North Korea

Last weekend, I attended a portion of YWAM-AIIM's NK seminar. It grabbed my interest immediately. I want to be exposed to what goes on behind their restricted doors! Indeed, I got what I wished for... but only a taste... I wish I was able to attend the whole three-day seminar~ From what others were saying, it was extremely eye-opening and fully informative.

I don't see myself going on long-term missions anytime soon, but then again, I wouldn't rule it out 100%. I wouldn't say I'm entirely black or white, but I'm open... I'm open to go where God leads me... I'm just here for the ride~ I essentially wanted to feed my curiosity.

Aside from learning more about NK, I also reunited with a dear unni (older sister/friend) of mine. It was awesome to catch up with her~ In that short period of time, I felt so encouraged and blessed by her energy, cheerfulness, and openness. I sincerely appreciated the time spent with her that day. She also invited me to a Wednesday night small group through her church... I'm thinking about checking it out in the coming weeks... we shall see~

Pictured: Former Secretary to the President, Roh Mu Hyun (2007), Ki Chan Bae.
He's now a staff member of YWAM-AIIM. I'm not a big fan of history lessons,
but I found his extensive summary of the history of Korea pretty insightful!

Adventures of Pharmacy Town

It's a rarity to work in a pharmacy and find situations where it's necessary to call 911 or "RN stat"... Today, there were two episodes within my six-hour shift.

Lady #1, the tongue lady.
In the chaotic setting of one of the busiest pharmacies in our area, I noticed a lady grasping onto the counter with her head down. Another patient was holding her up from behind and it was obvious she needed some medical attention. Luckily, one of my coworkers also took notice and jumped right over the counter to assist her. We sat the lady down in a chair and she began making awkward noises. Her head kept falling forward and her tongue would droop out of her mouth. She became unresponsive and my coworker had to hold up her head to keep her tongue from blocking her airway passage. I was calm but was freaking out inside... Things happened so quickly, but it seemed like an ETERNITY watching it unfold! The nurses, paramedics, firemen eventually all came in & took her out on a stretcher.

30 minutes later...

Lady #2, the gasping lady.
I wasn't able to witness much, but I just heard loud gasps in the waiting area. I guess this lady wasn't able to breathe properly. She was slumped in a chair, had her eyes closed, and she would take these deep, sharp breaths for air every ~5 secs. At one point, she took a longer break between breaths and she eventually let out a SUPER loud gasp that caused everyone to jump! Again, I was calm, but watched in horror... I thought she was going to stop breathing!!! We had to call for medical attention and the same crew of EMTs and firemen walked in & took her out on a stretcher.




As employees of the pharmacy, we're not trained to give medical attention, but only to call for help. I literally stood there watching; feeling helpless and even embarrassed! It looked like we were just standing there not doing anything to alleviate the situation... We're told it's a liability to get involved, so it's better to let the trained professionals do their job.

I felt so stressed after work tonight. It's draining to see people go through something so traumatic... To see expressions of vulnerability and lifelessness displayed... I hear stories from my nurse-friends (situations that are waaaaay more graphic/extreme), and all I can say is kudos to all you health professionals who have to stomach these situations more often than I. You guys are brave. You guys are my hero.




me: This is insane... I want to get CRP certified- just in case.
coworker #1 (young lady): Let's do it.... but you know, you can't give medical attention unless the person allows you to.
me: What do you mean?
coworker #1: You have to wait until they give you verbal authorization because they can legally sue you if you don't. You have to wait until they're knocked out cold before proceeding.
me: Who would do that?!?!?!?
coworker #2 (old asian man): This would never happen in Asia!
all: hahahhahah!

Seriously, I bet in Asia, people would be grateful for any kind of help (or forced to deal with it). Either that, or they would be whacked unconscious first?? heheh

Luuuuucy!!

