#8 Oriental Personality

It's a public holiday today in America, but I only got to know about it at 12 noon. Not quite sure what day it is though. But anyway, I did a bit of work, and spent a big bulk of the afternoon just reminiscing my days in Shanghai, then coming to realise how oriental I am - Duh.

I so miss my days in SH. I was young, in school, and carefree. 

But anyway, as much as we'd like to think of ourselves as westernised individuals, being in America has made me come to terms with the fact that I am in no way "westernised" in a way whereby I fit well into the American culture. I do okay though, right?

The American culture is a lot of things - Hobo, homo, ghetto, bangwithfriend.com, and today, the Harlem Shake. It is amusing to be exposed to a culture like this, fun to say the least, but while I think being a temporal part of the 5% Asians in U.S. displaces me in a way I can't quite explain, a bunch of the white Americans are soaking in the Asian-ness. I was brought up to be disciplined, respectful, kind, thoughtful and sensitive. And these are values intertwined with my oriental personality, of which I'm not sure if Americans will ever appreciate. But it sure is nice to see them being into Oriental tradition, as I saw at the 114th Chinatown New Year's Parade.

Even Minions from Despicable Me 2 came to join in the fun. This shocked looking minion was so stuck and uncomfortable that when it tried to move his arms, it barely managed a little wave. 

LAPD horses looking suave (: Wait, why're the officers part of the parade again?

One of my favourite photos I caught that afternoon in Chinatown. Ang Mo kid in his little oriental get-up and being attracted to the Asian crowd. Well because most of us were given the lions money through their mouth flaps right. Duh.

For the past 23 years of my life, being part of an oriental tradition hasn't got me to appreciate it very much. I used to visit temples a lot and on every major Chinese festival there was. Over the years, we just grew tired of traditional rituals. Yet this year, I found myself drawn to it and I was glad I went. Brought me much peace and reassurance just by burning those few joss sticks.

That Saturday was probably one of the best I've had since being in Los Angeles. The evening was spent with a couple of friends watching the Spank! Musical down at LA Live - A Fifty Shades of Grey Parody. It was absolutely hilarious! Loved every bit of it, though I was disappointed how little props were used. Was kinda expecting something a little more grand for my eyes to really feast on you know? But the lines were still superb (:

Okay, so that about much sums up my 5th week in America, Day 38 and getting better. But before that, let me leave you guys with a little food. Nibble away!

Looks good, but tastes so-so. This is Miyako on Venice Blvd. Lesson learnt: Never enter restaurants where the people owning them are not from where the food is from. Get it?

Pho Palace in Chinatown, recommended by a friend. I think she kinda caught on my Pho addiction. But anyway, this was a little below average for me. Coffee was great though - a temptation I later had to suffer with my caffeine intolerant stomach. Food at ESPN Zone in LA Live later that evening was still fantastic!

Of course, a weekly masterpiece by Chef Yeo. Pan-fried chicken breast with sautéed potatoes and broccoli.

By the way American dudes, the way to pronounce Yeo is "YO". It is that cool, face it. It is however, not a lame "yow", like how you're all saying now in your heads. Say that to me again and I'll hate you officially.

Now, go! Have a great week ahead, wherever you are. Live like a king/queen ♕

xx.

#7 Earth Snake's Confession

Earlier this week while having lunch at Chipotle with one of Jon's friends, Brian, I found out that of the five Chinese elements, I'm Earth (土) - this kind of brings me back to the Captain Planet song, but I digress! I'm normally not into horoscopes or zodiac readings, but you how it is sometimes when these readings actually make sense and apply to you? Of which my Earth Snake zodiac told me that I like keeping feelings to myself and not talk about it. To some extent, I've always known this to be true. But to have someone else comment on it and tell me how unhealthy it was, just made me take a beep and really think about it.

I like to think of myself as the world's best actress but the worst liar. See how that contradicts in itself already? But more so, I really think it says something about my personality, that could possibly use some serious change. For starters, I will set a New Year's resolution for myself to not take criticisms personally. Criticisms normally lead to a hell lot of bottled up feelings you know. If you are like me, facing the same problem, then know that you're not alone.

