Caltech

A Day at the Most Frustrating Place in America

If Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, then the Department of Motorized Vehicles (DMV) is the least. California has a very strong car culture due to the vast amount of sprawl from urban development. Most urban nodes are connected by freeways that are completely un-bike-able. The public transportation system is also quite questionable: the subway station is a 30 minute walk away from Caltech, subways come once every 20 minutes, buses stop running in the early evening, and bus routes seem like they are designed to make your trip as possible. With all these pitfalls, I decided to get a driver's license and hopefully a car in the near future.

I could have gotten my driver's license a long time ago back home in Vancouver, BC. However, I was lazy and kept on putting it off until my learners permit expired. Then it just kept dragging on until I came here. I figured that this is the best summer to get my DL since my life will only get more hectic from here.

The California DMV offers a service where you can make appointments online. When I checked the booking service, it said that the next available time is three weeks away. A friend of mine said that I can simply show up and wait in line. Another friend who overheard shared her DMV horror story with me: she waited 3 hours, got to the front of the line and the person told her that the legal documents she provided cannot be accepted and sent her back. If once is not bad enough, this happened to her TWICE!

I was determined to be the "lucky one" so I made a copy of every legal document I have and took it with me. I went fairly early in the morning so I only waited an hour or so. When I finally reached the front desk, they told me to print out my most recent immigration record at the nearby Staples. He gave me a "fast-pass" kind of ticket and I went to go print. When I returned, I was helped by a different person. He told me that I cannot use photocopies. THE FIRST GUY DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS! I complained and he brought of the first guy I had worked with, and he was like "oh ya, oops, sorry." Well guess what, "sorry" doesn't get back the two hours I have now spent.

I Ubered back to campus, got the originals and Ubered back. Thankfully the guy took pity on me and gave me a faster number. A whole room of people with only a few windows open really exercised my patience. I am someone who hates waiting for anything, be it for videos to load, restaurants to serve my food, or people to reply to urgent emails.

To get a DL, I first needed a permit. They gave me a vision test and a knowledge test, then took my finger prints and photo. This whole process went by rather smoothly except for the fact that the permit guy is kind of racist. I finished my knowledge test and went to the counter. The dude took one look at me and was like "here's the test in Chinese" and I replied "no thanks, I just finished the English version". He just shrugged and proceeded to process my information. No offense, but he really needs to develop some world view.

After a whole day of the DMV torture, I have a permit to start driving lessons. Unfortunately I will have to return to take the actual road test.

Little Tokyo Revisited

A friend of one of the summer students came up from San Diego for the weekend and wanted to get a quick tour of LA so we decided to take him to Little Tokyo for an afternoon. Since 2013, LA has been in a ramen frenzy with new shops opening every other week. LA is known for having great fusion food, so many of the ramen new comers claim to be fusion rather than traditional. We decided to take him to one of the top ramen places, Shin Sen Gumi which has become a mini chain due to its popularity. It is fairly authentic and allows for quite a bit of customization.

The ramen ordering form asks you for the richness of the broth, the al dente of the noodles, spiciness level, and has checkboxes in front of all the toppings you can add.  They are known for their tonkotsu ramen, so this is the only broth based ramen they serve. There are a variety of appetizers to choose from too, but since the portions are quite large, we stuck with ramen.

The tonkotsu ramen had extremely rich broth. It's made from pork bones boiled for hours until the fat and collagen break down to produce an opaque, milky broth. In the words of my friend "it's like eating a whole pig condensed into this bowl of soup". Even though it was extremely rich, it had a very clean flavor and was delicious. It was so good that he asked for an extra portion of noodles to finish the broth.

We also tried their ramen salad and stir fry.

 

Afterwards, we went to Tea Master Matcha Cafe and Green Tea Shop for matcha ice cream. This place is the BOMBDOTCOM. We were feeling heavy after the ramen, but after some of this amazing soft serve, we felt like we had detoxed. This is quite ironic since the ice cream was extremely milky and creamy with a distinct tea flavor. My friend was such a fan that he wanted seconds.

Sushiritos are Soy-Awesome!

    Over the weekend, my boyfriend, a couple friends, and I decided to try one of the newest food fads: the sushirito. For those of you who don't know, a sushirito is a hybrid between sushi and a burrito. It's the size of a burrito, but is made out of the traditional sushi ingredients. 

    My boyfriend has a car, so we all piled in and made our way to Nori Sushi Wraps in South Pasadena, only a few minutes away from campus! When we got there, we were greeted with a very California, clean aesthetic--copper fixtures everywhere, green plants, and lots of sunshine coming in through the windows.