I loved watching this 50's sitcom growing up! Mainly because I adored Lucy's whimsical demeanor~ She may not be perfect, but she's lovable! Plus, perfect is overrated!! I honestly believe that quirky, awkward, kooky (etc) behavior is 100 x's more interesting and inspiring. I just have a greater respect for people who can be true to themselves without being hindered by the opinions of others... Anyhow, in the rare times I catch a rerun playing, I'll still let out a good laugh! I'll always be a fan~

Supposedly, this stage show celebrates the sitcom (& Lucille Ball's 100th birthday year) with two full episodes, vintage-style musical commercials, favorite iconic scenes, and live music by the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra!

JUST added to my list of must-see shows:

DineLA

My best run yet! I was determined to take advantage of dineLA this year! I couldn't be happier with my meals~ I especially enjoyed sharing them with such lovely company! I really do believe food taste 1000 x's better in the company of good friends, great conversation, and lots of laughter... 

Fig & Olive

8490 Melrose Place

West Hollywood, CA 90069

Mediterranean

They had a huge selection of olive oils displayed along their walls.
Some peppery, some light, some herbaceous.

Rossellini
Passion Fruit Vodka, freshly squeezed blood orange juice, and fresh lime juice~ 

Piscine
A classic drink from the South of France.
Sparkling wine served on ice with fresh strawberries.

Northern Italian mushroom & truffle soup
Cremini mushroom soup, garlic, onion, thyme and White Truffle Olive Oil
I loved how the soup was a bit chunky & packed with flavor!

Zucchini Carpaccio
Topped with Picholine Olive Oil, lemon pine nut, and parmesan.
It's a very simple dish, but so complex in taste!
We thoroughly enjoyed this plate~

Grilled Steak Skewers and Couscous
Grilled steak on rosemary skewers, bell pepper, and greek yogurt on the side.
Couscous with fig, red onion, scallion, tomato, and Koroneiki olive oil

Poulet aux Legumes de Provence
Free range organic chicken breast, grilled zucchini, eggplant, heirloom tomato,
Cipollini onion, roasted fig, parmesan, polenta, marinated red bell pepper, Mission Olive Oil.
I didn't care for the polenta, but the chicken was sooo juicy and well seasoned!

Crostini
Amarena Cherry, mascarpone, pistachio on shortbread with micro-basil
SOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!

 We also had the chocolate pot de creme, but I must've forgotten to take a picture!

Made with crunchy praline financiers and vanilla cream. It tasted like a thick chocolate pudding... not to overpowering, but just right!

Cucumber Cosmo
Vodka, St. Germain, fresh cucumber puree, & lime juice.
A very refreshing drink!!

This place received some cool press!
http://la.popsugar.com/Obama-Dinner-Fig-Olive-LA-Pictures-19235482

Bouchon

235 N. Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

French

White bean puree with toasted baguettes

Soup de Jour
Butternut squash topped with creme fraiche

Huitres- 1/2 dozen oysters
I forget exactly where these were from, but they were insanely delicious!!
Served with mignonette and cocktail sauce

Gnocchi a la Parisienne
Sauteed gnocchi with a fricassee of garden vegetables and beurre noisette
Lately, I've been all about gnocchi!!! gnocchi, gnocchi, gnocchi!!!

Poitrine de Porc
Crispy pork belly with butternut squash and forest mushroom risotto.
I died in my seat after tasting this dish...
The gnocchi even tasted better after I dunked it into this sauce haha

Bouchon
Valrhona chocolate brownies with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
A bit conventional, but decadent and perfectly made.

Pot de Creme
Passion fruit infused custard with a coconut glaze and vanilla shortbread cookies
I loved this one!!!!

Scarpetta

225 N. Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Italian, Seafood

(Sorry for the low quality pictures! Taken with my droid.)

Various spreads for bread.
mascarpone butter, olive oil, and eggplant caponata (my fav!!!)

Puree of Eggplant Soup
Sicilian spiced lamb ragu, baby tomatoes, and ricotta dumplings.

Creamy Polenta
Fricassee of truffled mushrooms

Organic Roasted Chicken
Kabocha squash puree, caramelized cabbage, fegato and parmigiano emulsion
All the flavors mixed so well together!

Short Rib Agnolotti
Garlic chips, toasted breadcrumbs, and horseradish
The concept was interesting, but it was a bit too sweet in taste.

