amazing
May the 4th be with you!
Finally edited my first video for my Vlog series! So grateful to have had this unforgettable experience. Here's the first of many vlogs to come. I'm so excited for you all to see my adventures through my eyes.
Last night was definitely a beautiful dining experience to say the least for my friend Keisha and I. It was our second time celebrating #dineLA and we definitely enjoyed every minute of it. On the first night of #dineLA, out of the 300+ beautiful restaurants to choose from, we decided on The Church Key here in Los Angeles on Sunset Blvd. The ambiance was relaxing and the low lighting definitely gave a romantic dinner vibe. The price point for our meal was $39 and from all of the delicious food we received and the great service it was most definitely worth it. We had to choose between three menu items for each main course and two desserts.
The first two courses we chose were: a stuffed avocado with a tuna tartare, Japanese cucumber, radish and a ponzu aioli followed by crispy pork belly, Korean chili glaze, escarole "Kim-chi" with a fried egg and cilantro. The tuna was a refreshing start to our meal with all of the great qualities a tartare can have and it was elegantly executed. The flavors blended very well together and I also absolutely loved the crispy pork belly. It was both crispy and soft and I never thought the flavors of "Kim-chi" and the chili glaze would blend so well with the fried egg and cilantro. (Sidenote: But then again I love cilantro on everything.)
Our main courses were: Tapioca crusted Tai Snapper, Green papaya salad, Thai basil nuoc cham, peanuts and crispy shallots followed by Red Wine braised beef cheeks, parsnip puree, and a horseradish gremolata. The Tai Snapper was just the right amount of crispy in my opinion and the green papaya salad with the nuoc cham all meshed together so well with my palette. The winner that night though was definitely Keisha's choice: the braised beef cheeks. They were so tender and cooked so perfectly and the gremolata was a nice touch of flavor to make it so savory and satisfying.
For dessert: we both chose brioche donuts with a brown butter glaze and cinnamon caramel. The butterscotch pudding did sound quite appetizing, but we were definitely in the mood for some donuts. The donuts were spot on to end our beautiful meal. The sweetness of the caramel and brown butter glaze was something we both just looked at each other with approval about. There was also a hint of saltiness that we both loved and were trying to figure out where it was coming from. What's funny is that we both just planned on ordering the #dineLA menu, but there were a few carts going around the restaurant that caught our attention. The Church Key actually has dim sum carts that go around every 20-30 minutes to bring you small tapas type plates like mac and cheese, tacos or even popcorn (which i'm pretty sure they're known for).
There's even a cart for alcoholic liquid nitrogen popsicles, which were very similar to what otter pops look like, but made in house. We ordered a strawberry tequila popsicle with some mac and cheese fritters and a fried halibut taco. ALL absolutely delicious and we wanted more, but we had to stop ourselves. I know for a fact that I will definitely be back for more another fantastic dining experience at The Church Key and i'm really grateful I had Keisha my foodie adventure partner with me to enjoy it. Thank you to #dineLA for making this all possible and i'm excited for the next stop on my list of bookmarks to eat.
Today we learned how to play the Gamelan! Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia that are made up of mostly percussion instruments. It is an integral part of Indonesian culture. What I learned was that when you want to play a certain instrument in the orchestra you must hit the next key as you hold the key you hit before it. We had so much fun playing together and it was amazing learning about another beautiful part of Indonesian culture here in Yogyajakarta, Indonesia.
So it's official. I'm a graduate of California State University, Northridge and it feels unreal. It honestly hasn't hit me yet even though I had to go through two graduation ceremonies. Being at CSUN has been such a phenomenal experience because of all of the involvement on campus and also because of the amazing people i've met. Walking across that stage has made me realize that there's no routine anymore, no running across campus to clock into my shift right after my class. No more going to the pub for some $4 chicken strips and fries or farmers markets in the middle of the day for some horchata, pupusas and corn in a cup. Its been an unbelievable college career and I wouldn't have wanted to spend my time any other way.
Working for student housing and the university student union has given me so many opportunities these last five years. I don't know where I would be right now without these two organizations. I've learned so much about diversity on the campus and understanding and respecting it to become a respectful human being. It may sound cheesy, but these jobs I had on campus educated me not just through work ethic, but common sense to be a better person to anyone no matter what. I have reflected on myself and learned about myself through others because of the experiences of working and getting involved on campus. Being a part of CSUN as a fellow student, mentor and employee has pushed me to do such much more in my life, to work harder, to always be positive and see the greatness in others.
I just want to thank my family, friends, mentors and people i've worked with for all of their support throughout my college career. I don't know where I would be without my support systems. Whether it was a great job or even small conversation, these last six years have taught me and given me the strength to never limit myself or feel embarrassed about how long it will take to accomplish a goal. Every decision I have made has been worth every risk and unforgettable moment that I will cherish forever.
This is the first summer that I haven't worked since I was 17 and it feels really strange. I always like keeping busy and since I've been back from D.C. I feel this void where I would be doing something more productive with my life. I realized though that it is okay to take a break and time for yourself is always important. After weeks of searching, I'm really excited to say that I have a summer job now! Even though it technically is the end of summer. I am going to be a part of the a grand opening of a new REI store near my house. It is retail, but there are so many beautiful growing opportunities in this company of outdoor recreation. My first training is in a few weeks so i'm excited to share it with you.