    As a vegetarian, I was only able to order one of the things on the menu, but that was fine with me, because it sounded great. I got a sushirito with tempura portobello mushroom, cucumber, avocado, kanpyo (a type of yummy squash), seaweed salad, kale lettuce slaw, and garlic soy sauce. For those who were not vegetarian, they also had shrimp-, yellowtail-, salmon-, and chicken-flavored sushiritos, among others. Their drink selection was not to shabby either; they had everything from authentic Japanese sodas to matcha. 

    Everything we got tasted great. I still had a little "burrito bust" happen to me (the phenomenon where your burrito decides to come undone while it's being eaten), but other than that, eating a sushirito was a unique experience. Unlike traditional sushi, the whole burrito isn't eaten in one bite (although, that would be pretty impressive), meaning that each bite is its own, yummy experience. 

    Besides just eating, I was also able to practice my Japanese. There was both Japanese Katakana and English on the melon soda bottle my boyfriend ordered, meaning that while I was munching, I was also learning more words! Hopefully, at Caltech, I will have the time to take a beginner's Japanese course for one of my humanities! 

    While the food didn't last very long, I had a great time and definitely plan on going back!

Here's half of my sushirito! I forgot to mention, along with the burrito, we also got wonton chips!

Executing the "Plan???"

I have made really great friends at Facebook, but we hadn't yet planned our own outing. So Saturday was the day that we decided to go to the mall in Santa Clara - the Din Tai Fung there was calling us and who dislikes shopping, or at least looking at stores, with friends? However, none of us had really planned ahead of time. About 9:00 the night before, we needed a time and place to meet up. The place was preordained, but the time? We let Facebook Messenger make a plan for us (which I promptly named "Plan???"): it said we should meet up at 12:00. AM. Midnight didn't seem like a great time to venture to a mall (a good time for many other things, but not a mall), so we switched it to noon - and arrived at the mall late anyway.

If you're going to Din Tai Fung anywhere, it's always important to put down your name as soon as you get there. Sometimes the wait isn't bad (30 minutes is considered a short time) but other times you will see, as we did, that the wait can be 2-3 hours.

With a wait of 2 hours, and a whole mall to explore, what better way is there to pass the time than to go shopping? We spent a lot of time walking around the mall and going into stores that caught our eyes - everything from Lush and Sephora to Tokyo Lifestyle and Forever 21. Of course, most of the time was spent just looking. We had an ambition to go into one of the super expensive stores like Louis Vuitton or Versace, but in the end we couldn't work up the nerve to walk into those stores. They were far too intimidating.

We spent so much time just looking around, we were called back to Din Tai Fung (and a delicious lunch!) before any of us bought anything. However we certainly had our fun afterwards: Tiffany got an eye makeover in Sephora, Jessica got things from one of her favorite stores Brandy Melville, and I got a couple of things from Hollister. I was very obviously not up to speed on West Coast brands, because I had no idea that Brandy Melville and Cotton On, stores which both of my friends knew, even existed. However it was certainly an eye-opening experience, as I had no idea many of the styles in those two stores existed. It was also really fun just talking with friends in the mall about the style of clothing that we wore.

After a long day at the mall, consisting of 5-6 hours spent in one complex indoors, we decided to go outside and enjoy the hot tub in Tiffany's apartment complex. It was hopelessly large, but very nice to relax in, with enough space for us and two other parties to have our own corners. The two of them laughed at how slowly I acclimated to the hot water, but I'll call it even because I also laughed at them for how cold they thought it was at night.

Jessica and I ended the day with a very satisfying trip to Denny's for a late dinner. I was unhealthy to the extreme, but the onion rings and bacon potato tots were soooooooo good. Jessica had breakfast for dinner, which looked amazing as well. What a great way to end the day with friends.

Flyaway Fun Part 2

    After a fun, food-filled day, I was ready for the bridal shower, which promised more fun and food! My first cousin, my aunt's son, is getting married, and I am a bridesmaid. Although I was a flower girl years ago, I've never been a bridesmaid before, so I'm super psyched. The wedding is on December 9th, just a day after term ends, which at most schools would be a problem. However, since most of Caltech's finals are take-home, I can take them basically any time I want before they're due. I know if I manage my time correctly, I'll be able to get them all done early, making it easier for me to be ready for the wedding. 

