cream with almond milk ($2.79 for a half gallon) and actually ended up pureeing the butternut squash because after tasting it, I remembered I don't like butternut squash. I used enough milk and vegetable broth (from my sister's meatloaf) so that it would blend. For the fresh sage leaves, I used ground sage, which my sister had just bought for her meatloaf, and last but not least, I excluded the parmesan.<br />
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For the Stovetop Chili, I followed the recipe verbatim, except my sister added her leftover tomato paste from the meatloaf to it yesterday. Before my sister added the paste, it was a lot liquid-y than I expected, but it tastes fine with rice. Although my sister thinks both dishes are bland. She made some cornbread to go along with it too, so add cornmeal to the list of pantry items now gone. Anyways, here are some prices for the chili recipe:<br />
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Onion: $~2 for a 5lb bag<br />
Chili powder: $1 Kroger brand<br />
Cumin: super cheap at Aldi (we bought it when we went home)<br />
Coriander: $2<br />
Jalapeno: I put it in the green bean bag and forgot to take it out to ring it up oops but it was pretty cheap regardless.<br />
Whole tomatoes: <$1/can (I think it was $0.89, but I'm not sure because I threw away the receipt forgetting about this blog).<br />
Green beans: $1.29/lb so less than $1 for 1/2 pound<br />
Sweet potatoes: $0.38/lb!!!!!<br />
Black beans: again <$1/can<br />
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In total, I spent ~$25 for everything I cooked this weekend. I only had to buy sugar for the brownies, and the potatoes were $2.50 for a 3lb bag. The cauliflower was the most expensive thing at $2.99 a head. This should feed me for at least a week maybe more considering how my mom is coming up for Thanksgiving later this week and cooking for us. My sister thought it was illogical that I made so much food given this fact, but hey, a girl's got to eat. I do have to say that the cold season (aka nothing can grow anymore) is making it very hard for me to eat fruit (I only bought three oranges from my grocery trip), but hopefully my mom can find some good fruit at Aldi and bring it up here.<br />
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Bonus: my sister made <a href="https://www.egglesscooking.com/vegan-orange-cranberry-muffins/">cranberry muffins</a> from the cranberries my cousin used as a garnish for her party punch. She used walnuts, which she bought for her meatloaf, instead of pecans, applesauce instead of a flax egg, and orange juice instead of a freshly squeezed orange. This is what we had in our pantry (the applesauce is also from our mom).<br />
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I also broke the no-spending rule enforced in my last post by buying a hoodie at TJMaxx, but that's another story you can see on my Youtube channel. It was only $10, but I justified it as a birthday gift to myself, which means I'm not buying liquid eyeliner anymore aka my original gift to myself. <br />
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Anyways, enjoy the pictures below (yes, this blog actually includes photos for once) and have a Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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<i>I'm saving a turkey's life for this and all Thanksgivings.</i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbvUPSODdCG/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Grateful for this vegan meatloaf: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-meatless-loaf.html #iaddedglaze #thanksgiving 🍁#vegan #veganeats #veganrecipes</a></div>
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A post shared by Almost Vegan (@luus_thebeef) on <time datetime="2017-11-21T01:45:02+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 20, 2017 at 5:45pm PST</time></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbvUunxjNPw/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">When your cousin gives you cranberry garnish in her punch, you make muffins. #vegan #veganrecipes #veganeats #thanksgiving https://www.egglesscooking.com/vegan-orange-cranberry-muffins/#vegandessert #isubbedtheflaxeggwithapplesauce</a></div>
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A post shared by Almost Vegan (@luus_thebeef) on <time datetime="2017-11-21T01:49:19+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 20, 2017 at 5:49pm PST</time></div>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-35570720547430549082017-11-21T13:31:00.002-05:002018-03-11T00:41:50.192-05:00Howl to Be Vegan Xbitter melon - an update from my last post - my mom braised it with sweet soy sauce this time, and it was so good compared to regular soy sauce! the sweetness really balances out the bitterness<br />
