Beautiful BC - Pitt Lake

Pitt Lake is located in Pitt Meadows, you will need a car to get there. It's a great place to go canoeing, it was so much fun. We canoed to the other side and did a little bit of hiking to end up at a beautiful spot with rocks and flowing water..love it.

Pictures taken in summer 2010 with Canon PowerShot D10

Once Lost & Found Again

Today I lost my phone, not sure how it happened but I was soooo lucky, a nice person picked it up and I got it back. This is my 2nd time losing my phone and both times I dropped it by my apartment building. Really need to be more careful and probably need a bigger bag with secure pockets. I was not so much worried about my phone itself since it is a crappy phone...I'm waiting for my contract to be over at the end of the year and switch companies and get a new phone...but I need a phone and the charm on it is from one of my best friends so I don't want to lose it. I am happy that it is found and I don't have to go purchase another phone from the phone company I don't want to stay with. When I was asking around about my phone I heard that somebody else also lost there phone, I really hope she finds it and gets it back (^_^)

Handmade Paper Bracelet

Over the weekend my BFF went to a fund raiser and she got me a beautiful handmade bracelet made out of paper. I usually don't wear any jewellery since it is always the last thing I think about when getting dressed and I usually forget all about it. But I do have a lot of jewellery I should try to remember to wear it once in awhile (^_^)

Beautiful BC - Stawamus Chief & Shannon Falls

Stawamus Chief  is located in Squamish, you will need a car to get here, no public transit. There are 3 summits to hike up to with views of Howe Sound, Squamish town site and the surrounding mountains. The climb up can be steep but so worth it for the view. I only got to climb up the 2nd summit hopefully next time I can climb up the 1st & 3rd summit.

Shannon Falls is right beside the Chief. It's fun to climb the rocks and look at the water fall.

Pictures taken in summer 2010 with Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

Bday Gift & CNY Parade

My BFF birthday is next week. I got her tickets for the Broadway production of Beauty of Beast and a Visa gift card. I love surprises so this is how I disguise the gift, stuff it with staples (^_^)

Went to the Annual Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver Chinatown. It was a rainy day (>_<) I thought there wasn't going to be that much people but there was a lot. I couldn't find a good spot to watch the parade so I didn't get to see my cousin lion dancing. I didn't stay long, even though it did stop raining near the end but no good spot and didn't want to be caught up with the crowd going home. Next year I have to go back and get a good spot. Better pictures next time (^_^)

Beautiful BC - Cypress

Cypress Provincial Park is located in North Vancouver, you need a car to get here no public transit. It is a very long hike up so you need to go early to be able to make it back down before sunset. Cypress is one of my favorites because of the AWESOME view. Would love to go back again.

Pictures taken in summer 2007 with Nikon Coolpix P4

Liang Cha 涼茶

So my co-worker suggested for me to try Chinese Herbal Tea or Liang Cha in Cantonese for my break outs. So she brought me a pack and gave me a list of the herbs for purchasing later.

It is very simple to make you just need:
-water (a jug and more since you are boiling it)
-1-2 sticks of Chinese brown sugar (found at Asian grocery store) depending on how sweet you want it
-pack of herbs
So you boil the water then add in the Chinese brown sugar and the pack of herbs. Cook for 1/2 hr then strain the liquid and throw away the herbs. You can keep it in the fridge for only 3 days, more then that and it will start to look and taste different.

You can purchase the ingredients at any Chinese medicines/dried goods shop. The pack she gave me cost around $3 (but I got it for $2 in Chinatown, it seems the price changes all the time depending on where & when you get it) and you just give the list to one of the shop people and they will pick out all the ingredients and pack it up for you. I hope this works but no harm if it doesn't since it is still good for you. Happy liang cha drinking.

Beautiful BC - Buntzen Lake

Buntzen Lake is located in Port Moody. You can get there via public transit. A nice place for a hike, numerous hiking trails for all different fitness levels. I have yet to visit them all. Went last summer on a really tough trail but had to turn back because there was still snow. Hopefully go back this year and I can hike up and see the awesome view that I have read about.

Pictures taken in summer 2011 with Canon Rebel T2i

Beautiful BC - Burnaby Mountian

British Columbia has so much to offer when it comes to nature and being in the great outdoors. Here I want to share past pictures of the beauty that I have seen in the place I call my home...beautiful BC

Burnaby Mountain is located in Burnaby beside Simon Fraser University. It is really close by to my place and easy to get to via public transit. A lot of people come here during the summer to watch the sunset. It is a nice place to sit and relax or walk around and look at the beautiful flowers in the garden.