The past week has been really short, and empty, which actually gave me ample time to put more thought into how I was actually feeling up to this point - Day 33 in Los Angeles. Amongst the occasional meet-ups, lunches and sightseeing, I managed to admit to myself how disconnected I'm feeling towards the people and things in America. It is as the cliched saying goes, "I'm surrounded by millions of people but feel utterly alone". Now I sound just like Klaus from The Vampire Diaries (isn't Joseph Morgan just the most charming person ever?). It is not exactly a bump in the road I know how to even out yet, but hopefully time will fix all problems?

My favourite part of the week was actually the little Chinese New Year cookout four other Singaporeans and I had over in NorthRidge. Hainanese Chicken Rice, Spinach in Oyster Sauce and Chicken Curry. What would we have done without pre-mixes?!

Over the weekend, I did also make a trip to The Getty. View was spectacular, much prettier than atop Baldwin Hills. The sculpture in the museum titled "The Vexed Man" was my favourite piece for the evening. Watching him frown just makes you want to do the same doesn't it?

Despite having the best uncles in the world, who will double my red packet next year in 2014, I still am thankful for the little box of See's candies, card and Kungfu sunnies from S. I will learn Kungfu, and the sunnies will fit me well just like peanut butter with jelly on toast (:

Have a splendid Valentine's Day everyone ♥

Don't forget to spread love to your friends & family too!

#6 The borrowed prison

Before I do this short mid-week post, just thought I'd share with you that my posts are averaging at 50 views each! Yay (: If you like what you read or see, please share them with your friends too, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or wherever. Support Chinglee's work! Thanks a bunch y'all ♥ Of course, I wouldn't know how many of you do multiple visits a week to this page, so the 50 views don't really account for 50 people. But still, thank you (:

I had wanted to start this off in a real energetic fashion, but now I'm just tired from vacuuming my carpeted floor. There was so much friction involved and the vacuum cleaner was so heavy! If you are furnishing a new apartment or home, one word of advice? Don't carpet your floors. The pretty look isn't worth it.

So the sun's up in SoCal at 17 degree celsius this Wednesday evening. It's Day 26 in Los Angeles and I hope you're doing as great, or even better than I am. Last week flew by, because believe it or not, I was out with people and was also making new friends. Now my social circle in LA has expanded by two-inches. Be proud! Westwood's a great new hangout place, being a little town on the fringe of UCLA. I love Diddy Riese, and well I guess Brewery Co. will be the next best spot! There was also a small (expensive) cafe, sandwiched in between other shops, just down the road from Diddy Riese. I was surprised it actually took me four trips to Westwood to find this place! I must've been so blinded by Diddy Riese. Damn you, DR.

A really chic cafe with good tea and pastry. If you ever travel down to Westwood, keep a lookout for this place. I couldn't tell you which street it is on, did not notice.

All my great finds are to do with food, very rarely will they be of something else. I've been so obsessed with Vietnamese Pho ever since I tried the awesome one at Citadel Mall, so I googled and came in touch with Pho Show along Sepulveda Blvd.

As usual, I was being greedy. There it is, my brunch for that day: seafood spring rolls with steak and meatballs pho. I was so excited to see the rawness in that thinly sliced beef! Succulent but the soup wasn't superb. Pho Show would for sure, have to come second to Pho Bistro at Citadel. I told myself after the meal that I was going to skip dinner - I lied.

The most intriguing part of the week was probably the visit to a small baptist church near Westwood. I met new people - of course always happy to do that - but I can't quite put into words my experience. I'm not Christian, nor am I bounded to any religion at all. But I've studied and seen many. Sitting on that bench - ears on the pastor and eyes on sleeping visitors and active smartphone users - one of the pastor's line struck me, hard. 

"Heaven is the end where there isn't any suffering. This world that we live in is only but a borrowed prison."

