For More Powerful Women

How come movies aren’t made about the girl making the first move (in a heterosexual relationship) and succeeding? How come whenever we hear about love at first sight, it’s always from the man’s point of view: “From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I knew she was the one” or “Mom, I just met my future wife” (Got that one from Stephen Colbert). Why do some boys who are friend zoned eventually get the girl, but girls who are friend zoned never get the guy? Are men more patient than woman? The only time I’ve heard of girls making the first move and succeeding in real life was when I read one of Cosmo’s Snap Stories a few days ago, and I can only recall two movies where the girl gets the guy and not the other way around. One was Korean: Twenty and the other was Definitely, Maybe: the only example I can recall of a girl being friend zoned but eventually getting the guy. Are these movies rare because these things don’t happen in real life? I mean Britney Spears proposed to Kevin Federline and looked how that turned out. I wonder these things because I’m genuinely curious if there’s a rational explanation for all of this and because I refuse to let the patriarchy win (and my “Oh my god I just met my future husband” moment die). These thoughts may be biased and irrational, but I think we can all agree that women need more power roles in Hollywood or at least receive acknowledgement for all the shit they do on a day-to-day basis.

Introverts Finish Last

Taken on an ideal Friday night

Everyone’s always talking about how “Nice Guys Finish Last,” but nice guys aren’t the ones who finish last, introverted girls are. Now I’m not saying finishing last is a bad thing because some introverts are definitely okay with being alone and choose to be single. It’s just no guy wants a girl who’s idea of an ideal Friday night is to stay in and play board games. Who’d rather stay in and read a book or write Yelp reviews. They want a girl who’s exciting. Who’s spunky. Who’s peppy, bright, lively, enthusiastic, yada yada yada. They want girls who like to dance. Who are able to talk to anyone about anything. The girl next door basically. I can dance and be sociable too, but it takes time for me to be comfortable enough around people to do those things, and guys these days don’t have the patience for that when the next girl is just a swipe away. This doesn’t necessarily fall under the introvert umbrella, but apathetic, blunt, sarcastic, and emotionless girls like April from Parks & Rec would never get the guy in real life!!! (maybe I should rewrite this as "Weird Girls Finish Last: Basic Ass Bitches Always Win.")

#WithRefugees

I’ve largely kept my political opinions private because well I’m not really into politics and I’ve maintained the optimistic view that Trump is just one man-he can’t actually do anything because checks and balances and all that shit we learned in 8th grade civics. Well, I was wrong, and I can’t be silent anymore because the recent immigration ban imposed by the United States of America is the most hypocritical thing our country has ever done (and we’ve done it multiple times): This country was founded by unwelcome immigrants. Immigrants who did more harm to the native people who inhabited this country first than any of the people Trump deems “dangerous” has ever done to our nation.

We as a people far too often misplace the cause of our issues, and we have yet to learn our mistakes. Muslims are not the cause of terrorism. I don’t know if we can ever pinpoint what exactly causes it or how to stop it, (I don’t know-maybe start with gun control), but I do know that when we act with kindness, we can do wonders, which is why I’m begging you America to stop this madness. Imagine if you were in their shoes. We can all act with kindness regardless of our political affiliation and level of political involvement.

All the people in this picture are refugees. They're also my family.

2016: Year in Review

2016 was the fastest moving year of my life. Here's what happened:

I started vlogging and realized I pronounce a lot of shortened words "wrong" like v-log/vlog, and B-B-Q/barbecue.

I witnessed the biggest snow storm ever.

I traveled on my own for the first time: to NYC with friends and to Colorado and California solo. It was my first time in NYC and Colorado, and my first time in California since I was 10 months old. 

I finally successfully applied eyeliner more than once. I even tried a smoky eye and didn't end up with a black eye. The secret is eye primer. I still haven't gotten the hang of mascara-it always looks clumpy on my eyelashes-or bronzer, but I added it to my makeup bag, so we'll see what happens in 2017. Most importantly, I finally learned how to take off makeup so I don't come out of the shower looking like a raccoon. Makeup remover cleansing towelettes are your friends. 

My life was almost like Friends except I needed the help of online dating apps to find dates. In twelve months, I extensively talked to about 10 guys (this number is important because I didn't know one had to go through so many people in order to find "the one"). I didn't go on dates with all of them, but as soon as I met some of them in real life, I knew whether or not it was going to work out. I'm a believer in love at first sight, so this kind of makes sense. 