    Anyway, back to the shower! The shower was held at my aunt's friend's house, which was gorgeous and filled with art from the local Ann Arbor art fair. She had lots of tasty bites to eat, including baked french toast bread pudding, sushi, hummus and veggies, and salads. We then watched the bride and groom play a "The Newlywed Game" style "Jeopardy!" game, which was really fun.

    My favorite part was the desserts. One of the hosts, my cousin, is famous for her linzer torte crescent cookies, which are out of this world. They have a spongy cake bottom, some yummy jam and nuts, and a crisp meringue crust. There was also some yummy almond bars, brownies, and raspberry bars. 

    Finally, we watched the bride open up all of her presents. I was amazed by how many cool kitchen gadgets she got! I know where I'll be going for the holidays...

Overall, it was a great time. It was very nice to see some of my Michigan and New York relatives who are unable to come to California to see me. I can't wait for the wedding in December! 

 

Here I am with the bride, Aly, and the groom, Jonathan

The DIY Food Revolution

Since Subway's success way back in the early 2000s, everything is becoming customizable. Recently, custom burgers are all the rage with burger bars popping up all around town. The Counter is a chain located across America that also happens to have a location that is a 10 minute walk from Caltech. If you don't create anything too extravagant, you can have a solid meal for roughly $12. For people who find customization too difficult, they do have pre-determined combinations.

 

Is a burger still a burger if it does not have a bun? In-and-Out has a secret menu where you can order burgers "protein style", which means that the buns are replaced with lettuce leaves. This is great for body building fanatics who want to save room for extra protein while cutting the carbs. It is slightly counter intuitive since the people I know, who order "protein style" often get a side a fries. Apparently carbs from potatoes don't count. I bring this up because the Counter lets you get burgers on a bed of greens for an extra $1. Does that make it a burger SALAD?

 

I decided to test the burger salad this past week with my friends. My friend created a proper burger with a grilled chicken patty, while I opted for an albacore fillet patty on greens. We chose as many toppings that fit our order. Since albacore tuna is already very unusual for a burger patty, I am pretty sure I am just eating a salad by this point. If it doesn't look like a burger or taste like a burger, it is not a burger. I think the restaurant should just call themselves a burger/salad bar.

 

 

One of the ironic aspects of eating healthy is that you feel the urge to treat yourself with dessert. We went to Bengees after for CUSTOMIZABLE ice cream. I argue ice cream is the most customizable because you can add any range of toppings and have it in a cone/cup. You can also sample as many flavors as you want. We sampled everything but chose to leave out toppings because we are ice cream purists. We got vegan strawberry, pistachio, and blueberry cheesecake. Burger salads and vegan ice cream? It doesn't get more Califonia-American than this!

 

Find Your Nemo with Poke

One of the most exciting and delicious things about California is the wide spread availability of Poke. If you are a sushi fan, or have had it before, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you are unfamiliar, you should read this article by Eater. In short, it is a healthy rice bowl with raw fish and other fix-ins. Poke is originally from Hawaii, but the craze has spread to most major cities including Vancouver, where I am from. Back home, the bowls are pricier due to limited competition, but here, it is much more affordable. Think upscale Chipotle, but even more customizable and actually good for you.

 

 

A lot of students I've met have never had raw fish before, nor have they even heard of that way of preparing fish, nevermind sushi. I think poke makes a good introduction to sushi since one can opt for a heavier sauce, or create a more Americanized bowl (i.e. with mayonnaise based sauces and bacon toppings etc.). This makes poke so widely loved. Some of my friends are still intimidated by it and will refuse to eat it, but they are missing out. Anyways, it's more fish left in the ocean for me to eat :D

 

I remember using Google Maps to locate all the poke places around campus to check out. There is Poke Mix by Flour and Tea, and Lemonade on Lake Ave which are 10 minutes away. Pokenoya is 15 minutes away, but the selections are much better in my opinion. Chandler also serves it on Mondays at the sushi bar. However, the Chandler version only features tuna. I, on the other hand, am a fan of yellowtail, scallops, octopus, and albacore. Tuna will curb temporary cravings, but I need to go around town to get my fix.

 

Since coming to Caltech, I have probably eaten Poke at over 10 different locations. Pokenoya is definitely my favorite Pasadena option, but Poke N Roll in Glendale is definitely one of the best! Sweetfin and Mainland Poke in Santa Monica are also amazing.

Netflix Walks Into an Ice Cream Parlor

Have you ever wondered what Netflix would taste like as an ice cream flavor? Well according to Cool Haus, it is a "white cheddar popcorn-infused ice cream base with Doritos". It would seem that the owners of Cool Haus have synethesia because they have developed flavors for the Real House Wives, Passover, The Road Less Traveled and a Home Run. They also have tons of hipster flavors like Salad, Avocado Sea Salt, Balsamic Fig and Mascarpone.

