Happy Sunday! Some photos from the H street festival!

I really liked this sign!

Hope you had an awesome weekend!  I need to get ready for bed but thought I'd post a couple of photos from the H Street Festival this past Saturday.  It was my first year going and I loved it - awesome music, food, crowd, and atmosphere.  I loved the laid-backness and the unpretentiousness of it...just people having a good time.  More later but my highlights of the festival:  Seeing all the food trucks, watching Phil Ade sing/rap, eating roasted corn with chili butter :), having a PBR while eating ribs/collard greens/potato salad and listening to a kick-ass DJ at the same time, and having an overdue meeting with a good friend from graduate school!

I understand why the Rita mascot was there (since there's one right on H) but why was the Mayonnaise guy there!???

I don't usually love crowds but I loved that people came out and supported H street.  I ESPECIALLY loved that people were sitting around on the sidewalk eating and talking...I'm not sure why.  It just makes me feel like people are less yuppy-like and more down to earth.  That's right, it's not Georgetown!!!!!!!

Nice pose, V!

OH YES!

zzzzz.

I'd like to get on a plane to go somewhere, NOW!

I am day dreaming about getting away and am missing Thailand.  The food, the temples!  I haven't really gotten around to posting photos from Chiang Mai and thought I'd share a couple now.  I am SO SAD that I didn't learn to shoot RAW all the time till after my February trip.  Can't wait till my upcoming vacation in November!!!

Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai is okay fun....but Warorot Market is the true GEM!!!  My favorite place in all of Chiang Mai, where a lot of the locals hung out...amazing food!!!

Coconut slushy, YUMMMM.

My trip to Chiang Mai was about 50% food and 50% temples...and like its cuisine, Chiang Mai's temples and statues were all breathtaking...

 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I want to go nowwwwww.

Happy Moon Festival!

Happy Moon Festival aka Mid-Autumn Festival!  The festival takes place every year on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Calendar every year.  I don't really remember the history of the Moon festival, so it might be best to google if you are interested...hmm...I should study.

Even though I can't tell you how this all started, this is one of my favorite Chinese festivals and celebrations.  I remember walking around the streets when we lived in Hong Kong with our own lanterns. They're like the ones I've photographed but we would always hang them a stick so we can walk around.  The street would be filled with kids with lanterns and other festive decorations.  We also had these colored cellophane paper lanterns that were see through and they'd be in different shapes like a fish or a rooster.  Of course, when people became more "modern" we got lanterns that were essentially blow up plastic toys (like Hello Kitty, Megaman, etc) that would light up and play music when we press the on button.

It's not just the lanterns that make this one of my favorite occasions but really the tradition of having a big meal, hanging lanterns, eating mooncakes (a chinese pastry made specially for this festival), eating fruits, drinking tea, and spending quality time with your family.  It is about togetherness and it is about celebrating the full moon.  Think Thanksgiving...Chinese style!

Of course, it being a big Chinese celebration entitles it to a feast, which my dad cooks every year.   But since I am not home, I had to make up for it with my not-as-great-as-my-dad's cooking and had to hang lanterns myself!!!  ICM missed this two years in a row now!!  But that's okay!!! Next year!  We can hang 20 lanterns :)

Well, whether or not you celebrate the Moon Festival, I hope you're spending quality time with your loved ones :)

Hmm. What else?  It's been a while since I've posted something from school.  We finished up Introduction to Photography and Composition, and now we're on Digital Workflow and Studio Lighting.  For Studio Lighting last week, the theme was glass.  I brought in a bottle of Izze soda and when I was paying at Starbucks, I saw this mini pink donut that I thought would go great with the soda.  I just really like the colors. This was one of the takes out of the camera...the only adjustment/edit I made was cropping.  So much to learn!

 All right.  Have a wonderful week!!!!

P.S.  I am again addicted to old Jay Chou songs. Love love love.

31,556,926

Don't know about you but I had an awesome long weekend!  We celebrated our 31,556,926 seconds together (as well as Labor Day) with waffles, wine, Wegmans, lots of violent movies from Netflix, and pork.  Yes, PORKY PORK!!!  Before I get to pork, I've got to say that this was the best waffle I have ever had and I hope to have many more.  Wait, not hope...I mean "I better have many more!!!"  Thanks, ICM!!! 

On Sunday, ICM had the great plan of going wine tasting and dropping by Wegmans on the way.  We've never been to Wegmans and I loved it!!!  It was so wonderful that we went twice, once before to pick up picnicky things for wine tasting and then WENT BACK to explore.  Tons of fresh produce, tons of meat, they even have a huge section on kitchen utensils and cookware!!!  I hope there's a Wegmans in heaven...hmm, or hell....well, whichever I end up in...probably hell?