I was overwhelmed. So I took a chill pill and pondered over this sentence, for quite a long while. In essence, we are all children of God, and this world is not our world, but a prison where we will stay till we learn how to "behave" through endless suffering. I'm not quite sure if I analysed it right, but it kind of makes sense to me. And it is scaring me how it makes some sense. What is this? Are we all in limbo right now?

By noon, I still haven't gotten an answer to my question, so I gave up and went for some good, greasy old American food at Rae's! Man, I feel like Homer Simpson right now. Apparently, this is also where many movies are filmed at. The sandwich I had smelt so darn burnt and good, I think I'm going to die soon. Imagine how much carcinogens I ingested! Hated the steak fries though. I need my shoestring, pronto. Or maybe I should just cut down on the carby fries altogether.

Been spending a huge part of my weekdays in Culver City lately, and I caught Warm Bodies the movie just last night. It was actually funny! If it is out in Singapore, do watch it. I've always complained of how expensive movie tickets are in Singapore, but I no longer will. A non-peak adult ticket is USD9.50, and a peak ticket is priced at USD11.95. Goodness me, no wonder movies make millions each time! 

St. Augustine Catholic Church, Culver City. So serene, I just love going in once in a while. But there is also this creepy, unkempt-looking guy that stands right outside the door to the prayer hall every time. He just stands there alone, doing nothing. Americans are so queer sometimes. Not all. Some.

Over the few days, work has been coming in, acting like some innocent typhoon. So with stress, comes more food laden with carbs, and with that, more money is spent, regrettably.

Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken. This was sooo good! I could've eaten ten if not for the price. This meal burnt a gigantic hole in my pocket at USD 8.91. And yes, you did not see wrong. There's only one drumstick there.

Made myself a sandwich for brunch today, also kind of proud how good my cooking skills have become. Perhaps they deteriorated due to a lack of practice in Singapore. My mum was so nice as to blame my bad U.S. cooking on the alkali-bombed tap water, haha!

Wherever you are today, being busy with whatever, I just thought I'd share one thing I came to appreciate only recently - Free communication. I'm not referring to the First Amendment here, but the freedom to speak your mind without having to feel bad or, apologising willingly without having to feel embarrassed or, lashing out at someone just because you are feeling so much angst. For years I've had many thoughts go through my mind but never come out of my mouth. If you're like me, afraid to say what you really feel, you should start trying. Don't be aggressive, just be honest and share your deepest thoughts and emotions. It is the only way people can get to know the real you. Also, do not be afraid to offend someone with your honest opinions. If they truly are your friends, they will understand when you come around to explain or apologise later.

Pull through this week of February with a smile on your face. Don't forget that!

x.

#5 Underrated Love & eventful Staples

Love - four letters, a word everyone speaks thinking they know what it means and what it entails. As of yesterday, I believe that love is underrated. Love doesn't have to be romantic, contrary to popular belief, it can be for friends, family and pets too. We even love strangers sometimes, ie. Hollywood celebrities, impoverished kids of third-world countries. We are selfish to always first think of love as romantic. Why doesn't he love me? Or, I love him. Romantic love is warm, fuzzy and nice, but let us not forget to give a piece of ourselves to the other people who've made us who we are. I love all my friends, regrettably some more than others, and I love all of you, for supporting my blog just by reading it ♥

Exactly the third week in LA now, Day 21 and I've been missing this space a lot! But I'm back and the week has been nothing but a lazy whirlpool. I am actually giving the week less credit than it deserves, since it did start rather dramatically. An uneventful morning encounter with a person who appeared stoned, led me to nine sheriffs and LAPDs in 4 cars.

I don't exactly know what to remember of this encounter apart from how I still managed a funny moment in that time of distress. So the really tall LAPD officer took my ID and said, "How tall are you?" And having Googled it before, I was pretty confident about answering in feet so I said, "Six-five." He stared at me through his sunnies and went, "I'm Six-three." He was at least a head taller than me, so we both burst out laughing. Before you judge me, in Singapore, we go by the centimeters.

