• Moved my desk from the bedroom to the living room
• Desk chair is made of hideous pink plastic so I draped a sheepskin rug from IKEA over it
• Stole a persian rug from mum (free! yay!). Covers up most of the concrete floor in the living room (which I hate)
• Shifted the armchair next to the sofa so it looks like one really long, continuous sofa
• Draped my huge scarf from Forever 21 over the long couch for an ethnic feel
• Bought the two 20 x 28 pictures hanging above my sofa from Paper Source. They’re actually gift wrap papers! One’s a map of the Tube, the other’s obviously a world map. You can’t see it very well in the picture but I made the world map like a crime map (with pushpins and strings on cities I’ve been). This wall is still a work in progress. I’m looking for more maps (USA, etc.) and more subway maps (NYC, Boston T, HK MTR, etc.)
• Bought 2 fluffy feather pillows from Target

This is the opposite side. I wallpapered the partition between my living room and bedroom. But…it’s actually gift wrap papers too!(from Paper Source…fantastic selection of papers btw). So really, I giftwrapped my wall lol. I pieced together all the gift wrap papers and placed them on the wall with silver tacks. It’s not a perfect job but then again, this is just a rental so I’m not too stressed out over it.

So, I’m seriously considering moving. If nothing else, perhaps new scenery will increase my happiness by one basis point. I’d like to live in the heart of midtown, near Piedmont Park. Another alternative is Inman Park…or VA Highlands.

But damn, moving is such an outrageous pain in the ass. And expensive! Thus, I’m 98.5% sure I’ll be renewing a goddamn 12-month lease despite a $60/mo price hike (I’ll try to negotiate). In the meantime, I’ve been redecorating the apartment to console myself. I’m really into this dark, moody Modern Victorian look right now. That reminds me, I need to scavenge my parents’ house for an oriental rug this weekend. Oh and don’t worry, I still love the ultra-modern, clean lines, ‘EVERYTHING WHITE (AND ALL IS RIGHT)’ look but unfortunately, I don’t have the money to buy big furniture and the leather sofa & armchair I inherited (DOB: circa 1980s) are black…which ruins my all-white fantasy. And with living space colours, I tend to do extremes. If I can’t have all white, then I like everything grey or black. That said, the current state of my living room is…lilac. Everything is too feminine and I’m getting really tired of it.

ARGH!! I NEED A CHANGE. Something, anything.

My family drove to the city to visit me last night. For dinner, I made Asian grilled salmon (recipe by Ina Garten), roasted brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, and mashed potatoes. I wish I took food pictures but my family devoured everything in a blink of an eye. Guess they were peckish!! I’m really getting into this whole cooking thing. What’s next in my journey to personal culinary success?!

Update on my diet: I’ve been following the Glycemic Index (GI) diet. Well, as best I can anyway. In addition, I’m trying to consume at least 1200 calories a day. I’ve always suspected my resting metabolic rate is slow but I didn’t realise how much my meal-skipping habit is contributing to the problem. I’ve doomed my body to “starvation mode!” So now, on top of eating ‘better’, I’m trying to just eat more in general. Strangely enough, the latter is more difficult than I expected. In any case, the ‘eat more but eat better’ strategy sounds a bit antithetical but I think it’s working…?

(Pictured: me, my sister, and brother. Taken at my brother’s birthday dinner at Ecco in Atlanta. Must try: fried goat cheese balls!)

This patriotic cropped sweater (pictured above) is the definition of casual-sexy. Doesn’t it just evoke summer nights, bbq, beach, and fireworks? I loved it the moment I saw it! Of course, I have a sneaking feeling it won’t look the same on me as it does on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley…

You can buy the Wildfox ‘Born on the 4th of July Billy Cropped Sweater’ for $198 here.

I just got home from a 4-hour long birthday dinner right after work for my friend A. It was fun. The rest of the girls went to El Bar but I decided to go home. They ribbed me a bit for being a loser and I’ll admit as much, I’m a real homebody who enjoys going out maybe once every three months. Nonetheless, I got a little defensive. I can’t help it. I’ve always been hypersensitive to what others think of me. And I don’t like to be thought of as dull, even if it’s the truth. Perhaps this is telling but wanting to be liked is a very human trait and I’m all too human. Unfortunately, in this world I live in, being gregarious/going out/getting drunk is synonymous with fun. Well fuck that. I’m not socially awkward and can fake being outgoing like the best of them. But I can’t help that I’m an introvert. Discounting rare moods, I mostly find going out tedious and exhausting. Such a big production. I’m tired – I have red wine mouth – my eye makeup is smearing – I want to fuckin go home. End of story.

