Bloggers' Night Out

With my hookah buzz barely fading; I headed to W hotel Westwood that same night for a Bloggers' Night Out event with friends and bloggers, Zendi (The Zhen Blog) and (PoliPsych.com Blog). However, a record release party for The Black Eyed Peas’ singer Will.I.Am was going on there too. As a result, there were a lot of dressed up people and a line of photographers staring at me as I walked in. Boy I loved walking right pass that line towards the pool.

Once finding the right party we met political bloggers, Vik Rubenfeld who runs The Big Picture and created the former series Early Edition, Bridget a.k.a GOP Vixen, Dirty Harry, a conservative film critic at Libertas, as well as a writer from Mayor Sam’s Blog. Amongst overly priced and horrid blueberry mojitos by the darkly lit pool, we debated about the similarities and differences between conservatives and liberals since the gathering was pretty much split down the middle between the two parties. It was interesting to hear each others views, while being civil and understanding that the other is not an enemy or an alien for thinking differently.

Ravi goes into more detail about the discussion in his post, “talking morality with conservative blog writers.” Oh and valet for a little less than two hours was the same price as my mojito, $14. Ouch! Now I’m even gladder that I grabbed a green apple from the hotel concierge desk. Hmph!

Anyone familiar with Internet history should know that bloggers know how to party! They're also really useful friends to have around when you need advice on buying a computer or want to know the best site to find streaming music. ;Bloggers are usually really up-to-date on the latest tech trends.

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Stop! Hookah time

Yesterday after work my colleagues and I headed to a hookah bar and restaurant, Gypsy Cafe, in Westwood. The guys all had been several times, but my officemate Rachael and I were both hookah virgins and were eager to try the water pipe, especially after we heard that it comes in 25 flavors of tobacco including apple, pomegranate, etc.

What is it though? Well it looks like a big glass water bong with a hose attached to puff from. Technically speaking though it is a herb containing fruit molasses tobacco and honey and originated in India but is popular in the Middle East. For sanitary reasons they provide a plastic nozzle for each smoker to insert into the end of the tube so no one swaps germs.

We ordered a hookah with raspberry vanilla flavoring and later mango mint. Both smelled and tasted nice, not like a cigarette. I had to be instructed on how to inhale it though, because at first I was barely exhaling any smoke. It took several tries before I could make it go down to my lungs. Finally though I got the hang of it. It was relaxing and made me light headed for brief seconds.

I can easily see how it's a fun and social thing to do, but something I'll reserve for once in a blue moon, since I'm not a smoker.


















Link: Blogger just launched an image slide show of every photo that's uploaded to Blogger. I spent a good 10 minutes flipping through and then clicking more info and checking out the blogs that had photos that I liked. http://play.blogger.com

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Ring in the Bling

I find myself looking down at the engagement ring newly on my ring finger and going, "oh right I’m in engaged!" I guess you can say I’m still getting used to it and as a result, I’ll often stare at my bling in wonder. Luckily only my baby has caught me staring at it. However, I forgot to put it on this weekend when heading to Starbucks and felt bad about it. I also keep getting it caught on my clothes and stabbing Raphael with it by accident when reaching out for a hug. Figuring I can’t be the only woman to go through this, I’ve asked some of my married friends how long it took them to get used to their rocks and to share funny anecdotes.

My old coworker said in the beginning she’d look at her ring all the time when typing at work and almost got in an accident when it caught her eye while driving, lol.

My middle and high school friend Anjali Desai, now Anjali Shah says, “I have a wedding band along with the engagement ring now and I still catch myself staring at it because it reminds me of the time it was given to me. The only thing I’m embarrassed about is that I’ve always been very reckless with my hands; I’ve banged my ring into things (doors, tables, getting caught in my clothes) scratched my face up (not to mention Milind’s face) unfortunately that is a habit I haven’t shaken off to this day! But I’m trying to get better at it!!”

My best friend, Divina, who is now on her 2^nd year of marriage writes: “My wedding ring has become apart of my body and soul. I feel almost naked when I don't have it on. I love looking at it because I think my ring is the most beautiful ring ever (I know I am baised) Ha. Joking aside it’s a symbol of the love Eddy and I have for each other so no surprises here. I forget to put it back on when I do the dishes, take a shower etc. Then I feel like I am missing something look down and don't see my ring. A little panic sets in and I have to retrace my steps. When we first got engaged I would scratch myself all the time. Even now I rip stockings or get it caught on delicate materials.”

Forget about getting your ring caught on merely clothes though, my friend Nicki from college wrote back to me with her story and I gasped out loud while reading it. "My pretty engagement ring mostly affected my nose ring. I used to leave it on all the time, even when I was sleeping or taking a shower. So when I was washing my face in the shower, it hooked on my nose ring and ripped it out of its hole---ouch!" The things you can still learn about your friends. She then went on to write: "Once I forgot to wear my ring when I was going out to dinner with my inlaws. I felt so empty without it on my finger. I actually kept my left hand under the table so no one would see me without it. I felt as if I did something wrong by not remembering to put it on."