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guac - mom gave us four avocados - I used one of them for avocado and toast and the rest for guacamole. I also used the tomatoes and a lime she gave us. the only thing I bought was a red onion and the chips. I highly recommend Santitas Tortilla Chips - they're only $2 and made with three simple ingredients: corn, oil, and salt. other tortilla chip brands like Tostitos have milk in them, which is ridiculous! (wow, Frito-Lay actually owns both Santitas and Tostitos)<br />
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mac and cheese - while grocery shopping, I stumbled upon Annie's Vegan Mac & Cheese, so naturally I had to have it. it wasn't worth it. I ended up using it like rice and eating the bitter melon with it. I also had it with some guac, so basically it was good as a base not as a solo dish.<br />
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<a href="http://www.busboysandpoets.com/menu/">busboys & poets</a> - for my sister's birthday, we went to nova/dc to see Alton Brown Live and dinner at my favorite vegan restaurant. unfortunately, busboys also serves meat, but their vegan selection is so good, I keep coming back (I've been there more than 10 times and have introduced all my friends to it). what's funny is I didn't have a good first impression of busboys because the vegan crab cake made me sick (it's since been removed from the menu...), but the second time I had it (ironically with my sister), I was hooked. I had the vegan beef sliders made with lentils and soy protein (I believe). It was decent (I've had it before). they didn't put enough mayo on the patty so it was a little dry, but I fixed it with mustard and ketchup. I recommended the vegan tuna sandwich for my sister. The meal, which also included a side of sweet potato chips for my sliders and sweet potato fries for my sister, a mixed drink, a coffee, and a dessert only cost $54.52 with tip, which is not bad at all considering I once spent $40 on a meal at another vegan restaurant that I won't recommend.<br />
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<span class="yelp-review" data-hostname="www.yelp.com" data-review-id="YtkWRIXYf9i7FT9EwifowA">Read <a href="https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=EO49noCE6deJZXcf1Zrd0A" rel="nofollow noopener">Chanhong L.</a>'s <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/busboys-and-poets-shirlington-arlington-2?hrid=YtkWRIXYf9i7FT9EwifowA" rel="nofollow noopener">review</a> of <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/ZORmIIKt6UmITGq-r5FHyA" rel="nofollow noopener">Busboys and Poets - Shirlington</a> on <a href="https://www.yelp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Yelp</a><script async="async" src="https://www.yelp.com/embed/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span><br />
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After going HAM on all these restaurant meals (see previous posts), I realized that my bank account was drained (I have horrible foresight), so I decided I wasn't going to spend any money until my birthday (more on that in the next post). As a result, I couldn't spend any money on food, so we had to use whatever we had at home to sustain ourselves for the next week or so. Here's what we made:<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/38033/curried-cumin-potatoes/"><br /></a>
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/38033/curried-cumin-potatoes/">curried/cumin potatoes</a> - poBAEtoes - what more do I have to say? they're cheap, versatile, and tasty. they can also be supplemented with rice for a more calorie dense meal aka you won't feel hungry after eating this dish. my sister used cumin powder instead of cumin seed, but it was fine. she also added tomatoes and lentils to the recipe.<br />
<br />
pesto - mom gave us more herbs, so my sister made pesto again. she used the last of the walnuts in the last pesto batch, but she just replaced it with sunflower seeds and peanuts from my pantry, and it tasted the same to me. we ate it with penne. I also made the bow tie dish again because of leftover tomatoes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/vegan-gnocchi-roasted-onion-cream-sauce/">gnocchi</a> - "best gnocchi i ever had" - drake; my sister replaced the cashews with almond milk and peanuts aka what we had in our pantry #poBAEtoes<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mymidici.com/">free pizza</a> - midici opened in charlottesville and gave away free margherita pizzas; the 50 minute wait was worth it because we would have starved otherwise. because the margherita pizza has cheese on it, they let me substitute pineapple. I would never pay for the pizza though: it was mediocre and needed the extra toppings e.g. garlic, salt, pepper, etc. the restaurant provides on the side. the ambiance is 10/10 though.<br />
