This afternoon Michael, Jessie, and I made our first proper meal all week! With just three of us in the house, full meals are not necessarily a priority- we’ve been eating sandwiches and lattes everyday for a while now.
My Southeast Asian meal is definitely checked off the bucket list with this lunch consisting of Malaysian curry, stir-fried bokchoy, and Chinese tea (普洱茶).
Maddie-
We missed you this evening at our get-together with the Chin family. With an aura of celebrating relationships felt throughout the afternoon, I dearly missed you.
I was invited to share some baking techniques with Sister Cai and her husband to give them time together and a shared pursuit. I so enjoyed teaching and guiding them through the process of making chocolate cupcakes.
After a successful turnout, we topped the freshly baked cake with dollops of whipped cream. You know I love it when a sweet treat is thrown together in a completely natural way.
What started out as a cupcake-baking lesson turned into a Chinese cookout with our Uncle and Auntie Cai. We grilled meats of all shapes and sizes: lamb, shrimp, and fish skewers, grilled beef steak, and even a delicious rotisserie chicken in the oven!
We made a huge dent in my bucket list today. What fun.
My last week in Tianjin has come. In just 6 days I will be moving back to the States to begin school at Carnegie Mellon University. After five years here, I can hardly believe that China will no longer be my home.
I will miss it more than I can say.
In the meantime, Michael and Jessie are helping to fill my last days with unforgettable memories. Earlier this week we made a long list of various activities that I want to complete before flying out next week.
The first one to be checked off the list was a trip to Tianjin’s “City Center.” Some of my favorite eating and shopping areas are downtown so late Wednesday afternoon we buseed there.
What a lovely outing! Churros and bubble tea－珍珠奶茶－were the first stops we made upon arrival. We then walked around for a while before settling into a quiet Starbucks for a couple of hours spent chatting, planning for the future, etc.
Our last stop was at a Japanese store called Muji, where I stocked up on pens for the next year! Michael was able to snap a few photos of Jessie and I enjoying the Muji “furniture displays” before a shop-keeper gave us some unhappy stares, after which we quickly made our way out.
I’m in HongKong for the weekend! Leaving China next year for University, I wanted to make some long-lasting memories in my favorite city of all time- not to mention I get to spend 4 whole days with my best friend.
My first night in HK was spent helping Michael finish his semester at Hong Kong University. His final architecture portfolio was due Thursday at noon- unfortunately it took an all-nighter to complete the project >.< we tried in vain to beat the rising sun and get into bed before dawn.
It was so worth it though. Michael’s portfolio is excellent, I’m so proud of him!
Mickey cleaning out his studio spot, finally finished!
I made him a “home-cooked” brunch of bread, cheese, avocado and black coffee after we handed in his portfolio.
To rest up a bit, we napped and watched BBC’s Life nature documentaries. Later last night we walked around HK, ate Malaysian curry and Kaya-butter-toast for dinner, and visited a world-traveling, gigantic Ducky.
Dad is out of town for two weeks, and with Michael still in HK finishing up his semester, its just girls for a while…
Being Mother’s Day yesterday, we had real reason to celebrate as we have a truly wonderful Mother. So, after a relaxing post-church rest time, we all went out for a late Sunday lunch at our favorite Italian restaurant. Everyone is usually so busy with school/work, that we never have the opportunity to spend an entire day simply being. As a result, days like these are rare and precious.
Arriving back home, we immediately piled onto the sofas and quieted down for an afternoon movie. During intermission, I served this coconut cake, tea, and coffee to everyone.
(roasted artichoke and red onion pizza)
(on my list of beverages to make in the NEAR future: Italian lemonade- there were hints of basil amidst the citrus sweetness)
Michael, throughout my visit to Carnegie Mellon University, I thought of you often. Being the first member of Connecting4 to step out into the world of study and responsibility, your experience at HKU is naturally the image that represents “college” for me. Hence, when I spent time in the US this past week observing current students, eating meals at college canteens & cafes, and discovering each university’s unique academic approach, I subconsciously compared everything I saw to Hong Kong University.
It surprised me when, on several occasions this week, I expressed my disappointment over not being able to attend school with you in HongKong. You see, earlier when I decided against HK for college, it didn’t immediately hit me how many hopes of mine were concentrated there. I don’t really know how to explain it, I guess I just didn’t realize how much I had been looking forward to spending my university experience with you by my side.
Now that I am examining all of these new options in America, I am distressed at the prospect of giving up my dreams and aspirations centered around HK.
This whole process is so new to me, I keep unearthing buried emotions which I didn’t know existed, let alone would affecte me so dramatically!
I want, more than ever, to visit you.
I miss you.
<year one architecture students working on a group project to create a variety of wooden structures>
<year one design students’ work: a project used to encourage recycling>
<ceiling of Carnegie Mellon’s Fine Arts department>
For Valentine’s Day this year, Jessie, Maddie, and I, invited some friends over for flower arranging and some much needed spring-time festivities. It took a full two days to prepare for this get-together. The first day was spent traveling around 天津 looking for materials, buying flowers, and finalizing snack menu ideas. We then spent the actual morning of the party; cleaning a very cluttered house, assembling a cake (most of the hard work was done the night before), and arranging table settings. Of course my favorite part of the preparations, was to bake the Valentine’s cake… second to that, I enjoyed setting out flowers (in preparation for the bouquets), as well as decorating the table with candy and anything rosie&pink.