Pictures taken in summer 2011 with Canon Rebel T2i

My Addiction - Kim-chi & Sausage

I am currently craving Kim-chi & Chinese style sausages....both soo good. I get them both at my local Chinese supermarket T&T. I find with the Kim-chi I have to open the bottle and let it sit in the fridge for a few days before it taste just right or the way I like it anyways, some sourness to it and less raw tasting. For the Chinese style sausages back home my parents would add it into the rice cooker with the rice to cook but since I rarely cook rice I just microwave it...it still taste good but trying not to buy since it is so fattening. Why does good stuff always have to be bad for you (>_<)

恭禧發財!!!Gong Hey Fat Choy!!!Happy New Year!!

Happy New Years to all the Asians out there. I am not doing anything for New Years since it isn't considered a holiday in Canada. I hope one day that I will be able to go to China during the New Years and see how it is celebrated. Since I have never experienced it or at least don't remember since I was born in China but came to Canada when I was 3 years old. So too young to remember anything. But yesterday I went to my grandma's place and brought home some food and some $$ too (^_^) 新年快樂!!! Sun Leen Fai Lok!!!!

NYX, Underworld & Pho Boi

After finding out from a friend that there is an actually NYX store in Surrey, I have been wanting to go. Finally went yesterday, this was my first time at Central City mall since I usually never go to Surrey. The mall isn't too bad, nice interior but wired that Simon Fraser University is connect to it. So the NYX store carries everything that they have online at the same price except they have a sale section which had some AWESOME deals.

Here is what I purchased
-cupcake lip gloss set $3 gave 3 to my friends & just keep the clear one for myself. I like it, will probably purchases some more later if they have any left. They are just sooo cute (^_^)
-2 glitter eyeshadow palettes $2 each for my friend
-a purple & pink eyeshadow palette TS-06 $3 beautiful colors
-pump it up lip plumper 05-Scarlett $7.99 feels tingly when you put it on, doesn't have much color to it just a tint but could work well on top of lipstick
-jumbo eye pencil in 604-Milk $5.99 going to use this over my eye so that my eyeshadow color will pop out more

Went to watch Underworld 4 in 3D. This was my first time watching a Underworld movie and I liked it but don't think it is worth paying to watch in 3D because really there wasn't much 3D in it, so I felt ripped off because of that. But I would recommend watching for the movie itself. Now I am interested in watching all the other movies in this series. We pigged out when watching the movie. Didn't get to finish all the popcorn still have 1/2 bag left but the candy is all gone now (>_<)

    Food: 3/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 3/5             Price: 4/5

Went to Pho Boi for some Vietnamese food. I have been to this restaurant before but it was under a different name. I ordered something similar to what I order at Pho 99 (My Go To Restaurant) but it wasn't the same. They gave me more noodles then meat, which I prefer the opposite. So I still prefer Pho 99 over this place. Forgot to take a picture of my own food (how did this happen) but I got a picture of my friends soup.

More Restaurants

Here are some reviews of some restaurants that I have been to in the past, mostly from last year.

Guu in gastown is a Izakaya/tapas Japanese restaurant. It's a place where they server small dishes of food that you share...Tapa. My friend & I ordered 5 dishes, the food was only ok. The service was ok but I like the interior and I had a seat with a view of outside. And it's authentic Japanese or at least the people who work there are all Japanese. Almost all Japanese restaurants are either run by Chinese or Korea's. The price for the food is expensive, I don't think I would go back since nothing on the menu really interested me to go back and try again.

     Food: 3/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 5/5             Price: 2/5

from left to right top to bottom: Maguro with 5 colour sauce, Guu Tataki,

 Takoyaki, Almond Tofu, Frozen Grapes, Spicy Agedash Tofu, Okonomiyaki

Japadog is a food cart located in downtown Vancouver. It's really popular and now they have opened up a restaurant but the food carts are still out. I personally do not find anything special about there hotdogs, it is a normal hotdog which they added Japanese flavors & toppings to...that's it. I think they are overly priced I am still really hungry after eating one (meant as snack only not a meal) but I would still take my friends to try for the experience since it's so popular. There service is good they're will organized but not much of an ambiance since you're just eating on the street.

     Food: 3/5             Service: 5/5            Ambiance: 3/5             Price: 2/5

Naam in Vancouver serves vegetarian cuisines. So if you like fresh, healthy food this is the place for you. The food was not bad, I would like to go back again to try other items on there menu. The service was ok. Be prepared to wait a bit to be seated since it is a very busy place. I love the interior very old country like...with cute little details like the swinging door to the kitchen with a cut out heart. The price was good for the amount of food you get & it is open 24 hours.

