My best conversations are with strangers

In the past two weeks, my best conversations have been with strangers. During the off hours of my yard sale, I chatted with a man in crutches who happened to stop by because he was taking his weekly stroll to Main street. We jabbered on about the sport of fishing and renovations going on in Alhambra. Everything boiled down to the simple answer "It's the bad economy." A few hours before, Mohommad came by again looking for a water boiler, the one that whistles when its ready. He had stopped by earlier that morning to pick up five dollar speakers (my dad had them in the garage for 10 years). I forgot what we talked about, but it felt like I've known him for years. But out of all the conversations I've had with these new faces, my 5 minute meeting regarding vinyl application printing turned 2 hour meeting about the idiosyncrasies of life with the Femi is my favorite.

"Hi, are you Sami?" I asked the man at the front desk. "Ah, yes it's Femi," he responded with a huge smile. I loved his Nigerian accent.  I showed him the samples we wanted for him to print, and he laughed the whole time because I really was very ignorant about the printing process. "That," he pointed to a poster of three dogs' butts in bikinis, "that was a strange project. These customers invented diapers for dogs. I tell you, Americans love their pets! Where I come from, he feed them and had them to eat the bugs around the house, but we don't sleep with them. If you want to make money, work in a business with pets!"

It's a great conversation when you can't pinpoint exactly how you got to the topic. We went from talking about dimensions and cost of the printing to talks about education, dating, life mantras, technology, tailoring, and many other topics. When I drove back, I kept trying to think how we even went off topic. Most conversations I have with vendors are direct Q and A's. How much will this cost? Do you know how long it will take? How long have you had this shop? With Femi, stories seem to sprout and we both were inspired by each other's recollections.

Femi was born in Nigeria and came to southern california when he was 24. He studied at Cal State Long beach and transferred to UCLA majoring in some type of Health field. I was surprised at how many things we had in common. He also worked in Alhambra for 10 years after he graduated. Well hello, I'm from there! At first, I thought he was just being a great businessman, telling me what I wanted to hear. If that was the case, he was a great businessman. I was reassured that he was simply conversing to converse when he mentioned the Chinese Islamic Restaurant on Garvey. How can anyone make that up? I've always driven by this restaurant called "Chinese Islamic Restaurant" and I couldn't understand how that worked. I didn't know Chinese people knew Islamic people even existed.

"My daughter lived in the dorms for one year and moved out because of me. All the friends she met there lived in mansions in Beverly Hills! I told her I couldn't go and buy her a new BMW. Meet new people!" His daughter, who is now 33 years old working with clinical social worker something (I'm not very good with medical professions) in Nevada.  She's married to the greatest guy on Earth (he cooks, cleans, takes care of the baby, does chores, and anything you can think of that men never enjoy doing. And he does it without her nagging him. )

"Her boyfriend in college was a bad one. He had no job and no respect. He would drive her car, drop her off of school, and go somewhere. I said, if I'm paying for this car and the insurance and this kid is driving it, I will not allow that! I ask her, Honey why are you dating this guy, you deserve so much better." He looked at me and asked "How old are you?" His daughter was 24 when she finally broke it off - 6 long years.

"You are young. I learned that I couldn't tell her what to do. She will learn herself, from her own mistakes," he said expressively, his arms motioning towards his chest, "She did not listen to me. But I knew if I stopped nagging her, she will eventually learn on her own."

Femi began telling me about his first girlfriend, who he wanted to marry, but couldn't because of racial issues. He didn't want to be with a mother-in-law who disapproved of him because of his color. Now, at the age of 55 (I say add 5 more years because colored people age sp gracefully) he's living in Long Beach and his girlfriend lives in Cincinnati. He dreams of ending his career at the sign shop and wants to open an adult daycare center.

"People now are very selfish, that is why relationships don't last. You have to gain trust, and that takes time. Find someone who will be patient to grow with you. Be secure, independent. You both can have your own lives but don't be selfish. Give to give, not to expect something in return. All you want is love in return, right? What else do you need?"

He began to laugh when he gave an example of what he meant. "I love football, so I go to bars to watch it with other fans. She calls me on my phone, so I step outside to talk to her." He put his hands over his ears and speaks into it like a phone "I'm at the bar watching the game right now."

"See, instead of accepting it and asking me what I'm doing and how the game was, she told me to go back inside and to call her when he is done. So I call her later, but she was asleep because of the time difference." He began doing a texting with his hands, and with a laugh, said "And so I texted her "honey  I'm sorry I called so late I will call you tomorrow!"

"You need to know how to live your own life. When your partner is gone, you don't need to talk to them every second and know exactly where they went, who they went with. You need to trust that they are living their life and you live yours. This trust, it does not start at the beginning. You gain it, and it takes years."