The terrible morning left me feeling sick, but the again, it may have been the bagel I had earlier. Anyhow, you know how they say, when your day gets shitty, it can only get better? It did because I met the most awesome African-American bus driver, who called the cops for us and gave us a free ride to Chinatown, which was the plan for the day. She was so sweet I couldn't help but give her a big hug before alighting. Yea, I did believe her when she told me not everyone is a bad person here.

The night before, I was speaking to a friend about catching the Lakers at Staples Center. I didn't know where it was, but whaddya know? The free bus ride on Metro brought me right to it! Wait for me, Kobe Bryant & free tacos! I'm coming!

LA Chinatown's pretty dead, but I found myself feeling so comfortable there. Apart from the obvious fact that it was probably because I was in an Asian town, it just kind of reminded me that I am Chinese and that I should be proud of it. Well, even though a majority of the people in Chinatown are from Hong Kong and Vietnam, I still loved it. 

And don't ask the obvious, of course I couldn't miss trying the Vietnamese pho! This wasn't perfect, but it made my day so much better. I love food, I really do. I'm a nibbler, but I digress! Still doesn't change the fact that I love food (:

It gets pretty lonely working here sometimes. Being a writer just casts you in a whole different world apart from the others. Because you need the space to think, the quiet to write. So you kind of just end up alone. But I wasn't going to be sad and wallow in misery just because I had no friends, so I took a trip, on foot, to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. 

The hike up the hill was not easy at all. Reviews on Yelp.com were right, trust them. These steep, Hobbit-like steps almost killed me.

Not everything you do in life has a reward, but this spectacular view atop the hill of Los Angeles was a big reward for me. You see how small we are now?

Despite having visited UCLA once, I've never walked about Westwood. But friends in town make you travel you know, and it is a good thing. I also did try my first ever ice-cream sandwich. I naively thought I was going to get bread and ice-cream, like from those uncles with ice-cream carts along Orchard Road.

Chocolate chip cookies with strawberry cheesecake flavoured ice-cream sandwiched in between! Who would've thought this would be heaven? Well apparently everyone, except the sua-ku (country bumpkin?) me. I loved this, tremendously. Diddy Riese, you're genius ♕

What is a night out without some beer and a Live NBA match to catch? This small UCLA bar served me well that same night, but I didn't end up the happiest person because the Lakers lost to Phoenix. And the Lakers were leading by 10 points at half-time! This, my folks, is evidence that life is not always fair.

It's February 1st, and I sincerely hope SoCal's going to stay this sunny. I detest gloomy, chilly weather. How was your January 2013? Carpe Diem, always remember. Cheers!

Pug out! 

xx.

#4 The stale freshman

I get occasional breaks from work and I am immediately haunted by these sounds - Dogs barking, the LA firetruck gong berserk on the streets, private planes flying overhead, loud spanish everywhere, gunshots, more spanish. My least favourite sound would of course be the gunshots. Excuse me, but in Singapore when I hear a gunshot, it basically means a pigeon has died. Over in this neighbourhood? Someone would be that pigeon.

All negativity aside, I decided to share another photo S. took when we were in Hollywood last week. 

This Minnie Mouse probably got disfigured after a fall into a big drain. Who knows? Actively seeking for a tourist's attention to earn a quick buck or two. The smile on the mascot's face probably only a facade to hide the scowl of the puppet inside - a puppet of a man unknowingly having his strings pulled by the crowds of Hollywood.

Of course with all the fun, only comes more fun right? Even when there are tons of work to be done. So I packed my lunch, umbrella and bottle, strapped on my bag and made my virgin trip to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Lunch for the day was a Snow White red apple and this lovely toasted onion bagel, accompanied with roasted turkey, egg and cream cheese.

With the consistent jingle of quarters in my bag, my worst fears came true - I got lost, even before I made it to the campus. It wasn't really my fault because I happen to think I follow instructions pretty well. At the busstop, it says on google maps to take bus 12. Which I did, only that I took bus RAPID 12. How was I to know it was going to be a different route right? Furthermore, all the kids who boarded the bus had UCLA hoodies, so I was kind of gloating to myself, proud that I "made it" on my own. Well, until the bus terminated in the middle of nowhere and the students scattered from it like little hungry ants. 