The other night at 80s Night over at V Lounge in Santa Monica, I noticed random guys start to flirt with me and then glance down at my ring and stop immediately. It’s kind of funny. Like my ruby contains cock-blocking kryptonite! Sucks that men don’t wear engagement bands too, not fair! Although, I'm glad we don't have the pressure that they have when it comes to picking out just the right ring for their future wives.

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She's got Bette Davis eyes

Have you ever met an adult that still acts precocious? Yes, I know the term is usually used to describe a child or teenager trying to be mature or older than their years. Well, I met this one woman who was still precocious despite being all grown up now. It’s like she’s trying too hard to convince us all that she’s knowledgeable and an adult. It’s like relax, we believe you, don’t try so hard. Instead, she comes off as a child wearing an adult dress and high heels going look at me, look at me.

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Victor Victoria

Another stop on our Alaskan cruise was to Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. I hadn't been before and found it very charming even though we were only there just for a few hours. It isn't as modern as Toronto, but more like Montreal with it's foreign appeal. The city is named after Queen Victoria i.e. Sixty Glorious Years and as a result there are monuments for her in front of the parliament buildings:


The Queen:



The Empress Hotel:

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Yummy Cupcakes

For the 5th spot on my Los Angeles Cupcakes Meetup group we visited Yummy Cupcakes in Santa Monica, just across from the 3rd Street Promenade and near another cupcakery, Vanilla, which we attended two meetups ago.

We eagerly tried Yummy's cupcakes to see if they live up to their name and happily found that they did. I think it is now in our top three LA shops so far (Susiecakes, Dainties and now Yummy). Zendi, our group's photographer and red velvet taster raved about their cocoa red velvet cupcakes and I enjoyed their special rocky road cupcake complete with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate whipped frosting. Their trademark Yummy Cupcake with chocolate cake and pink butter cream frosting and chocolate sprinkles was a popular favoriteamongst the group too.

What I loved most about this unpretentious shop is that it has a lot of unusual flavors, 125 to be exact. They have about 10 of their regular flavors always available like Happy Day (vanilla), Yummy, etc. and then four different varieties for purchase each day like Pink Lemonade, Chocolate Raspberry, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Rocky Road, etc. All are baked from scratch every morning and all day long by their talented pastry chefs who hold the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu diploma. According to their site their cupcakes are made using top quality real ingredients such as whole milks, creams and buttermilks, Callebaut chocolates, fresh fruits, juices and zests, California creamery butter, Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanilla bean and ranch fresh eggs. No lards or trans fats. They also have a shop in Burbank.

The owner Tiffini Soforenko came out to talk to us and turns out she the recipes are hers and that she owns the shop with her mother and husband. The store is also very kid-friendly with little chairs and tables that can be rented out for cupcake decorating birthday parties--too cute! I want one, is what I was thinking. They are also going to be adding a make your own cupcake sundae bar, where people can, yes, make their own cupcakes and pick cereal toppings, etc.



For more photos check out the events page here.
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Boogie Wonderland

So my digital camera has a video recording option and the dial will often fall on that setting instead of camera mode, thus capturing some funny stuff. As a result, I just found this quick video of Raphael taking a photo of me on the dance floor during 70s night.

Here are the still photos that he took once he realized the video option was on.

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Ketchikan i.e. catch me if you can

Besides our adventurous and surprising (for me) helicopter ride in Alaska, we also signed up for a two hour Sea Kayaking excursion in Ketchikan. Bundled in life jackets and warm clothes, Raphael and I shared a two person kayak and really tore up the water. We were actually pretty good, we didn't take many breaks and mirrored each others strokes. However, no matter how fast we paddled or angled our oars, this older couple in a red kayak kept zipping into the lead. The woman counterpart of the duo wasn't even paddling much, yet they kept beating us. Not that it was a race or anything, but we're the competitive sort ;) Turns out the guy has been kayaking for years and knows his stuff. We took solace in the fact that we were at least kept far ahead of the other younger couple, phew.




Along our glide, we eagerly kept an eye out for bears since they are known to swim in the area and fish for salmon. We saw plenty of pink salmon on this trip after going to a hatchery and salmon bake, but no bears. Others on our cruise saw some black bears during other wildlife trips that they took on land though. We did, however, see two American Bald Eagles, which was pretty impressive with their white heads and seeing our country's bird soar overhead. We first spotted a couple of bald eagles up in the tree (apparently they mate for life) as we took pictures and paddled past they stuck out their chests and seemed to be watching us just as closely. We later saw one take flight:

The sky looks dark, but we went early in the morning, 6 a.m. but reached the lake around 7ish. It ended up sprinkling a bit but it felt good since we had worked up a sweat keeping up with the older dude in his kayak.