I loved watching the creativity flow throughout this flowery project. Watching the unique style of each individual was so enchanting- their personalities were expressed through such distinct and beautiful technique.
The lesson I learned through this, was to host more than just one or two gatherings a year! Its not until I am in the midst of something like this, that I realize how much fun I am having. Spending time in fellowship with friends (outside of school and mandatory events) is more important than I often give credit. Ask Jessie, Maddie, or Michael and you will know that I am terrible at hosting events and am often not willing to get out and socialize much. Seriously, I am such a home-body.
and let me just say that Jessie and Maddie are such pleasant people to collaborate with on these type of things…
I so didn’t deserve to be blessed with such precious sisters. Jessie inspires me to forget myself and dive into adventures with hard work and lots of prayer! She is honestly the hardest working person I have ever met… she will be a treasure to her future boss ;) Maddie is completely un-phased by life’s troubles, she lets go and enjoys life… free to be herself. I wish I had her confidence and spirit! Hosting this party with these two was delightful.
Irresistibly adorable group photo, I know.
Cheers to friendships and creeping out of that ever clinging comfort zone.
Yes, I know its been a month since Valentine’s Day but to be honest, I couldn’t pass up this post no matter how late. I am putting it out there as the best tasting cake that I’ve ever made. It couldn’t of come at a better time either, as baking is my #1 method of showing my affection (which is what V-day is all about, right?).
There were many “firsts” for me in baking this cake, it was my first try at: red velvet cake, a 6-layer cake, filling with whipped cream… my first successful piping experience, the first cake that I’ve made for a specific occasion other than a birthday, to Megan’s delight, my first time using the cake plate she bought me for Christmas, and last but not least, the first cake that I’ve properly hoarded all for myself!
The reason I enjoyed this particular cake so much is its unique combination of flavors. As is tradition for a red-velvet cake, there is a cream cheese based filling which then alternates with a pink-colored, vanilla whipped cream. Covering the outside of this cake, is possibly the best chocolate icing I have ever tasted. However, the prize-winning factor has to do with the original nature of red-velvet cake. Unlike many cakes that I bake, this cake is “not” overwhelmingly CHOCOLATE… red-velvet cake is no more than a vanilla cake with a bit of added cocoa and a bunch of red food coloring. Hence, the ratio of vanilla to chocolate is just right.
The genius behind this monstrous cake can be found over at Sweetapolita -you can find the recipe and full description here.
In Chinese you would say “一边喝咖啡，一边聊天”, which quite literally means “A Little Coffee, A Little Chat”. Sometimes (okay – most of the time) coffee and good, long conversations can do wonders for one’s mood. Thankfully, Rachel was up for just such an outing. We dressed up for the occasion and were off to a cozy coffee shop.
Unfortunately, choosing the day of China’s Lunar New Year (their biggest holiday of the year), most of the cafes we moseyed over to were closed! In a final attempt to follow through with our plan, we spotted the Korean owned, “Alice Cafe,” with doors open and ready to serve us some Joe.
The great thing about going out with Rachel is that I never feel strained to carry on conversation. We both worked on separate projects until either her or I sparked an interesting topic, which was then talked through to completion…
As we ended our stay (which had lasted three hours +), we took advantage of Cafe Alice’s adorable store front by shooting a few photos, (this didn’t last long because it was freezing outside!)
For the past month my oven has experienced literal tidal waves of cupcakes entering and exiting by the dozens. Seriously, for about a week, J, M, & M could expect a fresh cupcake every afternoon awaiting their return from school. Other than spending WAY too much time researching cupcake flavor variations, gaining a quite few extra pounds (eek!), and frustrating my Mother to no end with piles of dirty dishes, I have immensely enjoyed these sugar-filled days of baking.
We are a little s’more-crazy around here, so I couldn’t resist trying the cupcake form of a traditional campfire s’more… The first time around, I piped a fluffy meringue atop chocolate cupcakes. Sadly, however, I couldn’t taste the true “marshmallowy creaminess” famous in s’mores. Hence, a few days later, I tried a completely different frosting made from cream cheese and marshmallow fluff.
At this point, I am still tackling the introductory techniques of cupcakes. I have not reached the level of originality and creativity required for developing new flavors and design aesthetic. For now, I am benefiting from the experience of all the excellent bakers ahead of me… this particular recipe was developed by the very talented Rosie from Sweetapolita. She is such a sweetheart and I am constantly wowed and inspired by her work.
There are actually four parts to these cupcakes. 1.) graham cracker (or digestive cookie for those of us living overseas) crumbled base. 2.) Chocolate cupcake. 3.)Dark chocolate glaze spread directly onto the surface. 4.) Marshmallow frosting piped on top. I find this combination a perfect ratio of each s’more component: cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar.
Parts #2 and #4 are found here, and parts #1 and #3 are written below.
Graham cracker crust:
Chocolate Glaze:
(~credit given to Bakersroyale for the above recipes)
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