Vanilla Caramel Budino
Gianduja chocolate sable cookies
This easily tickled me happy! =)

Chocolate Cake
Burnt orange-caramel gelato and espresso sauce.

Yes, this was right next door to Bouchon! This whole area is filled with great establishments (i.e., Spago, Mastro's, Il Fornaio, Ruth's Chris etc)

Speaking of Mastro's (aside from dineLA), I must expose some highlights of a recent meal! It was my mother's birthday not too long ago and what better way to celebrate a fabulous, over-worked, inspirational, MEAT-LOVING mother than to feed her steak! It was a ridiculously great dining experience!!! She looooved the tender meat, but I honestly didn't care much for it (yes, even though it's their specialty =T)... I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the lobster mashed potatoes (sorry, I wasn't able to take any decent pictures this evening)....

Alaskan King Crab Black Truffle Gnocchi
gnocchi, gnocchi, gnocchi!!! lol

and of course, their homemade profiteroles!!!!
Vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between a choux pastry ball drizzled with chocolate
THIS WAS MY ALLLL TIME FAVORITE!!! yom!

Curiosity

Sure, my mind runs freely & wildly. It's beneficial in many situations, but pointless (even if entertaining) during other times.

I was at work and came across a prescription for cialis, an ED (erectile dysfunction) medication. Typically, medications that fall under this category are expensive! Pharmacy benefits will cover only a percentage of the cost. I've seen some patients WITH insurance pay anywhere from $50-$200 for 8-27 tablets. Anyway, there was nothing special about the prescription itself. The thing that caught my attention was realizing it was processed through a worker's comp claim!

I'm sure it was used for something else like PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension), but I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought this man was theeee deuce bigalow... male...

Sushi Sankai, Santa Ana

I love sushi, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE authentic Japanese (not Korean) sushi!

I had a great time catching up with my friend, S! Great conversations, lots of laughs, and delish food!! I even appreciated how our neighbors were a bit chatty with us~

(taken with my droid)

yummy pink-bottled sayuri nigori sake 

oysters on the half shell

agedashi, fried tofu in ponzu sauce

toro! my faaaav.... but this one wasn't the freshest =(

shrimp bowl topped with quail egg... YUM!

amaebi- raw sweet shrimp... sadly, this one was gross!

...but the fried shrimp heads were delicious!!! hehe

fried potato wrapped shrimp... my FAVORITE of the night!!

tuna tataki with cream sauce, mushroom, & asparagus

we asked the sushi chef to surprise us and he came up with the Santa Ana roll...
it was ok~ wished it were a bit more exotic of a dish

Costa Rica, Day 6

Exhausted!

We just got in from Nicaragua! We were so excited to add another stamp to our passport- especially to have it stamped in the next available, appropriate box (we both have a minor case of OCD and find it absolutely necessary to have the stamps in chronological order hahah)!

We actually had to wake up by 4am to start the day. We took a 2-hour drive to the border and encountered theeeee most sketchy experiences of all (i.e. random amigo comes up to you, takes your passport, fills out your customs form, and follows you until you tip him)... We eventually were "passed" on from one guide to the next as we walked through the Costa Rican/Nicaraguan borders. Here, we met a flustered Octavio who eventually collected himself... The day was full of color, culture, history, & hearty Nicaraguan cuisine. I sincerely appreciated having a tour guide around to explain the significance of the country´s struggles & milestones... Octavio was so full of information and we were ready to take it all in. I loved his little accent & tiny lisp, too!! I remember trying my best to hold in my giggles as I heard him explain how "caca (cocoa) beans" were traded as goods.