Maybe his wrinkles aren't apparent not only because he has great genes, but of his whimsical, some might even say illogical look at life. "Don't worry too much. What will happen will happen. I never stress because I know things will be good. Have faith, embrace the cultures of life, and form meaningful relationships."

My stomach began to growl and I realized lunchtime had passed an hour ago. A customer walked in, which was my cue to end my talks with Femi. I thanked him, grabbed the airplane acrylic models, and walked out the store. If it takes 2 hours to get a quote from Femi about a project, I'd go back and do it all over again.

FREE DIDDY RIESE COOKIES ICE CREAM SANDWICH

You heard me - Free! Yes, Diddy Riese, the original Diddy Riese in Westwood, CA. The line will be long, but the wait is truly worth it. You get your choice of cookies and your choice of ice cream! This free deal is only available at MunchOnMe.com. Grab it now! It ends October 2!

Rules to a Successful Yard Sale

1. Place your ad on craigslist. Only place one ad because people you don't want to sound like a broken record. When you place this ad, put some thought into it. People like to be entertained when they read, and can you imagine how many generic yard sale ads there are out there?
2. Create huge yard sale signs. Use cardboard and place them on the back of your car. Because most cities don't allow for posting on public property, a car will suffice. Now, be strategic in where you put these signs. Place them on both corners of your street, and place them on main roads that will lead to your street.
3. Your sign should be simple. Don't write information, or even your address. Rather, direct the driver. Write Yard Sale in large letters and draw an arrow towards your location (make sure to fill it in and make it as thick as possible). People like being led. If they see your sign on a main street, they will follow the arrow. They'll then see another sign that will lead them to where you are.
4. Be nice to your customers. This means greet them with a nice hello when they walk across your yard. Don't go and stand next to them because that will only make them leave. Give them their space. If they have questions, they'll ask. Or, you can ask "is there anything specific you're looking for?" Having a conversation makes them feel at ease, and if they like what you're selling and they like you, they will tell their friends and will come back later. I promise you! And when they leave, tell them "Thank you!"
5. Place prices on your items. Use masking tape and write down the price for big items. You have to realize it's a yard sale and people are here looking for deals. Even though that stereo system costed you 100 dollars ten years ago, it doesn't mean it is worth 100 now.
6. When a customer really wants your item at a certain price, let them have it in the end. For example, my dad had this ugly heavy water filter that I had no hope of selling. Really, who would want that!? But, I was proven wrong. My dad was selling it for 20. The Chinese man said 13. My dad said 15. The Chinese man said 13. And finally, my dad accepted it for 13. The whole point of a yard sale is to get rid of these items. If you end up making a couple bucks, that's just an added bonus.
7. Bring a lawn chair and sit far away from the site. I find it intimidating when I walk into a store, and there is someone staring straight at me. Just sit in the background and let the customer shop. Don't be in their way.
8. If at all possible, make your yard sale last the whole day. This means from sunrise to sunset. You'll be surprised how many people will come by, especially those who take their daily walk around the neighborhood.

Bon Iver at Shrine Auditorium

My nap two hour nap was over. It was 7pm and the Bon Iver concert was at 8. I did a quick change up and walked out the door in my beloved black Beatles shirt circa 2007 and khaki shorts. I was so ready for a concert. We were lucky enough to find parking spot right across the street from the Shrine Auditorium. Once we got there, I felt like the purple elephant in a tutu balancing itself on a unicycle. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone including Michael looked like they just walked out of the Opening Ceremony's Fall lookbook. They were a sophisticated bunch dressed in shabby chic outfits with vintage leather purses and tousled i-just-woke-up-but-my-hair-looks-perfect- look. Me? I looked like I exited the wrong freeway and missed my Warped Tour stop 5 miles back. Indeed, I did a long look around the lobby to see if there there were others who were unprepared like me. Even the security guard looked the part.

This entry is about Bon Iver, not about me. 

This concert was a week ago, and everything I felt was a week ago. I knew I should have blogged right when I got home! I'll create a quick phone conversation I had with Francois from my memory about this spectacular event along with other additives.

Me: You missed out. It was frucking amazing. Best concert I've ever been to. Lady Gaga is now numero uno.

Franois: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Me: No, I more than enjoyed it! It was such an out of body experience. I feel exhausted even though I sat there the entire time minus the last ten minutes when the whole audience was on their feet! Think Coldplay mixed with Brand New and Arcade Fire, even though I've never seen them live. Did you know there's 9 people in Bon Iver!?

Francois: I did not know that.

Me: I had no idea there were that many instruments! I saw a saxophone, trumpet, french horn, two drums, piano, and other instruments that I can't even name. Usually, I look at the lead singer and anyone else who is cute in the band. But this time, I paid attention to every single person on that stage. It was just... raw music.

