Caltech

Food Fe$t

Well. Here it is. The long-promised food update. Actually, it’s not really a full food update. I’ll give the two second update on everything and then into the big story. So, two second update: I ate carrot cake (not the pastry – actually a weird savory turnip dish that was delicious), hand-pulled noodles (from the SCHOOL CAFETERIA, Y’ALL I CAN’T EVEN), some Korean food, lots of curry, boba, putu piring, more boba, a burger on the Fourth of July (legitimately... Read more →

(Bird)Park it Like It’s Hot

I’m finally home. Not in the USA. Not back in Singapore from my trip to Indonesia (more to come on that next week!). But home. With the birds. Little known fact about me, I used to work at the Denver Zoo. For 5 years. I specifically worked in the bird department, and I got to care for everything from a Northern Helmeted Curassow (and the love of my life, Peggy), a pacific brant goose, flamingos, vultures, and every type of... Read more →

Honestly, the Pictures Speak for Themselves

This week I am avoiding food posts. You heard me right, no exciting meals this week. No mouthwatering delicacies. Actually, there have been so many that they’re going to get their own post. And besides, I did some very unique, other exciting things this week. This post specifically: my trip to quite possibly the scariest (for an American) place in Singapore, Haw Par Villa. Haw Par Villa is a Chinese art theme park constructed originally by a pair of brothers... Read more →

A Trip to the “Bay Area”

Bet I fooled you with that title. You probably thought I went to the San Francisco bay. Or maybe not. But either way, I went to the Singapore Marina Bay this weekend! Actually, I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s where everything (including the ministry of manpower) is located, so one has to go there frequently to get everything done. This time was a bit more fun though: I got a deal on a membership for the Gardens by... Read more →

Lowlight Highlight

I… Well. I did a lot this weekend. Most of it was travelling on the MRT. I legitimately spent maybe 6 hours on public transit this weekend. It’s what I get for practicing an obscure sport that only has locations 12 miles from where you’re staying. But hey, I love Singapore public transit. You can get literally anywhere with about 15 minutes of walking; I wish I could say the same about Los Angeles. But yeah, that was my Saturday.... Read more →

No Coral-lary - Week 2 SURF 2019

So, this summer my SURF posts may or may not be every week, my research is more of doing the same thing for a long time, but we’ll see. Right now, I’m currently working on phase one of three (at least phase one of three according to my proposal). This phase: coral mosaicking. So, the story. I’m part of a greater project using coral annular bands to reconstruct relative sea level in the Western Luzon region of the Philippines. All... Read more →

$7.50, 1 Michelin Star

What up what up! It’s Sunday and I’m YEETing this week into the multiverse. Actually, not really. I’m in Singapore. I have a cold. The first restaurant I went to today was closed on Sunday. (Which is unusual because most traditional places close on Mondays but hey that’s just life). And yeah, I’m out here thriving. So, how do you treat a cold in Singapore? Is it with air conditioning and Unico brand lava bites? Definitely not. Is it with... Read more →

The KING

And no, this is NOT a post about Lebron James, Michael Jackson, or the real king, Elvis Presley. This is about the OG (original gangster), the durian!!!! The king of fruits! Durian is a spiky fruit with an extremely potent smell. It’s hard to describe the smell but it’s pretty bad. Durian’s smell is so bad that’s it’s banned on public transit in some regions in Asia. It would probably be banned in the U.S. if anyone grew it there... Read more →

I’ll Be Back

And I’ll be Mozart. Greeting blog readers, random internet browsers, and Karla. It’s the last week of school. In-fact, it’s my last week at Caltech for a while. I’m going to be in Singapore for 2 months, followed by a three-week interlude of gallivanting across Europe and Asia before I start study abroad in Scotland until late December. Gone for a bit over 6 months. From Pasadena, from Colorado, and from the U.S. in general. It’s a bit of a... Read more →

We’re *Definitely* Not in Pasadena Anymore, Toto

16 hours of airtime, more of just sitting in airports. And well, we’re definitely not in Pasadena. Exactly where am I though? Singapore! Specifically, the far western end. I’m starting a SURF at Nanyang Technological University on Monday. I’m staying at what they call a student hostel. It’s more or less an apartment with a roommate (my roommate is a student from China who’s a fair bit older than me but still a super awesome guy). The rooms are spacious,... Read more →