Simple Things I've Learned That Have Improved My Cooking

If your mashed potatoes are not sticking together, it's because there's not enough moisture/liquid/water/whatever you want to call it.

I learned this one from Chrissy Teigen: peel ginger with a spoon. It is so much easier than using a peeler or knife.

When making dalgona coffee with a electric mixer, make sure to use a deep bowl or cup because the coffee mixture WILL splash.

A Short List of Food I Will Never Eat at a Restaurant Again

Why? Because I can make it better at home.

Tacos

Exception: Crafted The Art of Taco's "Hoodie" Falafel Tacos // Greensboro, NC

Sushi

Exception: Sushi Momo // Montreal

Cake

Exception: Fare Well's chocolate chip cookie dough // Washington D.C.

2017 Year in Review

2020 update: I never finished this because of how much work it was, but I should have quit grad school.

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.

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 blog post and a video titled "Why I Left Buzzfeed," parodying the ones of actual Buzzfeed employees leaving the media company. 

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.

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.

2017 was a big year for Asian Americans. Kevin Kwan's bestselling book, Crazy Rich Asians 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.

sometimes all i see are imperfections

hair: badly in need of a haircut

makeup: lipstick not fully able to cover my peeled and bleeding lip

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 slouching

North America City Guide

New York City

Must Do: 

• Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
• $7 admission with valid student ID
• If you are a fan of the Smithsonian art museums in DC, then you will enjoy the Cooper Hewitt. 
• The Museum at FIT
• Free admission
• For those interested in fashion and or design
• Your boyfriend will probably be bored and start playing Pokemon Go
• World Trade Center + other unique skyscrapers/buildings in New York
• If you're into architecture
• Other examples:
• 9/11 Memorial
• Flatiron Building
• Oculus at One World Trade Center
• If you want to see how capitalism has taken advantage of a tragedy
• "Imagine if they made a shopping mall at the Holocaust Museum."
• All that other touristy stuff
• NYC's got something for everyone: 5th Avenue, Times Square, Chinatown, etc.

Not Worth It:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art ($12 admission with valid student ID)

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.

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].

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.

Food: 

Bodhi Vegetarian, Seasoned Vegan, Brooklyn Whiskers, Xian Famous Foods, Smorgasburg

Connecticut

Must Do: 

• Rocky Neck State Park 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.

Not Worth It: 

• Frank Pepe's Pizzeria

Rhode Island

Must Do:

• Plant City Why? Plant City is the first and only vegan food hall in the world.

Not Worth It:

• Plant City Why? The food is still a work in progress.

Boston

Must Do: 

• Brookline Dispensary 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.   
• Boston Public Garden 😍 What more do I have to say other than we went on a cloudy day and it was still beautiful
• Rose Kennedy Greenway Best viewed at night when the lights are out and the light and water displays are on
• Boston Waterfront The perfect spot to view the transition from day to night after the public garden and before you head to the Greenway

Not Worth It: 

• Arnold Arboretum 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.

Food: 

Red White, My Thai Vegan Cafe

Montreal

Must Do:

• Barbie EXPO

• Free admission
• A must go if you grew up playing Barbies and love fashion
• 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.
• Old Montreal
• Put this in your GPS to walk around the cobblestone city by the waterfront
• Also where LOV McGill is located
• Grocery Shopping

• Honestly, this was one of the best parts of our road trip. 
• $1 100% fruit juices!!!!! like pure grapefruit and a tropical guava mix 
• Ketchup Doritos 
• Convenient Store Shopping
• For Canadian beer
• Fast Food Restaurants
• Tim Horton's coming through with the Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich 
• Even the fast food restaurants like A&W have poutine on the menu...speaking of which
• Poutine
• Dispensary-SQDC

• Weed is 100% legal in Canada.
• SQDC has a monopoly on the sale of recreational weed in Quebec.
• There was also a long line here, but it moved relatively quick, and the inside was nice and bright. 
• Talking to people who will assume you speak French even if you are Asian but who are bilingual and can also speak English
• Gay Village
• Close to Sushi Momo 
• Has a Copper Branch
• A lot of cool artwork and displays
• An Airbnb in Repentigny
• Eat vegan food 
• Canada is way ahead of the curve and even has vegan chains.

Not Worth It: 

• La Banquise

Food: 

Lov, Sushi Momo, Copper Branch

Philadelphia

Must Do: 

• Philadelphia Magic Gardens $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. 

Not Worth It:

• Hipcity Veg 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.