Francois: Wow, that sounds really good.

Me: IT WAS! I don't know how to describe it!

Jeez, how annoying am I. I apologize that I can't creatively write about this experience. I've played it in my head many times about how I'd describe the concert, but it seems it's indescribable. You just had to be there.

New York Fashion Week Spring 2011

Hello my two loyal followers. As you can tell, I had more time to look over the Spring 2012 collection. After looking at these beautiful garments and realizing the majority of my favorite designers are men, I dreamt of marrying a fashion designer. And then a good friend told me that all they'll do is BLEEP the models and ignore me or cheat on me with another man. Le sigh. Anyways, these are the outfits I currently have in my closet. Oh yeah.

Charlotte Ronson

Charlotte Ronson

United Bamboo

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta

Marchesa

Zero + Maria Cornejo

Chris Benz

Donna Karan 

Donna Karan 

Donna Karan 

Honor

J.Mendel 

J.Mendel 

J.Mendel 

J.Mendel 

J.Mendel 

Suno

Yigal Azrouel

Yigal Azrouel

Yigal Azrouel

BCBG

Alexander Wang

3.1 Phillip Lim 

3.1 Phillip Lim 

3.1 Phillip Lim 

Michael Kors

Michael Kors

Proenza Schouler

Theyskens' Theory

New York Fashion Week Fall 2011

I didn't have a chance to look through every collection of New York Fashion Week Fall 2011 (and I never will) but here are a couple of my favorites from some of the collections I browsed through on Vogue's website. 

3.1 Phillip Lim 

3.1 Phillip Lim

Michael Kors

Chloé

Michael Kors

Proenza Schouler

Michael Kors

Thai Beef Salad (video!)

I made Thai Beef Salad (and it was delicious) and my brother recently got a new camera. So, I told him to document this special moment of me actually cooking at home. Note that this isn't a guide on how to make the salad (to my two readers if you want the recipe, just text me :P).

It's a rough cut, and hopefully we'll have more time to edit this again properly. Play it on mute because the music ain't bringing on the action! Enjoy!

Gym Class Heroes: Stereo Hearts ft. Adam Levine

I'm getting sick of a lot of songs on the radio (I'll make a list soon enough) and when this song came on, I didn't want it to end! I know I'm liking it now because it's fresh, but what's not to love when Adam Levine is involved? 

Travis McCoy and his band Gym Class Heroes are back with a new hit since Cupid’s Chokehold (if you remember, his ex Katy Perry before she kissed a girl) starred in the music video. She’s still present in this song also when he raps “Furthermore, I apologize for any skipping track / It's just the last girl that played me left a couple cracks” Awww.

This time around, the track features Maroon 5’s frontman Adam Levine and a better sing-along chorus that makes more sense than “not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot.” Am I being biased here? Yes! I would choose Adam Levine’s voice over Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump any day. But even the less obsessed will fall in love with this song on the first listen and seriously go searching for someone and force them to serenade this to you. It really brings to life the classic love scene in “Say Anything” that has forever made it more impossible for the average man to find a mate. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up! Perhaps watch it on mute and play this song instead!

Gym Class Heroes: Stereo Hearts ft. Adam Levine

Fastrak Ticket Tip

This is  quick entry for anyone (not from Bay Area) that might get a Fastrak ticket.

First, when you cross the bridge, you'll see many toll booths. Do not drive past the Fastrak lanes (even if it's 2am). Instead, go to a booth where there's a person there, and pay 4 or 6 dollars for a pass.

But if you did drive through, it won't be 100 dollars. My friend who lived around the Bay Area told me the ticket was going to be severe. To my pleasant surprise, it was only $30 which is a huge relief! It says that you don't have to pay the $30 if you sign up for Fastrak online. Don't do it unless you're planning on driving to SF daily/weekly. Yes, you don't have to pay $30, but signing up is not free. It costs $25 to sign up the the account, and some other complicated monthly fees.

When you go to pay your violation  it'll say IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a first-time toll violator, and you are not currently a FasTrak customer, you can have your violation penalty dismissed by opening a new FasTrak account sounds good huh!? Nope. Opening a new account costs $25.
My suggestion is to man up and pay the $30 dollars. And don't do it again! 

"In my experience, the worse high school is, the better your adult life seems to be."

Thank you Alia Shawkat (I only recognized Jack Black and Zooey Deschanel, sorry) who posted this on Rookie Mag (aimed towards teenagers - I'm 22).

Alia Shawkat writes: "In my experience, the worse high school is, the better your adult life seems to be."

Lesley Arfin writes: "You might feel at times that you are ugly and disgusting and unlovable. Some of you might feel as though you are beautiful and hot and cool and awesome. Know this: When you’re in your 20s you go through, like, a time machine of opposite days."