In hindsight though, I think the real reason why I was so bothered stemmed from something that came up in conversation during dinner. The two girls are A’s friends from uni by the way. Really cool, smart, funny, attractive girls – one’s a 2L and the other a Fulbright. Anyway, everyone is single at the moment and we were discussing guys. The other girls are clearly…very proactively/aggressively on the prowl. I stayed mostly silent during this part of the conversation. But there reached a rather awkward moment when they all turned to me (this is after A tells them how much of a loser I am//thanks mate…) and asked incredulously how do I expect to meet guys like this (this being rarely going out).

I shrugged but I suppose there’s some truth to that question. Fair enough. Now, you’d expect that to be the reason why I’m bothered. Well you’d be wrong. That’s not it. At least not exactly. I was more annoyed by the girls’…need to be with someone in the romantic, sexual sense in order to be ‘happy.’ Nothing against them but I’d like to think you can achieve happiness and satisfaction through other means besides a man. Have I, at 25, resigned myself to being forever alone? Are they driven by biological impulse or societal expectation? Both? Can’t I just, to quote John Mayer (a tosser), be perfectly lonely?

A got annoyed at me once and essentially told me in so many words I cannot ever hope to understand her feelings ever because I’m a cold fish and have never been in love. Shockingly (sarcasm here), she’s not the only person to tell me the same thing. Another friend was recounting to me her days of all-consuming love/passion/bliss/insanity/heartbreak with an old flame. In not so many words, she also conveyed to me that I won’t ever fully comprehend it because I’m strangely callous when it comes to matter of the heart.

I know people think I don’t understand but it’s not like I’m some sort of frigid Ice Queen.  What’s not hard to understand about the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin, and endorphins? Just kidding but seriously…partnership, excitement, companionship, family, passion, sex, etc….it’s not like I’ve never enjoyed some if not all these experiences at one time or another in my life. What is love anyway? And fleeting as it is, I do sometimes yearn for the whole traditional nine yards one day – a good man, kids, etc.

But my friends are right in a sense. I don’t understand why being single engenders so much contempt and revulsion. I don’t understand other people’s all consuming desire to find the one (if that even exists) as if it’s the only acceptable option in life. What’s so wrong about being alone? I like being alone. During dinner today, I felt a little judged for not really caring as they do about finding a guy right now if ever. It’s as if I’m not part of some club. Am I suffering from some sort of biological/chemical defect? I did mention previously I’m all too human right? So obviously I didn’t like the feeling (of being different and of being judged). But honestly, it’s all so fuckin mundane sometimes. How’s your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/kids/grandkids? Blah blah blah. Dull. Thinking about all this makes me consider a human lifespan in the grand scheme of things and I start getting weirdly removed. I sometimes think all these relationships we are given or built in life are for naught. Temporary artifice if you will.

We all leave the world as we enter it. Alone.

I bought a leather two-tone black and brown bucket bag from Selfridges two weeks ago and have been carrying it everyday since. Obsessed!! However, I don’t like carrying the same bag all the time so I’ve been looking around for another bag with the same kind of aesthetic – minimal, elegant, roomy. That is when I stumbled upon the Zara Plaited Shopper (yes yes I know Olivia Palermo carried it back in May’11. I’m late to the game). So gorgeous!! This buffalo leather bag is Celine-esque but at high street price ($159 USD). I want it in this chestnut brown colour (pictured). Alas, Zara’s US site only has black in stock right now

But if interested in black, order it soon! They go very quickly.

Ingredients:

- 1 stalk Broccoli, rinsed, dried, cut into small florets
- 1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. Ginger, minced
- 5 tbs. Olive Oil
- Oyster Sauce
- Soy Sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet or wok over high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and season with salt & pepper. Stir mushrooms to coat in the oil and then let them cook undisturbed until the liquid released by the mushroom evaporates. Stir and continue sautéing (stirring occasionally) until they’re nicely brown.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add garlic, ginger, and broccoli. Cook and stir until broccoli is tender. Add in oyster sauce and soy sauce for taste. Serve hot!