After reading some blogs on wine tasting and yelp reviews, I picked the Aspen Dale Winery in Virginia. Aspen Dale was great.  It was cozy indoors with live music playing and there was also a nice outdoor area with tables where we had a picnic.  My favorite from the tasting was the Rose (ro sey) and the Sauvignon Blanc. Yum.  Staff were friendly and what sets Aspen Dale apart from other wineries was their paring plate.  I've been to a bunch of tastings but this was the first time I've received food (chocolates, cheeses, sausage) as part of a tasting.  The pheasant sausages were delicious, seriously!

Yup, that's a picnic utensils thingy...it even has plates...because we're fancy like that :)

We have to back track a little bit into time before I get to my 7 pounds of pork shoulder.  I ordered my Lucky Peach magazine (a food journal co-edited by David Chang of Momofuku) a while back but let's just say I waited quite a while for it to arrive.  After a treacherous journey, I am happy to say that the magazine finally arrived Sunday morning!   While flipping through the magazine, I saw a recipe for roasted pork shoulder.  I really had no intention of cooking it but when we were at Wegmans, I noticed that pork shoulder was only $1.29/lb!!!  I didn't know how cheap it was!  And I couldn't resist...I wanted to get the biggest one but at the urging of someone who loves pork less than I do and maybe more logical than I was at the time, I chose the smallest one there.  :)

 

Lucky Peach is a great read.  And if you love food, Anthony Bourdain, and cuss words, then this is for you.

David Chang's recipe in the magazine basically called for seasoning the pork shoulder with salt and sugar overnight and roasting it in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 6 hours.  I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the recipe because it made the outside layer of the pork REALLY REALLY salty.  But after trimming it out and shredding the pork, it was pretty good.  Just an aside:  If you ever want to get rid of every bit of fat on a piece of meat, then you should hire ICM - our resident 'fat' police.  I've never seen someone as meticulous as he is with getting rid of fat...on rib eyes as well as entire pork shoulders.  While my first reaction is "oh no, what is he doing...he's getting rid of the good parts!" I try to tell myself that this is for good health, so I can be alive longer and eat more pork.  Yeah....Well, back to my main point.  We realized that while this was good, pork smoked in a smoker is way better...more the reason I must acquire a smoker and a real grill.  Some day!  With the pork, we made carnita tacos.

All right, that's all for now.  Good night!

Kamunyak

Kamunyak means "blessed one" in Kenya.  What a pretty word.  And it's perfect for today because I feel particularly blessed!  (Note: I am not sure which language it is in though because there are hundreds of languages in Kenya). 

Read this quote on Cup of Jo...I've always liked him but who knew Bob Marley could be so insightful.

"He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you." 

I know I have been slacking as a blogger...most of it I can attribute to annoying computer difficulties. You know how that goes, right?!  Hopefully I'll have a better computer solution soon enough so it doesn't continue to stifle my blogging! 

I recently read "Shelter Me" by Juliette Fay and really enjoyed it.  My favorite character was Tug Malinowski.  I loved that he was genuine, tough, caring, and unwavering re: his own feelings.  Above all, he had principles and communicated very clearly what he wanted.  My favorite quote in the book...it was when one of the characters, a priest, was talking about the birth of Jesus at church:

"What I find myself marveling at is that men came from so far away to find a tiny baby.  No one else seemed to anticipate this momentous event, except for a mere three people, foreigners from the East.  This story would have been shocking to the Jews who were hearing it.  The first people to believe in the miracle of Jesus were not Jews!  They were not even neighboring Gentiles.  They didn't have the same skin color or customs or worldview.  They were the most unlikely sources of grace imaginable.  Yet grace Him they did, with their gifts and, more important, with their faith in him."

"Why is that?  What does it mean? And who are their present day equivalents?  Who are the unexpected people who show up from time to time in our lives, bearing rare and valuable gifts?  Who goes far out of their way to reach us?  Who are those unlikely souls who seem to understand what a miracle each of us is?"

Love the quote...makes you think, doesn't it? 

Last night, ICM and I went to my favorite Japanese restaurant in DC and that's where I snapped these two photos.  Now that it's cooler out, we were able to sit outside while enjoying our favorite UME SHISO rolls!  So delicious!!!  As we were eating, there was this beautiful glowing light that flowed through the garden...so pretty...I know the photos do not do it justice!

All right, time to do some homework and read my Lucky Peach magazine!!!

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.

Let's catch up!

HAPPY MONDAY, EVERYONE!

Yes, I have been slacking from my blogging!  It was nice to get a short break from classes and I definitely took advantage of it :) Two new classes start tomorrow, excited! Well guys, fall might be around the corner but summer is still here...perhaps not as humid but DC can still be mighty hot these days...which made me want a frozen margarita!!! Hence I've dubbed today as Margarita Monday! YAY!