PS: The day after I returned home (Monday) I attended a WB advanced screening of Jodie Foster's new film The Brave One. I wasn't prepared for the intensity of it or the blood, but it was really good. You can read my review at Film School Rejects.

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Will you marry me?

So yeah, I left out some BIG news in my glacier post the other day. Like how Raphael proposed to me on the Meade Glacier. Yup, I'm engaged!

The reason why I've waited to blog about it is because I wanted to make the rounds and tell people first so I wouldn't hear, "I had to read about it on your blog?!"

So Raphael really surprised me. I know we own a condo together and planned on being engaged, but he threw me off the scent by saying before our trip that he was going to start looking at rings. So, in my mind, I figured OK in a few months then. Yay! He was just being clever though because he already purchased a ring for me and it was hidden in his bag during our trip.

Here's how it happened: It was a rainy day in Skagway, Alaska, which has a population of only 800 people. We booked a two-hour helicopter ride and glacier hike for the day. It was my first time on a helicopter and although there were six of us and the pilot on board, Raphael and I were able to sit right up in the front next to the controls. We then took off to the Meade glacier, flying over our cruise ship, the Golden Princess and over valleys and mountains.

The helicopter landed on the glacier itself since it's more than sturdy enough being hundreds of feet of ice deep. Outfitted in boots that wrap around our sneakers with spikes at the bottom for better grip, we began to walk around and discover the glacier's secrets and history. Unbeknownst to me, Raphael had slipped the only female guide a note saying that he planned to propose to his girlfriend, but where would be a good spot. She wrote back that later we would be by a stream in the glacier and that he should do it there. I was busy snapping photos and breathing in the fresh crisp air to even notice.

When we reached the blue stream, Raphael suggested we walk away from the group, I assumed he wanted a photo without the other tourists in the background, so I followed the few extra feet away from the group with him. He then leaned close and started joking by saying that he was thinking about how "cool" to get married in such a "chill" place. He said told his friends that he would, "Alaska to marry me on the glacier!" I laughed thinking that it was weird to joke about marriage though. He then went on to say a bunch more puns like that if I said "sNOw" he'd just give me more "ice," but then he feared I would get "cold feet" and that it would be a "rocky" start. I was still giggling trying to keep up with all the cute references he was saying. Then I saw him get down on his knee and say that I was his best friend and if I'd marry him. In his outstretched hand was an open black box with a ring inside.

I thought he was the best magician in the world at that moment, because it all happened so fast, like magic. I was amazed to see him on his knees with a ring out. I was thinking "how'd this happen?" I, of course, said YES and he slipped the ring on my finger, once he removed my glove that is. Then we were kissing and hugging and I was asking if he was serious, lol. I didn't even have time to cry more than getting misty, I was literally still in shock and blissfully happy.

The guides, having watched us, announced to the crowd that we just got engaged and everyone applauded and thought it was awesome that Raphael chose to propose to me on the glacier. I later thanked him for making it so special for me. Plus, I can now say we met on a New York City subway and got engaged on a glacier! What does the ring look like? I've always wanted a ruby instead of a diamond. I like to be different after all. Raphael luckily knew this and picked out the prettiest red ruby I've ever seen. It's 1.3 carats and has two trillion diamonds on the sides and pave diamonds are embedded into the yellow gold (my preference) band. It's beautiful. Turns out my fingers are freakishly slim though (3.25), so even the size 5 that he ordered didn't fit. I still wore the sucker on my middle finger during the rest of our trip though, hehe. It's now being resized.

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Breaking the Ice

Here are some of the glacial photos that we took on our Alaskan cruise last week. The glaciers were beautiful, and almost looked like waterfalls and rivers from a distance. I wasn't prepared for how blue they would be either, but apparently glacial ice appears blue because it absorbs all colors of the visible light spectrum except blue, which it transmits, giving its blue appearance. Glacier ice may also appear white like snow because some ice is highly fractured with air pockets and disrupts the spectrum within.

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau

This glacier retreats 200 feet a year :(

Glacier Bay, Inside Passage

The Meade Glacier, Skagway

The Meade glacier is one of the largest inland glaciers in this part of Alaska. Known as the "river of ice," it stretches some 25 miles from Juneau to Skagway.

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Sleepless In Seattle

Before I talk about my amazing vacation in Alaska and Victora, Canada, let me start off with Seattle. I didn't see the Frasier coffee house, Cafe Nervosa, since it doesn't really exist, but I did snap a shot of the first ever Starbucks in Pike Place Market in Seattle. I almost passed right by it since it didn't look like the eighty other Starbucks in the city, since it didn't have the iconic logo or signage.


As for Grey's Anatomy, there isn't a real Seattle Grace either, but they do use this building for exterior shots of the hospital.


We also visited Pioneer Street where the city started and in the evening we attended the famous Jazz Alley to hear The Bluesbreakers perform with the the Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall. We also hit up their China Town for some dim sum before heading for the airport home. A lot more to come this week, I promise.

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