We visited the cities of Rivas, Masaya, & Granada. These different cities had such beautiful & interesting landmarks! The highlight of today was cruising around Lago de Nicaragua (supposedly, when the Spaniards came to take over the land, the lake was mistaken for the ocean because it was so large!). We took a powerboat around the 300+ islands off of Granada. Out of the numerous islands, the most memorable was the one that housed a bunch of spider monkeys. A different boat full of tourists got a bit too close and one of the monkeys jumped in!!! One girl was screaming at the top of her lungs while the lil aggressive monkey was hissing and climbing all around the boat (and tourists!)... he was just looking for food, but it was chaos! Octavio, very calmly, tells us that monkeys don´t like little children HAHAHAHAHHA! I was only able to laugh because we were far from it AND because nobody was hurt... I stood tall & broad-shouldered until we were far enough away hehe

Costa Rica, Day 5 recap

Call me a surfer chick!!!! hahah at least I want to be! We hired two private instructors for $60/2 hours. Manrique & Henry gave us a briefing on technique and took us right into the water. The waves were friendly and it gave us the perfect opportunity to catch numerous waves (on my second try, I stood up & took it in to shore)!!! I had such a good time- minus the unfashionable, holey, dark green turtle neck rash guard I was lent =P anyway, I´m hoping to go again once more before heading home! =)

We just finished up dinner and have to head back soon- we need to wake up by 5am to catch a ride to Nicaragua. It was funny walking around town because we felt so popular! hahah Tamarindo is such a small town that everyone seems to know everyone! Cynthia, the vendor; Jill & George, Serena & Kiana from Living Social; Ruben from Jacamar; Mary-Catherine & southern girl #2 (hehe I forget her name) from Tabacon have all run into us multiple times and we´re always pleasantly greeted with warm smiles... and the locals... wow! Some are neu ggi hae ("greasy" or ppl who gross you out hehe), but some are HAAAAWWWTTT!! Chiseled bodies, beautiful faces aaaand they´re quick to compliment on our beauty LOL!! Of course, we don´t take them seriously, but it´s fun hearing that we... STILL... got it!!! heheh

Funny quotes of the day:
"Me gusta the negro."
"Move out the way, Bizzle"
"Una ahoroaraohoro"

Costa Rica, Day 5

We made it into Tamarindo 2 days ago, but didn´t want to pay the ridiculous prices for internet access (We actually had to stop by an internet cafe to catch up on our emails). Since arriving into town, we had many ups & and a few downs..

The first night in Tamarindo, we walked around to explore the area. There are cute boutiques and many outdoor restaurants. It poured rain a few times (lightening, thunder, and all), but it only enhanced the beauty of the town as we saw the lightening light up the ocean waters. It was amazing being able to walk around in the wet, yet warm, weather.

The second day, we had a kayak-snorkeling excursion planned with Jacamar. They picked us up on ATVs from the hotel, stopped by their offices to pick up all the equipment, walked over to the beach, kayaked to Capitan Island, then snorkeled around the area. I was excited to see a variety of mutli-colored fishies swimming around me! I swam the Great Barrier Reef before, but I wasn´t able to see as many fishes coated in bright, iridescent colors. The only bad thing was that the waters were a bit murky so I had to dive in to get a closer look at them. It felt nasty swimming the shallow waters because I would swim through patches of really warm waters contrasted with patches of cold waters... I wanted to tell the ocean, ¨make up your mind!¨=P On the way back, a wave capsized our kayak!!! My purse, clothes, Jen´s favorite sandals, and a handful of beautiful shells we hand-picked from the island fell into the Pacific!!! Luckily, I was able to recover my purse & clothes (we had to say our good-byes to Jen´s sandals w a memorial service), but my phone got drenched!!! I just had my new phone for about a month!! HAHAH ughhh... I have it burried in rice in our hotel room... Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Today, we have a surf lesson planned for the afternoon... Shamu better hope we won´t catch him with a fancy pair of sandals on!! heheh

Costa Rica, Day 3

1968(channel your black eyed peas...).... I.... had....the time of my liiiiiiiife... and I owe it all to youuuuuuuuuu....

