indulge in chocolate

Chocolate–my weakness since I was a little girl. I have always had a sweet tooth for chocolate. After years of trying different brands, Godiva chocolate has become an all-time favorite of mine. I haven’t tried all their products due to my budget, but I love their biscuits topped with milk chocolate. Currently, they have a new appearance:

Mmm…I’m craving for some Godiva biscuits right now!  Has anyone tried the cold beverages offered at their boutique?  I always get the milk chocolate Chocolixir each time temptation gets out of control (it’s dangerous to step into a Godiva store– beware!).  Nonetheless, a taste of Godiva is worth the money.

J’aime le chocolat!

a not so golden review of Golden Corral

Last week, my dad went to Golden Corral buffet restaurant down in Fredericksburg and loved the food so much that he took our whole family out today for a Sunday afternoon lunch. We went to a closer one in Manassas. Upon arrival, we saw a full parking lot– I didn’t know Golden Corral was a such a popular restaurant though I heard about it from several friends.

The food was alright, I guess. It wasn’t as spectacular as my dad described or as I expected it to be. Perhaps I was more disappointed with the restaurant itself. The floor was a bit dirty and the place was packed with too many people. The only highlight of Golden Corral was their steak (all you can eat!) and great service. Our waiter frequently asked us if we needed anything- refills, bread, clean plates, etc. Despite the delicious juicy steak and great customer service, I don’t think I would be coming back anytime soon. My stomach didn’t feel good when I got home…

3 out of 5 stars

comic strip of the day

Do dogs have dreams?

Last night I was on my bed reading a book while Ari, my adorable American bulldog, was right beside me sleeping. I was flipping a page in my book when I noticed that her tail was wagging while her eyes were closed. I wish I took a picture of her! I’ve never seen anything like it! I laughed at her for a few seconds and went back to reading. Few minutes later, I hear this munching sound. I look over to Ari and there she is, chewing on something invisible while she’s sleeping. Oh gosh! I laughed so much my belly started to hurt. Ari must have been really hungry in her dream…

I’m a busy bee!

I’ve got so much going on this week! I’ll have to sub for four days, work at Janie and Jack, read two books for NCC classes, write my field experience report, complete my Spanish assignments, renew my passport, and give rides for my brother and sister throughout the week. I really hope I can squeeze in some time for me to paint, practice playing my guitar, read A Thousand Splendid Suns, finish the puzzle that has been laying on the table for almost half a year, and most importantly, breathe…

anti-theft devices and north face backpacks

Today my mom, Sam, and I went to Sports Authority to get a new backpack for Sam (his old one got ripped). All three of us really liked a North Face black one because it looked strong and durable. So we paid the cashier and off we went out of the mall. While we were driving on the road, Sam wanted to look at his new backpack once more (he was really excited).

“Oh, no!” He realized that the cashier had forgotten to take the anti-theft device off the backpack. Ironically, when we came out of Sports Authority, no alarm sound went off. Perhaps the security device doesn’t really work, but just warns potential thieves through the appearance of it? I seriously think that the employees must make sure that all security devices are functioning so that a daring robber won’t luckily walk away with a product that gives off no siren or that normal customers like us won’t walk out with an anti-theft device still attached. Anyways, we made a U-turn and finally got it taken off which took twenty more minutes. (

the giving tree

It has been such a long time since I read this book. It is written by one of my favorite authors Shel Silverstein. Almost everyone has read it or has been read to at least once during his or her childhood. This wonderful story is something I would love to share and pass on to my children in the future. I wish I could sit down and read this book to the world…but since I can’t do that, here is a video version I’ve found on youtube. (the video is quite long, but it’s worth it!)

my favorite children’s poem

Smart

by Shel Silverstein

My dad gave me one dollar bill

‘Cause I’m his smartest son,

And I swapped it for two shiny quarters

‘Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters

And traded them to Lou

For three dimes- I guess he don’t know

That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates

And just ’cause he can’t see

He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,

And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs

Down at the seed-feed store,

And the fool gave me five pennies for them,

And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,

And he got red in the cheeks

And closed his eyes and shook his head-

Too proud of me to speak!

being exposed in cold weather (figuratively speaking, of course)

    This past Friday I visited some museums and memorials for the memory course project.  The coming week is pretty hectic for me and I’ll be gone for the weekend so Friday was my only free day.  My brother wanted to tag along and we rode the metro, got off, and set off on a long walk.  A long, freezing walk.  My ears went numb.  I had a ripened strawberry nose.  My legs were shaking.  I was extremely cold.

While I was going around the WWII memorial, I wanted to call it quits.  I couldn’t stand the cold any longer.  But, unexpectedly, one of the carved engravings on the walls caught my eyes.  It depicted a scene of soldiers in a wintry forest with such faces that expressed their perseverance through the harsh weather.  After seeing that, I was really touched and felt exposed at the same time.  I couldn’t believe I was complaining about how cold I was when these men went through even more difficult situations.  They were the courageous and honorable ones who gave their lives for freedom.  Because of them, as General Douglas MacArthur once said, “A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won.  The skies no longer rain death- the seas bear only commerce- men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight.  The entire world is quietly at peace.”

I won’t be complaining about the cold for a very long time…

are you mad about crocs?

Crocs. Either you love them or you want to burn them. Without a doubt, crocs are becoming more and more popular. I don’t know about other areas, but in northern virginia, everywhere you go during the spring and summer seasons, it seems as though everyone’s wearing them (even grown men!). When they became a hit, the first thing that popped in my head was “How could anyone wear such hideous things?” However, I’m having second thoughts. I tried it on myself. My coworker is a huge fan of crocs and one day she told me to try them on and…oh…my…GOSH!!! No wonder everyone’s wearing them! They are super comfortable and light as a feather. I especially like the little bumps on the footbed. They massage your feet, and apparently, according to the crocs website, these “circulation nubs stimulate blood flow.”

However, I’m still not 100% sure about the clogs version… they do massage your feet, but they still blind my eyes. It’s the physical appearance of it, I guess. Problem solved! Recently, I’ve learned that the clogs are not the only style the brand offers. My coworker introduced me to the crocs wedges. They’re way better looking than the clogs style. Now I can walk across campus as many times as I want without looking like a dork (sorry, clogs lovers!). Oh, and did I mention the variety of colors to choose from? Hmmm…I think I like the sea foam/white one…or maybe the black one?