Better late than never, here are my new year’s resolutions:

slim down, take risks, have fun

Lose Weight            I rarely talk about this but I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) when I was a teen. Basically, my hormones are out of whack.  The cause of PCOS is still unclear. Common symptoms of PCOS include insulin resistance, irregular periods, infertility, weight gain, inability to lose weight, acne, male-pattern hair growth/loss, and depression. With PCOS, you may have only a few symptoms or many symptoms. Personally, I suffer from many symptoms.  Unfortunately, save for losing weight, nearly everything else is out of my control. Even then, achieving a healthy weight is difficult with PCOS. Indeed, most women with PCOS (including yours truly) are overweight or obese. Alas, tough or not, weight loss seems to be the only natural way to alleviate PCOS symptoms. Research has shown that even a weight decrease of only 5% of total body weight can lead to decreased insulin levels, increased fertility, regular menstrual cycles, lower testosterone, and reduced hirsutism & acne. As such, my new year’s resolution is to slim down to 115 lbs. To do this, I’m going to increase my aerobic activities (running, elliptical, walking) and practice yoga at least 3x a week. As for diet, besides cooking more and eating out less, I’m going to give the “Insulin-Resistance Diet” a go. Keep me honest!!

Save Money            I compared the BOY and EOY numbers for my main savings, 401K, and Roth IRA accounts respectively. I definitely did not save or invest as much as I thought. The numbers were down right disappointing. Goal this year is absolutely far-fetched but I want to achieve a 6-figure positive net worth by end of 2012. How I don’t know. Maybe 50 grand will fall on my head.

Travel More            I realize this resolution is completely contrary to my previous goal. Nonetheless, I want to travel a lot this year….Spain, Argentina, Canada (Montreal, Toronto), China, Vietnam, Japan (again), Korea, India, Italy, France, Turkey, Russia, and UAE (Dubai). Domestically – I want to go to some cities I’ve never been like Denver, Miami, and Philly. Obviously, I have neither the time or means to go to all these places. But let’s hope I make it to at least three of them this year!

Be More Glamorous           I borrowed this resolution from my friend. What a brilliant idea! Here’s how I plan to be more glamorous this year - dress up, wear matching underwear (vastly underrated), wear red lipstick, treat self to mani-pedis and massages, throw on heels, megan-fox my eyebrows, get a blowout. In addition, I’ll attempt to be more sociable this year (so people, not my cat, can see how glamorous I am. besos xx).

Try New Things           I’m somewhat a creature of habit so this year, I want to become more adventurous and spontaneous. Learn to drive stick, sky-dive, spontaneous road trips, etc.

Read 100 Books         This was my goal last year. I didn’t achieve it.

GMAT or LSAT          Study and take at least one of these exams. Jesus knows I’ve delayed it long enough.

Despite my less-than-favourable opinion, the capital of Hungary does have some attractions to offer. One of the highlights of our trip was soaking in one of the many thermal baths in the city. You absolutely cannot leave Budapest without going to the baths!!! We went to the Széchenyi Baths and it was such a great experience. For the best view of the city, go up Gellert Hill and the Citadel. FYI it’s quite a rigorous climb. Take the funicular up to visit Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, and Matthias Church. Visit Heroes’ Square. Check out Central Market Hall. Go upstairs to the lángos stand and eat one. Food isn’t anything to write home about in Budapest but do eat goulash at least once while there.

Here are some pictures of Budapest:

There are two types of people in the world – those who love brussels sprouts and those who really don’t. I happen to fall in the camp of the former. I friggin’ LOVE brussels sprouts!!! If I can, I’d eat them everyday! Yum!!!

Two days ago, I decided to try my hand at making my own roasted brussels sprouts. Before this, I had to either go to restaurants (ex: Sound Table in Atlanta, Zaytinya in Washington D.C.) or beg my friend to make them. Luckily, both actions are no longer necessary because roasting brussels sprouts? Sooooo easy!!!

Here’s what I did (thanks Ina Garten):

Ingredients:

- 1 and 1/2 lbs of Brussels sprouts
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO!)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Clean brussels sprouts and cut off the brownish yellowy ends. Halve the brussels sprouts if you want. Pull off any yellow outer leaves. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, salt and pepper. Dip the brussels spouts in mixture and then put them all on a sheet pan. Roast them for 35 to 40 minutes. The brussel sprouts should look crispy. The more burnt they look, the better they taste. Trust me on this! Do shake the pan from time to time so the sprouts can brown more evenly. Serve immediately.

I actually modified the amount of ingredients a bit since I think I had twice the amount of brussels sprouts that what Ina Garten’s recipe called for. Then, I just started adding way more salt and pepper. And Ina said to use kosher salt but I only have regular table salt and sea salt so I didn’t use kosher salt at all. Long story short, I’m not sure what & how much of everything I put inside the mixture I dipped the sprouts in.

Nevertheless, they turned out awesome!!!!