After reading these posts, I began to formulate my fate. It seems like most outcasts in high school turn out to be beautiful, successful ducklings.  Haven't you seen the Maury show where the nerdy buck-teeth skinny girl turns into a sex kitten (and sometimes an exotic dancer) and she's there to tell her high school crush,"Look at me now, bitch."

From looking at Facebook, it does seem to be the case. Total nerds, weirdos, anti-athletes are now working their way towards medical school, attending grad school, or even owning their own business. The rest are extending their high school career through their 20s, getting drunk with the same clique of people, and having a mediocre lifestyle in their hometown. Of course this is not true for everyone, but that seems to be the trend.

It scares the cow out of me because I don't know where I stand. I had a good high school experience. Of course, if I knew this conclusion that most of the writers have concluded, I would have gone back and forced myself to hate high school.  I can't say I was an outsider, or the strange girl who never talked in class and always had a book in her hand. But I wasn't the popular homecoming queen with the buff football boyfriend. I was an AP student, a yearbook nerd, and a highly enthusiastic (it makes up for my lack of talent) volleyball player, and highly emotional teenage girl with a social appetite. By looking at this, it seems I will fall into the "mediocre" category and that terrifies me. I'm starting to find that I'm becoming less social, and just less of everything I used to be in high school. Is that the affect it's taking? Am I slowly morphing into an outcast? Well, maybe I'm a step behind and this phase in my life now is my high school phase and in four years, I'll blossom into a beautiful butterfly. I'm trying my best to make myself feel better, sorry! I like extremes, and I really hope to goodness I can achieve that and break this pattern of mediocrity.

Lastly, I'll end with a positive note to everyone who might kinda sorta feel what I feel (if you understand, please inform me because even I don't know myself).

Dan Savage writes:  Sometimes the problem isn’t who you are, despite what you’re being told by everyone around you, but where you are. And sometimes the solution can be as simple as finding a new place, a better place, the kind of place where a kid like you can thrive. Your place is out there. Go find it."

Thank you Mr. Savage!

This also inspired me and you can read the rest here.

"All I can say is, take risks while you can. Believe in yourself, search for your happiness and experience new things. You have the money, you have the time. Don’t waste any of it."

Regardless, don't let this scare you. Don't evaluate your high school life and think that is how your entire life will be. You're constantly in control of your life. As for me, I need to stop making up excuses for my current ailment and stop putting the fault onto others. I don't necessarily know what I want, but I do know what I don't want. I don't want to have to write another entry like this again!

Septemberagus, Chicktember, Mashed Potembers

August deserves a B-. September, now September, deserves an A+. I always think it's hard to remain consistent and starting off strong isn't the point. The point is to keep a steady pace. I have to remember that life (uhhh) is a marathon, not a quick sprint for the finish.

I give September an A+ because today, unlike any other day so far this summer, I went grocery shopping. This time, I wasn't waiting in the car reading Me Talk Pretty One Day while my mom explored Valley Supermarket. Yeah, I started the book when Betty was still interning with me months ago. It's not boring at all. Don't blame the book. Blame me - I have a short attention span.

My choice of shopping is very limited in Asia Central. Trader Joe's is my go to market, but the nearby one is about a few miles too many for me to drive on an empty stomach. With a name like "Cali Mart" I presumed they'll sell asparagus and 2% milk. Lucky for me, I only had to shop at one market to gather all my ingredients! Side note: when I think of the word "gather" I always think of hunters and gatherers. Meh.

So let's look at this. Going to the supermaket deserves an A. Not an A+. The added + goes to me cooking!

Here it is, my first home-made dinner! I would have taken more photos of the process, but there was only one cook/photographer (me!) in the kitchen.

Chicken breast with lime juice, cilantro, chopped onions, salt, pepper. I would tell you the measurements if I knew them. Just eyeballed everything. I hate salty food, so I make sure I don't put too much salt. If it's too bland, I'll add it after. I
also created some indentations on the chicken because I think I'm such a chef.

The asparagus wasn't as fresh. I guess Asians prefer other tender greens like bok choy or green beans over asparagus.
 I ended up cutting the edges off.

I usually bake my asparagus, but I had to work with what I had! Before stir frying it in a pan, I added some water and placed a lid over it so it'll be softer. 

I boiled red potatoes (with skin) and garlic in salted water. After draining, I slowly added warm milk, cubes of butter, salt, and fresh chopped green onions. Mash away! 

Look at them breasts! 

Because them breasts were so big, I had to cut them up to make sure they were cooked all the way through! And good thing I did because the center was still raw. You can't always judge a chicken by it's outer golden skin. 

Bon Appétit!