Synopsis

Last week in a nutshell
Last week was a lot more productive than weeks past, which also made it a lot more tiring. Among other things, I sent in my official statement of intent to register at UCLA, so, barring strange and horrible surprises, I will be there in September. It was a real relief to feel like I was doing work again. My stress dissipated and I felt buoyant and wonderful again, like myself, only better for having come through a tough time. Also, I was so busy that–believe it or not–the whole week went by in a blur and I actually could not remember what I had eaten for most of the week. Yes, it was that busy. I never thought it would happen. So it was a much-needed respite when I spent Friday afternoon hanging out with Tina and then with Margaret.

Friday
Tina and I went first to the ASUC art studio’s pottery sale. I’d seen the signs for the studio’s sales before but I’d never gone, and I was really pleasantly surprised. Besides some very nice ceramic pieces, they also had cards, scarves, jewelry, and other things. I almost bought another chalcedony necklace with a bigger, bluer stone than the one I already have. In the end I decided it was too big, but I’m sure someone else will enjoy it. I also really wanted to buy all of these delightful stuffed creatures, but they were too expensive for my budget so I had to pass on them. But I think my intense enjoyment of them prompted another girl standing near us to give them some more consideration. 🙂 So hopefully the artist made a sale anyway.

After the art sale, we browsed the nonprofit job/volunteer fair out on Lower Sproul, where Tina talked to the representatives and I petted a python named Monty (ahahahahahaha I LOVE IT!) and a fat lop-eared bunny named Rascal. Stroking Rascal’s supersoft fur reminded me how incredibly therapeutic it can be to touch fuzzy animals. After Tina finished talking to everyone, we went to Fu Lin to partake of their limited dim sum selection: plump har gow for us both, siu mai for Tina, and lo bak go for me. I must confess most lo bak go have sausage in them but I can’t give them up. They’re the only meat (excluding seafood) I still eat. After our oily-fooding we went to the market across the alley and had ice cream bars. I had a Klondike bar, the closest thing I could find to an Eskimo Pie (favorite treat of my childhood!), and Tina had an Oreo bar which looked like asphalt but was really pretty tasty. Like a frozen Oreo cookie. That finished, we tried on clothes at Buffalo Exchange, then I had to go to some office hours.

When I got out of office hours, Margaret had called to see if I was free, so I thought I’d drop by her place and bring her some ice cream. I stopped by Johnston’s Market and picked up a new flavor of Ben and Jerry’s, called Primary Berry Graham. We both loved it, and managed to finish off most of the pint. I got to see Margaret three days in a row this week. Finally, enough conversation time!

Erik was waiting for me when I got back to my apartment, and we decided to have dinner at Unicorn. (Yes, I know it sounds like I’d been eating continuously all afternoon. So? ;b) Now Erik and I have been fans of Unicorn practically ever since it opened, and I’ve been there many times since then, both with Erik and with other people, but we both had to agree Friday night that it’s not quite as good as it used to be. They’ve added more tables, for starters, and by added it means they’ve put some in the hallway between the main dining room and the bathrooms, but actually, it works, and it meant we didn’t have to sit within hearing distance of a noisy and superbig party. They’ve also introduced a nice complimentary starter (“to cleanse the palate”), which is delicious even if it is the same every time: mango sorbet and champagne. But their entrees are a lot smaller, and their dessert, which was never especially good, was totally boring this time. I know they’ve been planning to get a pastry chef now for a couple of years, but I think they really need to do it soon. Dessert was so uninteresting we actually decided we’re going to skip dessert from now on when we go there, and you know what a big decision that is for me. ;b This is not to say you shouldn’t go there, or even that we’re not going to go there anymore. Their seafood baked clay pot is still one of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten, the rest of their entrees and appetizers are still impeccable, and they have a nice selection of very good teas. The service is still great, and the ambience lovely, but it’s just not as good a value as it used to be. It seems to really be on its way to becoming a so-called fancy restaurant, with the palate cleanser and smaller portions and all, and I don’t like that. But it’s still a good place with uniquely delicious food, still not too-too expensive, and is basically down the street from my apartment!

Saturday
Recent fashion conversations with friends have resparked my interest in clothes, so I wanted to go to San Francisco to get some good-quality and possibly expensive pants. Erik agreed, a decision he later regretted. We drove, and traffic and parking were horrendous. We should have known. Also, once I got to Union Square, I realized anew why I’ve been buying my clothes almost exclusively from Crossroads for the past year-I hate department stores, designer clothes are often as impractical or as ugly as they are expensive, and the shoppers all look the same, following trends, sheeplike, with no originality at all. I get disgusted with all the spending and consumption going on all around me and just want to get away from it all. The most interesting thing that happened was there was a woman dressed as a silver robot, dancing for change on the square, and we almost decided to go up to her and join her in her dancing. But we didn’t. ;b Neither of us wanted to give her change and it seemed like it would be rude to just dance next to her and not contribute to her day’s income. So, after a few hours and $6 spent on parking and tolls, we gave up and left the city. Instead, we went to Richmond and bought $20-worth of groceries at 99 Ranch, and came back to my apartment and ate lots of Vietnamese rice rolls and lo bak go. Then we took a nap. Two hours later, we woke up and, still slightly full from our large snack, cooked and ate some pho based on a vegetarian recipe. It was really good.

Sunday
Today we stayed home and ate some more and talked and whatnot, but Erik in his amazingness also took it upon himself (completely voluntarily, I might add) to clean my toilet, my sink, and the main room of my apartment. What I did to deserve this, I don’t know, but I am so grateful.

I have tons of work to do tonight so I’d better get started. I think, though, that I might have some leftover pho or lo bak go first…

[This post was imported on 4/10/14 from my old blog at satsumabug.livejournal.com.]