<br />
pesto pizza - my sister and I were actually going to go to Midici again for a Yelp Elite event, but we were over it after the free pizza + there's only one option for me so it's not worth the time especially when I had homework and a UVA basketball game was on; my sister did make her pesto pizza again though. She used kale, mushrooms, my leftover red onion from the guacamole, and a grocery store tomato (aka not one from our dad's garden because we ate them all) as toppings. I'm pretty sure these are the same toppings from the <a href="http://theminimalistsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2017/09/howl-to-be-vegan-part-iii.html">last pesto pizza</a> she made. she over salted the first pizza, but the second one was good.<br />
<br />
black bean burger - the same night my sister made the pesto pizza, I cheated and spent money at an on-campus cafe except it was money I already spent i.e. I used my student card, which had money I previously deposited into it to buy a textbook. i stayed up really late the previous night doing homework and was really stressed, so I figured I would treat myself and treat myself I did: I added veganaise to the buns, and it was the most gluttonous black bean burger I ever ate. I had chest pains after eating it + along with the side of fries. the meal was only $6 too.<br />
<br />
hummus - lastly, I made the hummus in my <a href="http://theminimalistsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2017/08/howl-to-be-vegan-part-i.html">first "Howl to Be Vegan" post</a> because I had leftover chips from the guacamole and cannellini beans lying around for this exact moment. i didn't have an actual lemon, but I used lemon juice from the fridge and adjusted the taste with peanut butter, a lot of garlic, and other spices. after I ran out of tortilla chips, I finished the hummus with my roommate's leftover pretzel chips.<br />
<br />
I also had about four ramen and cereal dinners during this time period, so our pantry is pretty wiped out at this point. Updates are coming in the next post.<br />
<br />
Edit: I totally forgot that I got pho at <a href="http://www.vunoodles.com/index.html">Vu Noodles</a>, arguably the only Vietnamese restaurant and one of the few vegetarian/vegan-only restaurants in town.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba7lknplfIg/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">@vunoodles pho available Tuesdays and Fridays during lunch at the Jefferson School City Center #notsponsored #vegan</a></div>
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A post shared by Chanhong Luu (@justcallmechl_oe) on <time datetime="2017-10-31T23:36:00+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 31, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT</time></div>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-25620514523572950102017-10-30T23:24:00.002-04:002018-03-11T00:42:49.130-05:00Howl To Be Vegan Part IXFirst, I forgot to include some home-cooked meals my sister made in my previous posts.<br />
<br />
september 27 <a href="http://chanhedathepoet.blogspot.com/2017/10/butternut-squash-ravioli-recipe.html">ravioli</a><br />
<ul>
<li>Good but super doughy because we don't have a pasta roller-my sister gave up trying to make the ravioli and just made dough balls with sauce</li>
<li>My sister actually wrote a blog post about her experience! Check it out here: http://chanhedathepoet.blogspot.com/2017/10/butternut-squash-ravioli-recipe.html</li>
</ul>
october 11 <a href="https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-potato-pancakes/">potato pancakes</a><br />
<ul>
<li>This was more of a snack than a meal. </li>
<li>The onion to potato ratio was off, so the pancake was super onion-y but nothing ketchup couldn't fix!</li>
</ul>
<br />
october 12 <a href="http://www.simple-veganista.com/2013/08/quinoa-white-bean-veggie-burgers.html">quinoa burger</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bax0N6DD4MF/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Vegan burger - get the hearty filling without the bad feelings 🍔. http://www.simple-veganista.com/2013/08/quinoa-white-bean-veggie-burgers.html #veganeats #veganrecipes #vegan</a></div>
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A post shared by Almost Vegan (@luus_thebeef) on <time datetime="2017-10-28T04:31:34+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 27, 2017 at 9:31pm PDT</time></div>
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<ul>
<li>I don't think I'm a fan of quinoa, but any burger is good with mayo spread on a toasted bun and tomatoes. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Next, here is the food I've been eating since my last post.<br />
<br />