Since it's been a while since I've blogged, let's catch up quickly...let's see.

1) An exciting announcement..a photo of mine is in Elle Decor!!!

(Sorry, not the best photos of the magazine...the glossy pages that I like so much makes it hard to photograph...

must figure it out.)

A photo I took for TROHV (DC Location, www.trohvshop.com) appears in the September 2011 issue of the Elle Decor magazine.  How did this happen you ask?  A while back when TROHV was about to open, I emailed and offered to photograph anything they needed because I loved their store so much and also so I can practice.  Months after that initial email, they wrote in April and asked if I had a wide angle lens and if I was available to take a couple of photographs of the store for a chance to appear in Elle Decor.  A special thanks to ICM for buying a wide angle lens with me!!!  Sometimes things work and it feels like it was meant to be - the day that they needed the photo done was basically the ONLY day that I could have done it that week as we were having the biggest work event of the year.  I was so excited and nervous about not doing a good job.  After an hour or so in the store I turned in a few photos knowing that there is a chance it might not make it but it didn't matter because it was such an enjoyable experience. Even after I found out it'd show up in the September issue, I made sure not to get too excited just in case they changed their minds.  Well, September is here...and the photo is in the magazine :)!  It's kind of neat to see a photo I took appear in print...but the most overwhelming feeling is really thankfulness for being given that opportunity.

It 's the one on the right hand side.  Page 86!

2) I still love coffee and latte art. 

The only place that I know you can get latte art around here is Peregrine Espresso in Eastern Market.  On a day to day basis, aside from wonderfully home brewed coffee, I always look forward to going to Caribou for an iced soy latte with one shot of caramel every Thursday.  YUM YUM YUM. Perfect for summer.

3) I love summer and Addie's birthday

I have been super loving the fresh peaches and tomatoes from the Farmer's Market.  I also love being able to grill out.  It's even more fun to grill when there's a special occasion!

Over the past weekend, ICM and I went to Oberlin, Ohio to celebrate his awesome grandma (Addie)'s 95th birthday and we enjoyed wonderful summer weather.  For her birthday, there's a tradition to grill out at a nearby state park - fresh peaches were brought, sweet corn grilled with basil and butter, burgers and healthy turkey hot dogs were grilled, and there were 2 cakes.  Happy Times!

4) Other news worthy items

• I just cooked an awesome red curry noodle soup for dinner.
• I did not post a photo on World Photography Day (August 19)...shame on me.
• I have a couple of goals:
• Have a pig roast party.
• Have a Crawfish Boil party.
• Exercise MORE!

I think this sums it up for now.  Good night!

Monday...

Mist

Low-anchored cloud,

Newfoundland air,

Fountain head and source of rivers,

Dew-cloth, dream drapery,

And napkin spread by fays;

Drifting meadow of the air,

Where bloom the dasied banks and violets,

And in whose fenny labyrinth

The bittern booms and heron wades;

Spirit of the lake and seas and rivers,

Bear only perfumes and the scent

Of healing herbs to just men's fields!

-Henry David Thoreau

Yeap, I am daydreaming a little.

Finally it's Friday

Cheers to a Happy Friday! And hopefully a better week next week!

Not going to lie, this week was the kind of week that made me really look forward to Friday.  But instead of complaining like I have been doing the last few days (on and off the blog), I am going to focus on the positives and things that I'm thankful for.  Here they are in bullet format!

• My coffee maker in the morning has been back for almost a week now!!!  Coffee delivered to bed? YES PLEASE :) Thank YOU!
• Sidebar...sure their service has been rather slow (mostly because they seem to be extremely under-staffed), but their drinks continue to be delicious and their decor continues to be an inspiration.
• People who go to Sidebar with me...they listen to me bitch and they tell me funny and sometimes tragic stories.  
• An awesome meet up with an old friend of a friend...sometimes, you meet people who are super beautiful inside and out and they blow you away - genuine, kind, loving, funny, and smart.  It was so fun to just catch up and learn more about each others' lives. So thankful to meet people like that in my life!!
• And of course...good food!!!  Highlights this week:  Jaleo (I love you, Duck Confit)...and home cooking!

More photos from Sidebar!

Cooking seems to be therapeutic for me, so on Thursday, when I needed a break from being annoyed and wanted something like Hainan Chicken, I decided to make it!  Here's a recipe if you're interested in trying (click for link)

I love shallots.  Yes, that's a whole chicken submerged in ice water...

Lastly...a quote for you :)
Albert Einstein said, "Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving!"  Okay, I added the exclamation mark myself....and I should have taken a photo of a moving bicycle to better illustrate the quote...but I really liked the pink handle bars.


Have a great weekend, everybody!