     Food: 4/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 5/5             Price: 5/5

My: Italian Pizza & BFF: Maui-Maui Burger

Phnom Penh 金邊小館 Restaurant in Chinatown serves Chinese, Cambodian & Vietnamese cuisines. They have the best fried chicken wings. That was the main reason I wanted to go there...to try there chicken wings and I have been back twice and would go again. There Mango Moo Shake is also really yummy. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the Butter Beef, my brother & I ordered it we couldn't finish it. Raw beef not our thing. But everything else I have tried has been good. For service you have to call somebody over. The interior is your typical Asian restaurant but it is a very busy place, you may need to wait a bit to be seated. The price isn't bad not cheap but not expensive either.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 3/5             Price: 4/5

from left to right top to bottom: Mango Moo drink, 

 Marinated Butter Beef, Chicken Wings, noodles with beef (don't remember name)

 Potter's Garden is a Korean restaurant in Burnaby. Not sure if it is the same name anymore since this location switch owners so many times. It use to be my favorite korean BBQ place but then they switched and it wasn't the same anymore. So my friend & I go here for korean BBQ. We would order one of the combos which came with a variety of meat, pancake, soup, noodles, side dishes and what I like the most about this place was that it came with lettuce so you can wrap your meat in it. That was how I was taught to eat korean BBQ but not a lot of places ofter this or it cost extra. The service is ok. The interior is average nothing special about it. The price was ok came out to be over $60 including tax & tip. My friend & I always came out super full.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 3/5             Price: 4/5

Sushi Elephant located in Coquitlam. I have been there twice just to try it out because I love the interior, really pretty inside but don't think I will be going back since the food is expensive and it was only ok nothing really special.

     Food: 4/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 5/5             Price: 2/5

Elephant Combo..includes Elephant Roll & Crazy Roll

3 types of Agedash Tofu, Smoke Salmon Roll, Sexy Roll

Recent Purchase - Camera Accessories, Playbook Protector, Hair Ties & Water Bottle

I ordered some more stuff from eBay
-DSLR LCD screen protector
-2 lens caps since I lost my original one hiking last year (>_<) but I got a really great deal 2 for only $8 CAD
-Playbook screen protector
-some colourful hair ties since all the ones I have are either all gone or stretched out (goody brand not really that good). I like them so I ordered some more (^_^)

From Mountain Equipment Co-op I got a water bottle since the one I have is broken. Choose a different style & color this time.

Housewarming Gift

For my brothers new house I made him a housewarming gift. The Chinese characters of  Earth, Water, Fire & Wind to hang on his wall that he really wanted. First I was planning to stencil them but that didn't work out so in the end I decided on paper cut outs. Now they are hanging in my brothers living room in Winnipeg

My Go To Restaurants

There are a few restaurants that I often go to because I am craving that particular food. For Sushi I have 2 places.  Hi-Sushi in Coquitlam has really good sushi but everything else on the menu isn't that great. So I would only recommend ordering sushi there. The service is good & interior is nice. Price is not bad as well.

     Food: 4/5             Service: 5/5            Ambiance: 5/5             Price: 5/5
  

Then there is Okoman in Burnaby which is where I usually go for sushi with my friends. Everything I have tried has been good. I like their bentos a lot, which is what I usually order when I am there. Service is on & off, really depends on who you get. They have semi-private booths which I love. And the price is good for the amount of food you get.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 5/5             Price: 5/5

For Pho I go to Pho99 in Coquitlam. I love # 14 which is "noodle soup with eye round steak, fatty brisket, soft tendon & beef tripe" that is the one I always order, either that or a sub depending on which one I am craving. For sub I get the Grilled Pork (I wish they had beef). Service is ok and the interior is your typical Vietnamese restaurant style but the price is good.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 3/5             Price: 5/5

My favorite place for korean BBQ is Kyung Bok Palace in Richmond. It is far but the best place I have found so far. I go there for the All You Can Eat Korean BBQ. The side dishes, soups, pancake & all the beef are good. The chicken & pork isn't that good. The service is ok usually have to call somebody over. It is a very big restaurant, ever time I'm their it is never full. The interior is nothing special. The price is good for lunch around $20 + tax & tip and dinner is $2 more.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 3/5            Ambiance: 4/5             Price: 5/5

When I am craving for a burger I go to Red Robins either the one at Metrotown or the one at Lougheed mall both in Burnaby. I usually order the Teriyaki Chicken Burger. It has chicken & pineapple...taste soo good. Some times I order the Freckled Lemonade...soo good...and it is bottomless (unlimited re-fills). Red Robin also has the best fries which are also bottomless. The service really depends on who you get. Interior is your typical family restaurant style. Price is definitely high for a burger but it is yummy.

     Food: 5/5             Service: 4/5            Ambiance: 4/5             Price: 4/5