october 18 <a href="https://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-pasta-alfredo/">fettucine alfredo</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BamBflQjrim/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Vegan fettuccine Alfredo with peppers and broccoli- who said vegans can't eat creamy foods? http://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-pasta-alfredo/ #vegan #veganrecipes #veganeats</a></div>
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A post shared by Almost Vegan (@luus_thebeef) on <time datetime="2017-10-23T14:36:41+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 23, 2017 at 7:36am PDT</time></div>
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<ul>
<li>Once again courtesy of my sister</li>
<li>Pasta is cheap and cauliflower and plant-based milk makes stuff creamy. </li>
</ul>
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october 21 <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/1-pot-red-lentil-chili/">chili</a> and <a href="https://food52.com/recipes/31697-no-fuss-vegan-cornbread">cornbread</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BamBDIqjV_6/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Vegan chili with vegan cornbread for the southern gal in me. https://minimalistbaker.com/1-pot-red-lentil-chili/ and https://food52.com/recipes/31697-no-fuss-vegan-cornbread #veganeats #food #veganrecipes #vegan #veganshare</a></div>
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A post shared by Almost Vegan (@luus_thebeef) on <time datetime="2017-10-23T14:32:48+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 23, 2017 at 7:32am PDT</time></div>
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<ul>
<li>Hearty without the meat</li>
<li>The last thing my sister cooked</li>
<li>I got mad at her because she forgot to buy chili powder, and I was like "How can you make chili without chili powder?!" Her rebuttal was "Chili powder is just a blend of spices, and we have most of those spices." As a result, she replaced the chili powder with the same amount of cayenne pepper. As you can guess, it came out really spicy, but she added more tomato paste, and it was all good (although it kind of tasted better spicy).</li>
<li>The cornbread was really bitter by itself because she added 1 tablespoon instead of 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, but it was fine with the chili. </li>
</ul>
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october 21 mom sent with my aunt, braised bitter melon, gourd, and tofu, which I ate with rice for the week<br />
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october 22 taste of china with the uncle and sister<br />
<br />
<span class="yelp-review" data-hostname="www.yelp.com" data-review-id="cUmpBn46WaDegvMajAi7Ng">Read <a href="https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=EO49noCE6deJZXcf1Zrd0A" rel="nofollow noopener">Chanhong L.</a>'s <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/taste-of-china-charlottesville?hrid=cUmpBn46WaDegvMajAi7Ng" rel="nofollow noopener">review</a> of <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/5GSqmlyxPTs5LgyGkduH-w" rel="nofollow noopener">Taste of China</a> on <a href="https://www.yelp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Yelp</a><script async="async" src="https://www.yelp.com/embed/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span>
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october 26 mellow mushroom with the sister for trivia night<br />
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<span class="yelp-review" data-hostname="www.yelp.com" data-review-id="mLJ7GCunauQ7mrXyd54A2Q">Read <a href="https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=EO49noCE6deJZXcf1Zrd0A" rel="nofollow noopener">Chanhong L.</a>'s <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/mellow-mushroom-charlottesville-4?hrid=mLJ7GCunauQ7mrXyd54A2Q" rel="nofollow noopener">review</a> of <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/jmay81hcvvaE7sUTos4SsQ" rel="nofollow noopener">Mellow Mushroom</a> on <a href="https://www.yelp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Yelp</a><script async="async" src="https://www.yelp.com/embed/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span>
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october 27 roots with Sari!<br />
<ul>
<li>I got The Southern as is this time.</li>
<li>It was super yummy as always. </li>
</ul>
october 28 hibachi with the parents & sister<br />
<ul>
<li>Not vegan-friendly but we went for my parents' birthdays</li>
<li>Mom also brought <a href="http://theminimalistsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2017/09/howl-to-be-vegan-parts-iv-vii.html">canh chua</a> with okra, bac ha, mong toi (see below), and tofu; stir-fried tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and fried tofu; and braised bitter melon and fried tofu (I apologize for the inconsistent use of Vietnamese accents in this blog)</li>