The 3rd highlight of our trip- zip-lining through the tropical rain forest, overlooking the trees. It was amazing flying above and THROUGH the trees!!! The tour guides thought they were funny as they told us our lines were NOT secure, yet they without hesitation, pushed us to the next station! We had about 7 zip-lines and one tarzan rope swinging adventure!! It seemed incredibly frightening, but it was theeeeee most exhilarating experience in my life (over cliff diving in Hawaii)!!! I remember after being sent off, I flung my hands overhead, pulled my legs upward, and swung side to side completely upsidedown!! To add to the excitement, I was twirled in a cirle and I decided to channel my inner ballernia!! I never got so dizzy overlooking the top of trees and hilltops!!! THEEEE most incredible outdoor experience in my life!!! VIVA LA Costa Rica!!!

JND here: Costa Rica has been AWESOME.  Experiencing nature at it´s purest never gets out of style...especialy when you do it with a great friend!  This AM we took a hike to the Arenal Volcano which most recently erupted in 1968.  The hike lasted about 3.5 hours in duration and we got to experience all of nature´s beauty...spiders included!  My most cherished part was seeking the Arenal Volcano up close & personal. To know that we were next to one of nature´s most powerful yet unpredictable objects gave me quite the rush.  Photos do this place no justice.  This region of Costa Rica has so much to offer.  The food, people and sights are all worth the trip!  Post volcano hike and zip-lining tour, GK & I experienced some true, old fashioned girl bonding...complete with cocktails and a chick flick!  Times like this allow me to stop, reflect, & appreciate good friends and the time that I get to share with them.  From this point forward, when I think of CR, I will always think of Pura Vida and the fun times that I shared here with my dear friend.  Until next time...

Costa Rica, Day 2

Buenos Noches!

We just concluded our 2nd day here in Arenal, Costa Rica. We had the looooongest time traveling in: delayed flight due to a flight attendant who never showed up for work, my 2-hour lay over turned one-minute in Houston (I literally had to book it to the next gate- I was the last one to board and it was at the very minute our flight was supposed to depart!!!), and theeeeen we had a 3.5 hour car ride to Tabacon Resort in Arenal. Thankfully, the scenic route was captivating and I completely forgot about my travel complications.. and for the cherry on top, our resort was AMAZING!!! I highly recommend travelers to get a spa treatment at their facility! The staff is extremely accomdating and polite. Everything about our stay there surpassed what we even expected!

Something adventurous? I´ve never had the guts to go anywhere commando... until today!! I signed up for the 2 hour spa treatment at the Tabacon Grand Spa. It included an hour swedish massage, an oatmeal milk facial, and a mud wrap for my feet. Normally, I´d keep my bottom on, but I went the whole nine since I was in a secluded area.. hahahah omg, I still felt so shy!! Anyway, it was very professional and I felt comfortable... Time flew by and once I woke up, my massage therapist asked me to get up to head towards the jacuzzi.... I was blown away once I saw it was full of bubbles with a glass of Brut and fruit next to it! I loved being outdoors, in a bubble bath, under the Costa Rican skies, surrounded by a wall of tropical trees and plants, and sipping on some bubbly... it was ridiculously, incredibly relaxing and euphoric! My second favorite part of the day was hanging out in the thermal pools (naturally heated by the Arenal volcano), surround by every tone of green with splashes of yellow, orange, and hot pink! There were jaw-dropping sights all around me... lounging around while the rain poured down on us... I especially loved seeing the droplets of rain fall from the leaves overhead... It was a tender and dainty massage from above. I had the most amazing time here!! What a great way to start our Costa Rican adventures!

Picca on Pico Blvd

I told you I would!! =P

Considered doing the 50 course challenge for a millisecond, but opted not to. Instead, 

14 dishes were shared between five of us~ It was more than enough!

I was playing with an external flash & I'm pretty happy with the results!! It looks a bit more dramatic~ 

Pisco Sour.

When traveling to Peru, pisco sours were available everywhere! I wasn't a big fan of the intensive sourness nor the frothy egg topping, but I had to order at least one~ It was REALLY strong (tastes like you're sipping on tequila)! Just after getting 1/5 into it, I was feeling gooooood~ haha

 Primeras

tuna tartare.
tuna, avocado, lemon soy dressing, and wonton chips.

This was DELICIOUS but I was disappointed it lacked creative elements... it was ordinary. 

papa rellena.
stuffed potato, slow cooked beef, boiled egg, rocoto aioli.

