Eat. Travel. Eat!

Back in May, I attended the UC Irvine Undergraduate Research Symposium , an annual symposium featuring undergraduate research. Although I only attended the afternoon session, there was still much to see and to learn--I was unable to visit all the presenters' posters or oral presentations! This research symposium featured undergraduate research from the entire university, meaning that one could find research in computer science, engineering, humanities, biological sciences, and more in the same spot! There were also two parts: oral sessions, where presenters discussed their projects with projected presentation slides to a small audience in one room, and poster displays, where presenters discussed their projects next to their posters outside. The research was quite diverse; a few of these topics discussed at the symposium include home automation, car security, dorm design, autism, solar stove, literature, autism, chemically powered modeled cars, solar airplanes, and rockets...

During Celebrate UCI my friend and I visited California Teriyaki Grill, a relatively new addition to University Town Center. It is a small restaurant with only about eight closely packed tables; however, one can easily order take out and just eat outdoors, where there is plentiful seating. All food is packaged in take-out containers. Being a fast food/take out place, California Teriyaki Grill's prices are quite reasonable (especially for University Town Center), and what makes it really different from the competition are two aspects: condiments and its teriyaki sauce. Green onions, jalepenos, and a variety of sauces are available as toppings, and the teriyaki sauce is made in house. Unlike teriyaki sauces from some teriyaki outlets, California Teriyaki Grill's teriyaki sauce is not saccharine, but rather somewhat savory and fruity. In addition, the proteins and veggies on the menu only get a light squiggle of sauce, allowing for greater customization with condiments. ...

Our second full day in San Francisco started with a side trip to University of California- Berkeley. Stepping afoot on the west side of campus, our own self guided tour began by walking up the slope to Sather Tower. Had we known better, we would have entered the campus through its own parking lots, but instead a student employee told us to park in the public parking spots outside of campus and we followed his advice. Walking up we were primarily met with buildings, like the Life Sciences building in the picture above, that probably were built near the beginning of Berkeley's existence; these buildings were really grand. Like the older buildings at Stanford, these buildings had many ornate details! And soon enough, we reached Sather Tower. It's fun seeing how the perspective of a building changes as one gets close and closer to it! Reaching Sather Tower rewarded us with a picturesque view of the campus below, but also a view of the water. Not ma...

Although we have stepped into Cha for Tea a couple of times, we have never actually eaten there until recently, after (finally) visiting the weekend farmers market at the University Center (see Monster Munching's blog post for more information). The employees though have enthusiastically greeted us and familiarized us with their line of products, which come from Ten Ren, as the Cha for Tea chain is a subsidiary of Ten Ren. Cha for Tea lures customers into their stores by taking a Tevana-eqsue sales tactic: offering small samples of their products. This time, we were offered cups of hot almond black milk tea, of which we enjoyed so much that we ordered a large portion, coupled with pearls. (3.89USD + 0.60USD for large size + 0.47USD for pearls). Cha for Tea is open to adjustments, so we asked for no sugar in the tea; this led to a creamy tea that was barely sweet, with depth provided by the black tea and fragrance from the almond powder used in the making of the tea. The ...

These past weeks, or perhaps I should say this past school year, has soared right past me; and suddenly, the business that I have attended to for now has abruptly closed, and half of 2011 has passed by! The time of year where the senior class for high schools and higher level institutions has arrived, and right now for them is a time to think not only about their present day situation, but to also think about their future. Graduation for Arcadia High's class of 2011 was just yesterday, and provided plenty of inspiration towards the graduating class as well as the audience through the speeches. Like the speeches at any commencement ceremony, colleges and universities are also quite inspirational. My visit to Stanford University was likewise very much so; and with this special time of year, I am starting yet another trip series but this time, not from the beginning. It was a brilliant day to head outside on our second day of the trip; the temperature was cool and...