I decided to take a holiday to Vietnam because my cousin was going at the same time. I didn’t think much of it, except that I’m going to go somewhere relaxing and warm. I’m of Vietnamese origin but being born and raised in California, my cultural identity was tied to being a proud American. As…
Category: life
Leaving California
It is the day after the USA’s 2024 presidential election day. Half the nation is feeling nothing but a loss of our unity. I’m in total disbelief that a repeat of election day 2016 has occurred 8 years later. It feels as if the nation despises the idea that highly qualified woman would lead the…
Where is the humanity today?
I’ve observed something today, that we are suppressing our humanity in our lives, our work places, and how we strive to become more machine. I started a 2nd job last week, why? Not because I need the money, but because I am unhappy with my current salary at my real job (I am underpaid for…
Writing about travel during the COVID pandemic feels wrong.
I’ve been reluctant to post anything related to travel on this travel blog for almost a year since March 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit the world the hardest. My last biggest trip was coming back from Mumbai, India, then a couple of weekends after it was spent in wine county at Valle de Guadalupe…
Vegetarianism
After hearing my uncle had heart surgery, among other co-workers and family members getting illnesses related to cholesterol, cancer, diabetes et-cetera, I decided I wanted to try going ‘clean eating’ vegetarian for a month in January. I’ve realized thrown myself into a new world that I’ve dismissed as a nuisance before. I’ve learned that vegetarianism…
The Pinhão – Brazil’s Pine Nuts
The pinhão is a pine nut that comes from the Paraná Pine or the Brazilian pine tree. These trees are native to Brazil but are critically endangered due to logging and agriculture. I was lucky to be visiting Campos de Jordão for a classical music festival and saw an abundance of these beautiful trees. It’s…
Dear Taylor Swift,
I read your article you wrote in Elle about 30 things you’ve learned before turning 30 in March and every single thing you mentioned resonated with me. I’m turning 30 with you this year too. We’re both made in 1989. I discovered your music back in college when my roommate was blasting your music our…
My 1 year recap living in Silicon Valley
It’s almost my one year anniversary of moving to the bay area, getting out of small town Santa Barbara where everything moves too slow while you’re watching the coastline. That’s one thing I really missed about SB, nothing was ever stressful and you can take long walks on the beach to feel at peace. Life…
Mascapone frosting
I made a chocolate cake, and I wanted cream cheese frosting, but the only thing I had was leftover macapone cheese, from the last time I made tiramisu. Looking all over the internet for a frosting with macapone, without heavy whipping cream, or butter (because I didn’t have any of that), and low sugar, I…
2014, what a year
So it’s January 2015, a lot of things happened last year and it was… amazing! I was looking through my photos, and I was just wow, did that really happen to me? So here’s a year in review I went to Death Valley twice once in March and another time in November Went to San…
Darkaqua Chronicles 