I learned that some guys will ask you out but leave you hanging. Some will ignore you and hope you get the hint. Some will mutually know it's not going to work out. Some will ghost you and unghost you. Some only want you for your looks. And some will try really hard.

I also learned that I'm really good at breaking up with boys and that I could easily have a boyfriend if I lower my standards or am less picky. 

And last but not least, I learned to love unconditionally because no matter how much you love someone, you can't force them to love you back.

I spent a whole year being vegan and was dedicated to the cause more than ever-so dedicated that I kind of got into a fight with my sister about it (seems like I can't get through a whole year without having a huge fight with a family member). Being vegan also conflicted my relationship with a boy who didn't think we could have a relationship if I was vegan (he doesn't know how to cook). 

Unfortunately, I still don't know any vegans outside my family because I'm anti-social, etc., but I'm hoping to find more of them in 2017. I can't volunteer because of work, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to try some way to get involved in the community. 

I also missed Veg Fest because of the stomach flu :/ More on that later. 

In addition to learning how to apply and remove make up, I also learned how to cook through a lot of trial and error, which is what cooking is all about. I was pretty good when I was following a recipe (mostly from Vegetarian Meals: Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes), but I needed some practice otherwise. Even the best cooks mess up sometimes (I realized my mom's food never tasted the same).
I just got Thug Kitchen for Christmas, and I'm super excited to use it. 

My Instagram game stepped up at work (page coming soon), as my style (and closet-I finally got some sweaters) continued to grow (while my wallet shrunk).

I also showcased my rapping skills this year. Some people couldn't take me seriously, and some really disliked my rapping.

And of course I had to throw some social commentary in: 

I have a lot more to say, but I've been too lazy to write out my thoughts. Here's hoping 2017 will bring less procrastination (one of my resolutions is to make like Nike and "just do it").

Speaking of social commentary, I got into another big argument on Facebook when I shared one of Bon Appetit's articles (linked in the How You Should Eat Pho article) with the caption "My culture is not a trend." Let's just say a lot of people were on Bon Appetit's side. 

Outside of the internet and in the real world, I got sick...a lot...and realized how healthcare works. I made a video about this but didn't post it because 1. it was mostly me complaining about my medical bills 2. The election had just happened, and I didn't want to talk politics, but long story short, The Affordable Care Act has negatively affected me (I didn't know I could be on my parents' plan until I turned 26/I left my mom's insurance to save her money but ended up costing both of us more money-her rates went up when I left). 

If you want to hear the long story, read the next paragraph. If not, skip ahead. 

I never received any bills, so I thought my insurance covered everything. I was sent "Explanation of Benefits," but ignored them because I thought they were spam. I was notified of my prior bills (the ones that were never sent to me) by a collection agency, who charged me interest. I only logged into my insurance after receiving these bills. That was when I found all the ignored EOBS and learned what a deductible is and that mine is a lofty $2,000-a number that I will never reach, which means I'm wasting $40 a month on health insurance I'll never get to use because I can't afford to pay the fine for not having health insurance. For me, going to the doctor's without insurance is cheaper than going to the doctor's with insurance. The thing is all the ailments I had were self-diagnosed, but I had to go to the doctor's in order to be cured. I also went to the doctor's a couple more times than I had to because I thought it was free. How childish of me.

I received a fortune cookie that perfectly described this situation:

"Good health is a man's best wealth."

Never again will I go to the doctor's-even if I'm dying.

To end this reflection on a more positive note, 2016 was a year of personal growth or in Kylie Jenner's words, "realizing things." I became more independent thanks to Pokemon Go and a person mentioned above, who made me value "me" time. I became more mindful thanks to a couple of mindfulness books my uncle gave to me, and last but not least, I finally found people, including me, who value me.

One of the many nice pictures I have of 2016. 

Cheers, 2016-you weren't that bad as Buzzfeed made you out to be.

Edit: I was also really sad in 2016 because of said boy, which is why I had lulls in creativity, but it's 2017, and I'm done with that shit.

P.S.S. I also learned I'm allergic to cactus this year after eating tacos and breaking into hives. Good times. 