I remember loving this in Peru!!
I often saw different types of chicken, meat, or seafood sandwiched between two layers of causa.
This one was better because it was fried~ I love everything potato!!!!
(truth be told, my dad nicknamed me "french fry monster" when I was a lil G =P)

Segundas- Causa Sushi 

Causa is a cold yellow potato mash. Here, it's used in place of the usual rice & seaweed. 

Interestingly, the flavors and textures dance perfectly together!

snow crab- cucumber, avocado, huancaina sauce
smoked salmon- hijiki, shallots, aji amarillo yogurt
spicy tuna- tobiko, cucumbers
spicy yellow tail- spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko

ALL of these were tasty!!

Ceviches & Tiraditos

seabass tiradito.
thinly sliced seabass, soy sauce, lemon dressing, sweet potato puree.

Back in the days, when I was a dainty eater, I would have approached this plate politely with little bites- piece by piece. Now that I'm a ravenous piglet, I learned the PERFECT bite combines all components... oooopen wide!! Imagine the crispiness of the fried sweet potato embedded on an elegant blend of puree against the soft, tender seabass accented by the soy & lemon dressing~~ This was one of my favs.

ceviche crocante.
halibut, leche de tigre, crispy calamari.

I loved the zesty flavors in this dish! It was another favorite!

Terceras- Anticuchos

salmon.
miso, pickled cucumbers.

Salmon was tender and flavorful~ pickled cucumbers? mmmmm.... I didn't really care for it.

papa a la huancaina.
potato, quail egg, pancetta, chives.

This was one of my all time favorite dishes in Peru!! I think I ordered it twice! haha sounds silly, but I'm not the redundant type (especially when traveling)- I like to challenge my palate!! This dish is normally served over rice on a full plate so it was interesting to see Chef Zarate's twist on it!

tomatoes.
burrata (one of my favvvvs), black mint pesto.

Reminiscent of a caprese salad. Very tasty!!

cusquena!!!!

I'm not a fan of beer, but this one is light  & a bit sweet.
I had one on the train ride back from Machu Picchu... so again, I HAD to relive my adventures. =)

Cuartas

the special:
bone-in rib-eye with an anticucho sauce

The seasoning and tenderness of the meat were ON POINT!! 

arroz chaufa de mariscos.
mixed seafood, peruvian fried rice, pickled radish.

and this is where I started to unbutton my pants... hahah jkjk...
but really, this was the point where I started getting full~
I shouldn't have had so many pieces of meat!! lol
I only had a bite of this, but wish I had more!
Even though I felt full, the richness of the flavors  were delightful~

bisteck a lo pobre (poor man's steak).
skirt steak, egg, pan fried banana, chickpeas tacu tacu

I liked everything about this dish, minus the banana...
I thought the sweetness of the banana was overpowering.
I just can't seem to get used to turon (filipino banana lumpia), tostones (fried plantains), nor  any  other cooked banana dishes. What's weird is that I love bananas, banana bread (I guess baked is ok?), banana smoothies, etc...
...I just used "banana" 7 times... bananananananana =P

open kitchen!

My friend was taking pictures & the next thing you know, we were invited into the kitchen!
I'm always sooooo excited when offered a tour!! The manager introduced us to the cooks and showed us around~ So hospitable!! He also showed me the mezzanine deck (2nd floor) where they're able to host private parties.... potential birthday party location?!?!?!? =P

Behind the Scenes

pantry station

with the manager & line cooks

The exposed kitchen includes the fry, anticucho grill & cold stations- a decent sized kitchen.

pancetta... YUM!!

Ultimas

tres leches cake with a pisco creme fraiche topping

It was okay. =)

cheesecake

The cheesecake was delicious! The aji amarillo (peruvian yellow chile pepper) topping gave it a bit of a kick~ you don't get a feel for the heat until after finishing your bite... really complex in taste!

dulce de leche filled churros with chocolate, marmalade, & caramel

This was the perfect end to a charming meal with great company!!