<ul>
<li>I yelled at her for always including tofu, and she said all you have to do is use your words and tell me, which was valid. She also said she saved it for me when she could have eaten it herself or not buy it at all and that my dad likes it too AKA giving me tofu is a sacrifice she makes for me. My American ass just wants her to ask me if I want the tofu. I can never be a Vietnamese mom, but that's a different story. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
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october 30 </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>no class today so I boiled some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba">mồng tơi</a> from my dad's garden and ate it with ramen for dinner because it's too bland for me to eat it alone</li>
<ul>
<li>I also made a soup with some Chinese flowering cabbage or cai ngot (sweet lettuce) from my dad's garden - this will be eaten with rice (as always)</li>
</ul>
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-35533432338520367352017-10-30T21:24:00.003-04:002017-11-22T01:31:12.110-05:00Halloween 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760817452647038604.post-41200270632210316242017-10-16T01:08:00.001-04:002018-03-11T00:41:16.471-05:00Howl to Be Vegan [At Restaurants]I was too lazy to cook last week and I finally paid off my credit card debt, so I went ham on restaurant meals.<br />
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Here's what I ate (taken directly from my credit card statement):<br />
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<a href="http://www.lemongrassuva.com/">Lemongrass</a>: vegetable pad see ew with egg (they didn't take out the egg even though I asked them to, but I was too hungry to send it back)<i> 10/5 $11.03</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span class="yelp-review" data-hostname="www.yelp.com" data-review-id="JXfdF219E9qhfHOy_OLFQQ">Read <a href="https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=EO49noCE6deJZXcf1Zrd0A" rel="nofollow noopener">Chanhong L.</a>'s <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/lemongrass-charlottesville?hrid=JXfdF219E9qhfHOy_OLFQQ" rel="nofollow noopener">review</a> of <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/Pw5g2mh9q0JeMGbGkp0yRw" rel="nofollow noopener">Lemongrass</a> on <a href="https://www.yelp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Yelp</a><script async="async" src="https://www.yelp.com/embed/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span>
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="http://www.mezeh.com/">Mezeh</a>: completely customizable grains & greens bowl<i> 10/8 $9.78</i><br />
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<a href="http://revolutionarysoup.com/">Revolutionary Soup</a>: spicy senegalese peanut tofu soup with bread and black bean & spinach wrap <i>10/10 $8.51 (I had a 15% off coupon)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span class="yelp-review" data-hostname="www.yelp.com" data-review-id="BC_h5iUIbiOrn2zijhLNFA">Read <a href="https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=EO49noCE6deJZXcf1Zrd0A" rel="nofollow noopener">Chanhong L.</a>'s <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/revolutionary-soup-charlottesville-2?hrid=BC_h5iUIbiOrn2zijhLNFA" rel="nofollow noopener">review</a> of <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/V3KqjvO8Ns9spLmAVzUDhw" rel="nofollow noopener">Revolutionary Soup</a> on <a href="https://www.yelp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Yelp</a><script async="async" src="https://www.yelp.com/embed/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span>
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<a href="http://www.gotdumplingsandtea.com/">Got Dumplings</a>: tofu dumplings, seaweed salad (I don't recommend), and edamame <i>10/12 $9.65</i><br />
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<a href="https://lovinghut.us/">Loving Hut</a>: Thai tea bubble tea, "steak" salad, cheese sticks, and wonton noodle soup <i>10/14 ~$20</i> <i>(I split the bubble tea and salad with my sister) </i><br />
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Note: all prices mentioned are before tip (if applicable)<br />
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I cooked green beans and carrot and apple soup today because I should save my money to pay off my grad school loans. Here's a receipt of my Kroger bill. My sister's going to use the other ingredients to make vegan alfredo. We're relying on a lot of pantry staples like pasta.<br />
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P.S. It's really late, so I can't figure out a good way to format this post.<br />
<br />The Minimalist's Guide to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12311674718854657409noreply@blogger.com