 

 

Cool Haus started as a food truck, but has expanded to tons of brick and mortar locations around LA. There happens to be one right in Pasadena, which we went to. If you are away for the summer and you crave some salad in ice cream form, you can order a pint from their website and have it shipped straight to your house. They also have sorbets for the lactose intolerant, and ice cream bars for those who care about portion control.

 

We went in the early evening when most people are at dinner. During this time, the shop is more empty and we can shamelessly ask to sample all the flavors without stalling other customers. I tried Foie Gras and PBJ, and my friend tried Fried Chicken. They were both surprisingly good. In the end, we settled for more "ice creamy" scoops like Thai Iced-Tea and Bulletproof (coffee + butter).

 

Cool Haus offers just as many varieties of cookies as scoops, so their main draw is an ice cream sandwich. As you can see, everything is bigger in America. There's definitely more than a serving of ice cream in this thing. Then again, their catch phrase is: CHEAT DAY!

 

Flyaway Fun Part 1

One thing I love about Caltech summers is the free time. While learning during the year is also great, classes, extracurriculars, and research leave very little time to take a vacation (though there is plenty of free time to fill with hanging out with friends and small day trips). 

This past weekend, however, I was able to take a day off of SURF to go on a fun adventure to Michigan for my cousin's bridal shower. Though I was only there for a few days, I was able to do some pretty cool stuff. 

On Thursday night, I took a red-eye from LAX to the Detroit Airport. After sleeping a few hours on the plane, I was ready to take on the day! The first thing I did, after greet my mom and my aunt, was to get ready to go to Zingerman's Deli, one of the most famous food markets not only in Michigan, but in the world! Their food really lives up to their good reputation. Missing my New York typical deli foods, I ordered blintzes, a polish farmer's cheese filled crêpe. Since Zingerman's has their own creamery, the cheese was extra luscious. Plus, it came with some locally-made mixed-berry jam! 

Zingerman's also has a little chocolate and coffee shop nearby. Their menu would make any Starbucks lover swoon: from chai and matcha lattes to coffees from Brazil to Sumatra and many places in between, they have nearly everything coffee and tea related! Their chocolates were not to shabby either! I got a box of truffles with flavors including pear ginger, chai (if you couldn't already tell, I love chai), and lavender. 

My aunt and cousins were invited to a wedding which gave free ice cream to its guests, so after Zingerman's, we headed towards Blank Slate Creamery, Michigan's version of Afters or Fosselman's, Pasadena's local, more up-scale ice cream shops (on a side note, one perk about being here over the summer is Tom Mannion, our director of student activities and programs, gets us Fosselman's ice cream every Wednesday). I got some sort of banana peanut butter chocolate concoction (three of my favorite foods!), and loved each lick! I definitely recommend going to Blank Slate if ever in Ann Arbor. 

Here's the exterior of Zingerman's. Image from Zingermanscommunity.com.

This day was definitely a great way to kick off my trip to Michigan! Stay tuned for more adventures in my next blog post!

LA's Shopping Mecca

In high school, I loved going to the mall with friends. Even if I didn't need to buy anything, it was nice to hangout under air conditioning with access to food all around us. Also, it doesn't hurt to window shop and try on dresses that I obviously cannot afford. It is hard to find time to go to the mall during the school year since they are all a drive away. Also, once the bank of mom and dad becomes more stringent, it's harder to go on shopping sprees.

 

Near Caltech, there is the Westfield Santa Anita Mall which has a huge selection of stores. However, if you really want to be impressed by the selection, head over to Glendale Galleria and Americana right beside it. Glendale Galleria has more affordable everyday stores like Gap, Macy's etc. while Americana has high end options like Tiffany's and Co. You can really tell this shopping location is popular with millennials because there is a cupcake ATM.

 

 

When we went, Wholly Guacamole was having a promotional event with a free guac bar. I got some chips and guac with mangoes and tomatoes because I am an avocado addict. People who had Twitter also got a free shirt if they tweeted the event. In fact, they were printing the shirts on site.

 

 

One thing I learned from being a serial shopper is to shop online unless shipping is too expensive. I found an Anthropologie store at Americana that was having a sale and it made my day. My friend sat around while I tried on tons of dresses and tops. I ended up with only a pair of joggers since everything there is quite pricey. We had to return to Caltech since we had commitments for later this evening, but I will be back soon.