Traveling While Vegan

Destinations: Colorado & California

@ the airport

Airport food is not very vegan friendly, so you should definitely pack something to eat if you're going to be on a long flight. Food can be brought into security, but drinks cannot. Almost all airport restaurants are fast food restaurants, and no vegan fast food place has gone mainstream (yet). Reagan had a couple of vegan-friendly restaurants (&pizza, Cava), but I was so afraid of missing my flight that I didn't go explore. I eventually conceded to my hunger on my way to California and got a veggie sub without cheese at Denver International's Quizno's, but I'm not quite sure if the sandwich was vegan. I didn't feel like dealing with another uninformed cashier (more on that later), so I didn't bother asking whether the rest of the sub e.g. the dressing contained any animal byproducts. On the way home, I grabbed some oatmeal from McDonald's because the McDonald's was literally in front of my gate at Santa Ana. You'll have to ask for the oatmeal to be cooked in water not cream. Aside from oatmeal, the only other vegan thing at McDonald's is the apple pie. Their fries are not vegan because the oil they're cooked in contains beef. I stopped liking McDonald's fries a while ago without even knowing they were cooked in meat. It's like I subconsciously knew the fries weren't vegan.

in the city

Traveling while vegan in a major metropolitan city is easy. The only problem-I wasn't actually staying in a metropolitan city. My friend lives in between Denver and Boulder, two very vegan friendly cities. The town in between? Not so much. I usually have a lot of restaurants bookmarked on Yelp, but I figured since I was going to be a big city, I would simply type in "vegan" on the app, and quickly find a restaurant. In the words of Donald J. Trump, "WRONG!" My first meal in Colorado was a slice of pita bread with hummus-the variety pack-from Trader Joe's. I arrived pretty late so every restaurant was closed. We drove around trying to find a restaurant that was still open, but I said "Forget it. I'll just sleep my hunger off." The only vegan thing at my friend's was the pita. In the morning, we went to Boulder-where I thought my friend lived. I actually had a restaurant in mind that my uncle told me about when he recently visited Boulder. Unfortunately, the food there wasn't so good. You can read my full review of Leaf Vegetarian whenever I write it on Yelp. I got the french toast because I figured we would be getting savory later. For dinner, we did indeed get something savory, but I don't think my meal was completely vegan. We went back to the town in between to meet up with my friend's boyfriend and cousin, so there wasn't any purely vegan options. They tried to find somewhere with vegan options, but I was so hungry, I was fine with eating at the place we had planned to eat at the night before, Larkburger. I ordered the Amy burger with portobello mushroom and asked the cashier if it was dairy-free. He said "of course it is-it's vegetarian." *Face palm* because vegetarians can still eat cheese. He clearly did not know the difference between veganism and vegetarianism. I was not in the mood to correct him, and I was too hungry to not eat the burger, which definitely had mayo or some type of dairy product in the dressing. I looked up the nutritional guide after my trip, and the bread wasn't even vegan.

My first day in California was fine because I was in L.A. (more in my vlog below), but my second day was more of a struggle because I didn't do any research on Orange County (where I was staying) restaurants beforehand. Again, I trusted Yelp too much. I did eat a vegan lunch at Garbanzo's, where all the ingredients were clearly outlined in the glass panel, but I could've had that lunch back home. I wanted to go somewhere unique to the place where I was traveling, and this is where my lack of preparation failed me. I was too tired to research in the moment, so I just went with the first place my friend suggested. This also happened at dinner, where my hot pot was all cabbage with two tiny pieces of tofu. After my trip, I figured out where I should have gone: Sea Birds Kitchen. This restaurant shows up when you search "vegan" in Newport, but I missed it while in Cali because well who names a vegan restaurant after something you could kill and eat?

w/friends

Both of my friends were really considerate of my diet, but they didn't really understand it. I've been spoiled at home by my family and roommate, who always finds new foods and restaurants for me to try. My Colorado friend didn't fully understand what veganism was, and my California friend thought I only ate salads. I actually hate salads and think they're the worst food group ever invented, but that's a different story. Put simply, they didn't know what I ate, and I didn't really have an answer for them because I don't really eat anything different or special. I eat everything you do but without any products exploiting animals.

conclusion

This seems like a no-brainer, but when traveling (especially while vegan), prepare and plan in advance. Pack your food if you're going to be on a long flight because airport restaurants will not cater to you, and save all the vegan restaurants you can before you arrive at your destination-not after like me. If you're eating at a non-vegan restaurant, don't be afraid to ask for the ingredient list or to educate those who are unaware because how else will they learn?

Fall Haul

Spring Lookbook