For 40 minutes, I got lost, walked past the Engineering block, many medical research centers and chanced upon this beautiful sight within the campus of UCLA. I unfortunately, did not bump into my future doctor husband.

 This looks like a castle and not a school? They should charge people for coming into the school and treating it like a museum (a.k.a me). Eventually, I settled myself in a little cosy office and worked hard for hours! Was rather pleased with my productivity (:

I felt like a stale freshman after, while I was walking back to the office after a lunch visit to the cafeteria. Dude walks up to me with a flyer and says: "Hey! Quidditch match next week, USC vs. UCLA. Come watch!" I took his flyer, looked at him confused and said: "What? For real? Real Quidditch?" He was like: "Yea!" Enlighten me someone for I am perplexed. Is he talking about the game in Harry Potter with the flying broomsticks and a snitch?! Either he's delusional or I'm a hermit.

What else would you like to see of Los Angeles? Leave a comment and I'll visit it for you.

There it goes, another gunshot. It is 12:58 in the PM.
Day 13 in Los Angeles. Going strong.

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#3 Hollywood's big fat ego

I'm checking in, and it is Day 9 in Los Angeles. The sun's been out for the past couple of days and I just cannot be any more thankful than I am right now. To show my appreciation for the 26 degree weather, I went out dressed in a hoodie and a pair of shorts. All was great, till the hoodie became too hot, and well, I did not have slippers so my shoes were digging into my dry skin. Still happy nonetheless.

So before I go into the truth about Hollywood, I made a really good trip to the Farmer's Market which is on Fairfax and 3rd.

This is the new wing of the market where they sell apparel and other big brands. My goodness I loved this place! The old wing of the market was cool too. I actually chanced upon this "Singaporean" shop because they had Yeo's and other types of Asian food. The owner wasn't friendly so I refused to buy juice from him. Regretted soon after, since my really nice starfruit orange combination from the adjacent store came at a price of USD4.50. Yea, say "WTF".

Extra was filming when I was there. Americans and their celebrities! I however, really liked how the statue turned out in this shot hehe (:

It was too good a day, I even got a free french manicure done at home by S. Did you know that guys work in nail salons here? My T-Mobile sales girl had super pretty French nails and went:"Yea, a guy did this for me, and it's just across the street!" My goodness that guy sure has a hell lot of patience?! Not that I'm stereotyping, but he had to be Asian.

Okay, I was stereotyping. But you know, when it comes to things to do with America, never believe things you hear or see. Take Hollywood for example. I don't know about you, but as a Singaporean superbly fond of Hollywood, I'd have to say that it isn't all glam-bam-wham in reality. Damn, everything just looks better on camera, doesn't it? It was disappointingly small, unglamorous, and sadly filled with people dressed up in costumes just to earn a quick buck harassing tourists to take photos with them!

 Yea well, luckily for me, I got mine for free! Courtesy of the very lovely S. (:

Ta-dah! Famous Hollywood sign, perched comfortably on the mountain top with its big ego bursting through the clear skies, enjoying all the attention it's getting from every angle of Los Angeles possible.

I still had my fun that day. Venice beach in Santa Monica made up for every little flaw I found of Hollywood. I still love Hollywood by the way, but maybe, just maybe, the actual area has become far too commercialised. Good for a 30-minute tour though!

The view was simply breathtaking. People screaming on roller-coasters, sun-bathing by the calm beach, even the seagulls were having fun flying overhead and just pooping everywhere! I guess it indeed is nice to once in a while to see the ocean touching the sky. Being present there amongst 1, 000 others will make you realise two things, (1) How sad it is that Singapore's beaches are fake, and (2) How small you are, that everything really isn't about you sometimes.

And goodness me, after days and days of bad cooking, insufficient food and involuntary weight-loss, the food Gods finally showed me some mercy tonight. This is pan-fried Pollock (fish) in lemon olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, with buttered broccoli and cheddar at the side. 

I'm in heaven ☮

P.S. Sincerely apologise for the bad photo quality. I happen to be neither rich, nor extremely into advanced technology (: