Happy One Year!

August 1, 2014 by Jamie Lam

It’s been one year since my very first post. I can’t believe I kept up with posting on this blog for a full year, posting 3 times a week, scheduling posts to go live at midnight. I first started this blog when I was still a housewife, beginning to find new hobbies. This was one of them, and this one actually stuck. Sometimes posting was a pain. I would remember that I needed to write a new post around 11:45pm with only 25 minutes to go live. Those were some of the nights I had to stay up late in order have posts for readers the following day. It was more about my own self-discipline and trying to keep myself on a tight schedule. I knew if I was too lenient, I would continue to let myself slip. But I stuck with it! I’m really proud.

Today deserves a celebration. Happy one year to my little blog!

In lieu of today, I’m featuring some of my proudest posts. I love to look back and see what kinds of projects I’ve completed, recipes I’ve created, and reminisce at trips that I took. I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane!

My favorite DIY projects:

1. The $10 Dresser Revamp (By far my favorite project so far)

2. The Ultimate Wire Holder (so useful)

3. The Reupholstered Bench (seriously, talk about drab to fab!)

Here are my favorite recipes. These are staples at home!

1. The Legendary Steak (people rave about MG’s famous steak. I kid you not!)

2. Yummy Fruit Tart Recipe (This recipe has been pinned over 500+ times!)

3. Light & Creamy Pasta Recipe (I just made this dish the other day; it never gets old)

And then there’s the many, many different trips I took this past year. Each and every one of them were so memorable. If you’re going to any of these places, check out my posts for ideas of what to do and eat!

Vancouver, Canada
Disney World: Universal Studios, Epcot, Downtown Disney, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom
Rome, Italy
Florence, Italy
Venice, Italy
Barcelona, Spain
Dublin, Ireland
Paris, France
London, England

After our trip to Europe, the travel bug bit me! MG and I just booked a trip to Japan and Hong Kong in October. We can’t wait to travel abroad again!

Thank you to all of you who read my blog. The support and love you’ve given me continues to spur my creativity. Keep coming back for more!!!

With all my heart,
Jay

Hottest Camping Weekend Ever!

July 28, 2014 by Jamie Lam

This was by far the hottest weekend I’ve ever gone camping. When we arrived at Henry Coe State Park on Friday, the temperature reached 103° F. We knew we were in for some heat. That’s an understatement!

Bees and wasps galore when the heat is in. They swarmed our food, but thankfully no one got stung. That’s good right? Since the state of California is in a drought right now, everything is dry. Sadly for us, that meant no charcoal or wood fires. No campfire makes me a sad girl. Nonetheless it was still a fun trip!

On Friday night, we got in, scoped out our sites, pitched our tents, and started to make dinner before dark. I prepped some chicken teriyaki at home so we simply cooked it, cooked some spam, heated the rice up, and supplemented with seaweed. Asian meal at it’s finest, chicken for protein and deconstructed spam musubis for dinner. I also made some brownies at home to bring as dessert. Delish!

We played some games that night and then went to sleep. MG and I didn’t use our tarp over our tents that night so that we could see through the mess and feel the night breeze. Comparatively speaking to my other camping experiences, this was a hot night. Mid 60°F to low 70°F is pretty hot for sleeping. Once dawn hit, it was too hot to sleep in; everyone was up by 7am.

We prepped breakfast, sat around and talked, made our sandwiches, and started a 5 mile hike. We even brought our swimsuits because midway through the hike, there’s a lake. We were excited to be able to cool off… but once we got to the lake, we realized why it was named “frog lake.” Thousands of frogs jumping everywhere, a layer of slime, and stagnant water. Great! Who’s getting in first? Nobody. We didn’t want to risk our lives in this water…

^^^ Look at Gandalf here trying to fashion his walking stick

Oh okay… Let me just jump right in here… NOT

All those rock lookin things… frogs.

We hiked back down and asked the ranger where we could swim. Apparently in the county of Santa Clara, you cannot swim in bodies of water. Our ranger told us 1) we could swim in frog lake (who-the-eff does that!?!) or 2) we could “fall” into Anderson Lake nearby to cool off. We drove back down the mountain and dipped into the super muddy Lake to cool off. At that point, having some sort of water to degrease and get the caked on sunscreen off was worth it!

Perhaps we stopped by a McDonald’s afterwards for ice cream… maybe. Can you blame me?

We fix up some burgers, ramen, smores and smoreos for the night. Oh yes, you read that right. I said smoreos; roasted marshmallows sandwiched into oreos. You’re welcome for opening your eyes.

We played games, the girls did facials, and then we all headed to bed for an early morning to get to church on time.

Note to the reader: Quiet time is at 10pm at campsites. Don’t cook and talk loudly at midnight! Or else you’ll hear from me…

Great camping trip! I’ve had better ones but the fellowship during this trip was definitely memorable!

Have a great week y’all!
Jay

Camping Prep

July 25, 2014 by Jamie Lam

I’m going camping this weekend at Henry Coe State Park!

My fellowship group decided to take a weekend trip together, and we chose the great outdoors. If you’ve been reading along you know I love camping! Can’t wait to get away from technology, snuggle into my sleeping bag, and read. Oh yup, you already know food is a ~~big~~, hu-mun-go part of camping. As usual, I’m in charge of groceries. There’s going to be some good eats!

We’re going to be a group of 13. I love shopping for medium/large groups because there’s such a wide selection of things to choose from. It’s also fun for me to keep costs to a minimum when it comes to that many people. Challenge accepted. I love it!

I went shopping for snacks today at Target. Lots of goodies. It’s like a kid at a candy store!

For drinks we got Anchor Steam, Pinot Noir, Gatorade, Water, and Dr. Pepper. I even made brownies for dessert for tomorrow night!

For snacks, check this out:

I forgot the beef jerky on purpose because I need the huge bag from Costco 😉

What are your favorite camping snacks? Am I missing anything good? Onto Costco tomorrow…

Fat kid at heart,
Jay

A Trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium

July 21, 2014 by Jamie Lam

Work has been awesome! I can’t believe how much I actually enjoy working again.

To make you jealous, we took an agency field trip last week to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A bus was rented to take us to Monterey, we stayed at the aquarium for an hour and a half, and then had lunch in Capitola before heading home. This year, the aquarium has a new exhibit, Tentacles.

The aquarium always reminds me how much wonder nature holds. Each and every individual organism is so unique, and every detail has some sort of function. In instances like this, you realize there’s something greater than yourself.

Here are some fun pictures from the aquarium! There’s so much more to see than what’s pictured here. Go check it out!

^^^ This one is like “hai guys!”

And then there are the amazing jellyfish, always photogenic!

^^^ The egg yolk jelly! Looks like breakfast!

And then, I wanted to take home one of these:

Sea otter!!!

And I wanted one of these too. I’m sure it would have fit in my purse!

The kelp forest is pretty neat too!

It’s an amazing place! I really recommend going to this aquarium if you are ever in Monterey. Just for fun, you can check out their live webcams!

Have you been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium before? What did you think? If you haven’t been, do you want to go and why?

Have a great Monday,
Jay

Chinese Herbal Medicine

July 9, 2014 by Jamie Lam

I’m sad to say, my face broke out about three months ago. My pores got clogged because the lotion I was using for my face was too oily for my skin. This can happen! Make sure that you get the correct lotion for your skin type. Don’t learn the hard way, like I did.

My skin still isn’t back to itself. I think it’s in the middle of healing right after gaining treatment from certain experts (learn more from My Botox LA Med Spa) now so I look like a teenage girl who just hit puberty…

I’ve had a bad case of acne before, in high school. I had to take antibiotics two times a day to control my skin. The medicine cause me to be nauseous because it was so strong. During that time, my acne cleared up but I swore that I wouldn’t take that medicine again.

Fast forward to today, I basically have bumps all along my chin, side of my jawline, forehead, and cheeks. ***super sad face*** I have a Clarisonic now and exfoliate regularly (Thanks Holly). And probably TMI (but they don’t call me TMI Jay for nothing), each and every bump is pop-able. Sebum comes out (it’s like blackheads but white). If I try popping, my skin bruises. It is a really depressing story.

I had enough; I finally decided to go see the doctors. My doctor prescribed me a topical gel, which didn’t work 2 weeks in. So I went back in for another visit. She told me the next best thing was to start me on antibiotics, which is a strong prescription and does affect your stomach lining. Remember when I swore I wouldn’t take antibiotics again? I told her no and that I would find other solutions. Here is an expert who can give you more skincare tips you can read her explanation here.

Never once would I go to see a Chinese doctor on my own, but my friend recommended it. And I’m willing to try anything but drugs at this point. I thought about doing weekly facials but wow, that wouldn’t be cheap! So an Eastern doctor it is. I made an appointment to see a doctor in Oakland Chinatown. He diagnosed me, and sent me home with 5 days worth of Chinese herbs. It’s still costly, but not as pricey as a facialist. It’s a $60 appointment fee (usually around 15-20 minutes), and $12-$15 a bag of herbs. These herbs come in brown paper baggies with handpicked herbs by the doctor.

To make the medicine, you must have a clay pot to boil the medicine. It’s not recommended to use metallic pots because metal can react with the herbs in a negative way. I bought a large clay pot at Daiso for $14 (Daiso is a Japanese dollar store). First you boil the water on medium heat, then you add the herbs, and boil for 1 hour (no less, no longer). Strain out the herbs and drink up! Finish the entire cup quick because hot damn, it’s bitter! It’s bitter when it’s hot, it’s even more bitter when it’s cold. After drinking the first batch, you have to boil it again to finish the second cup.

There’s something about how these herbs have a ying and a yang. Both doses need to be taken for healing. Oh yeah, and your house becomes a bit stinky from the boiled herbs. But the stink is nothing compared to the bitterness… yay. If it works though, it’s totally worth it!

I also need to change my diet for this medicine to really work. If you have acne issues, it’s recommended to cut out of your diet: mangos, pineapples, shellfish, red meat, and sweets. The hardest one for me? Shellfish and steak. Told you this was a sad story…

So my little bumps are becoming actual red pimples now. I can only assume that’s healing and my skin is trying to dispose of the dirt. I really hope that’s the case. I’ll send an update when I’m completed with my herbal treatments to let you know if this was indeed worth it.

^^^ Darkest and most bitter drink ever… Can’t even eat candy afterwards to counteract the taste

Did you ever have a bad case of acne? How did you combat? Have you ever chose Eastern medicine over Western? How did it work? Please share!

Cheers!
Jay

The Most Important…

June 27, 2014 by Jamie Lam

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you begin wedding planning? THE DRESS!

You’ve got the ring, now it’s time to start the dress search. It’s every girl’s dream to find the most beautiful, gorgeous-est, amazing dress for the big day. There are shows upon shows of girls looking for their dresses. It’s such a big deal! YAY!

But nope. Not for me. I hate, nay despise, dress shopping. I love normal shopping. I can spend hours. Ask any of my friends, I can shop for 10+ hours and still go on; it’s a talent. But I cannot do dress shopping. The only other time I had to find a fancy dress was prom and that was dreadful. I don’t know what it is, I suppose just having this set expectation but never finding what you really want.

Don’t let me get you down though. That’s only me! Maybe you’ve got some great girlfriends to take you out. My sister and mom lived in a different state, so that took a bunch of excitement out.

Let’s start with the design of the dress. Don’t exclude any ideas! You’d be surprised at what might be a glamorous fit for you.

Take a look at the styles below. I’m a firm believer in wearing whatever makes you happy. Don’t listen to those apple figures means this dress. Full-bodied means this. To me, that’s trash. Try each style on and find out on your own which one makes you feel beautiful.

Secondly, decide on fabric. I’m no expert at all, but in the end it comes down to, do you want something crisp, satiny, lacy, or with tulle? Having a fabric in mind will help with the search. Obviously there are a bunch of other type of fabrics, but if you wanted something satiny, there are materials like Charmeuse and Organza. This helps narrow down the choice of dresses. Within each category of fabric, there are many other different styles and fabrics.

For me, I looked at styles/designs online. I was drawn to A-Line dresses, and I knew I wanted lace. I also wanted to lace pink flower girl dresses and that is why I went dress shopping with my sister and mom at 3 stores, all in one day during my Christmas holiday. I tried on everything from recycled dresses to boutique ($10k+ for designer). Worst experience… I’m just really picky and have high expectations of myself. Plus, I was looking for something original, which I couldn’t find in stores.

Look at dresses online! Don’t be scared to purchase a dress online. Wedding dress seamstresses can work miracles. If you come across something, like evening dresses you can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably it! Just buy it.

I was looking at wedding dresses on Etsy around 2am, even though I had work the next day. I came across one dress, called MG, showed him the pics, and told him I really loved it. Immediately then and there, I purchased it. It was $200 and even if it didn’t work out, there wasn’t much money invested. I had gotten my dress! When I showed other people, all I got was confused looks. They didn’t see it then, but I saw the potential. Like I said, I wanted something original.

Look for a highly-recommended wedding dress seamstress! I want to emphasize again, highly-recommended and wedding dress seamstress. Wedding dresses are delicate and detailed. The seamstresses that have expertise with these kinds of materials will be your best friend.

I learned the hard way… I dislike telling this story. It brings bad memories. I found a designer in Los Angeles who would help me alter the dress to a design I had a mind. I thought she would be awesome (take note, this is in past-tense)! One, she was in LA, a city known for fashion, and for another reason, she was on Project Runway! You have to be great if you’re on Project Runway right? Wrong again. I travelled three times for dress fittings (which all added to the cost of the wedding dress), and when she finally mailed me the dress 1.5 months before my wedding, nothing fit correctly. Everything was lopsided. It was horrible. It was obvious she had never worked with wedding dresses before.

^^^ I looked like a behemoth. My right boob is larger than my left. One cap sleep is longer than the other. My designer had the audacity to say that it was ready for wedding day…

I cried daily trying to figure out what to do before the big day. My parents scolded me for being so confident on one dress and also proposed the idea of purchasing a new dress. But my pride told me that it would come together. I still had hope for this dreaded dress. Then I found a wedding dress seamstress in the Bay Area. And my life changed.

She worked wonders. She created miracles. She made the dress of my dreams come to life. Like I said, a seamstress that has experience with wedding gowns is what you want. Wedding dress fabrics are a whole different beast. Go with someone that has experience. Go with someone that has been referred to by a friend or highly recommended on Yelp. You’ve already paid so much for your dress, another $300-500 for alterations so that your dress fits like a glove is totally worth it.

Found a dress where the style and fit is perfect? But maybe you wanted a different neckline. Perhaps you wanted straps for the dress. Or there’s a layer of fabric that doesn’t tickle your fancy. Guess what? A good wedding seamstress can change it. If you have an idea on how to alter, more than likely they can do it. All options are open when it comes to the dress.

In the end, after 6 design drawings, 3 Los Angeles trips, lots of tears, and fighting for a vision, my dress became the perfect gown. No one has it. No design matches it. And it was exactly what I wanted.

My favorite part about the dress how the tiers of lace flow. When the bustle was put in, the back was still flowing beautifully. I love that there are cap sleeves. I love that there’s a criss-cross braided back to keep it modern. Everything was perfect. Even my veil had a pieces of the lace from the dress.

Girls, get the veil. It puts the entire dress together!

I agree that the dress is important but…What matters the most is how you feel when wearing your gown. If you’re concerned/stressing about one part of your dress, it’ll show. People can see through your smile. It’ll be visible in pictures too. Make sure the dress makes you feel like you’re invincible. That’s how you know it’s the right one.

Mrs’ do you have any other advice? What was your dress shopping experience like?

For you Bay Area soon-to-be Mrs’, check out Novella Bridal. They have affordable dresses, and I found my miracle seamstress there.

Happy shopping!
Jay
—–
Fun fact: MG and I exchanged gifts prior to our ceremony at the first look. I made him a scrapbook of our history, including tickets to movies, plays, and shows, poems we made up for each other, and various other trinkets. He gave me a board of all my dress designs, including the one I chose and a final picture of me in the dress. Looking back at my dress story, it’s a good story to tell isn’t it? I just hope no one has to experience it, ever…

All wedding day photos by Orange Turtle Photography

Wedding Invite Process

June 25, 2014 by Jamie Lam

Welcome to the first of many posts, in my new wedding series! I aspire to give you key takeaways with every post so that you have some next steps if you’re planning a wedding.

Let’s start with the dreaded wedding invitation process… blegh. It’s a necessary ~~evil~~ step. It’s also the very first step of your wedding planning.

First thing’s first. Write out all the guests that you plan on inviting; family, friends, communities, colleagues. MG and I had a guest list of 250. His dad is one of 10 siblings, and his mom is one of 4. Both my parents have 6 siblings each. Yup, large families!

Once you’ve figured all that out, the 80/20 rule will apply here. An estimated 80% of your invited guests will attend, 20% will not. This will help you give you idea of how many guests will be present and will help you with planning for budget and venue. For us, that meant we would have 200 guest, which narrowed down many venues. Most venues have a max capacity.

Don’t overlook the importance of your save-the-dates and wedding invites! Remember that this is the first item for your guests to receive. Get them excited for the wedding!

We sent save-the-dates via email. Many of our family members are out of the country so we wanted to send them out to give them ample time to book airlines tickets. If possible, send your save-the-date 5-6 months prior to the wedding date.

I designed our save-the-dates with my color scheme (blush and grey tones).

Once that was sent, it was time to get the invites ready!

MG and I have a fun story. We met while I was doing a National Pageant in 2007. When we first started dating, we did long-distance for 3.5 years (who says that doesn’t work?!?). After college, I moved to San Francisco to start my career in advertising. Then we dated for another 1.5 years before he popped the question! We wanted to let people know about our history, so I put together a storytelling scroll as our invite (you can view our story in detail on our website).

For family members, I also put together a day-of schedule because we also had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and family photos before the wedding. To get people excited for the wedding, I mailed the scrolls in tubes. We wanted something different than just a regular envelope. It wasn’t the most cost-effective way of sending invites, but this was a fun way to surprise our guests! If you didn’t notice, we also included a QR code for easy RSVPs. My husband is a techie, so it was the perfect way to show his personality.

We used twine throughout our wedding too!

Send your invites 2-3 months prior to the wedding (traditionally invites are sent 1.5-2 months prior to the wedding). Don’t forget that it takes extra time for those, who live overseas, to receive your invites! Plan for this. Give yourself enough time to follow up to those who haven’t responded and also to put together the seating arrangements. Get that done and out of the way!

To further go along with the scroll, I designed our website in a scrolling manner. To take a look you can click (www.jamieandmg.com).

Fortunately for me, my husband is a web developer. My dream wedding website took fruition. If you also want to have a beautiful website of your own, it’s not to late to learn c programming.

In order to make a website run smoothly, preventing lags and crashes, IT services such as dedicated server hosting can be utilized.

Believe it or not, MG also built an invitation process website while we were planning for our wedding. On this site, you can send mass emails to collect physical addresses, remind people to respond, and guests can RSVP and revise their RSVP (incase names are spelled incorrectly, change a meal plan, or add a guest’s name). This invitation site allows you to see a quick view of who’s attending, who’s not, and who hasn’t responded. Once you’ve received all your responses, you can even arrange your guests into tables with a widget within the website. There’s a product summary in the image below. In the end, this site was a lifesaver!

Are you interested in using it? We’re in Beta testing right now, so we can allow a few people to try it out. First come, first serve. We’ve had friends use it and have heard good things! Let me know if you want an account!

Ultimately, your save-the-date and invites should bring excitement and show your personality. Make sure it also gives your invitees a taste of what’s to come, some sneak peaks of what will be part of the big day!

—–

Here are a few things that I’ve found helpful for those working on invitations.

Check out this iPad app, called Makr. It can help you generate some creative invites
Look at Laura Hooper Calligraphy. I’ve been obsessed with her work
Etsy has some awesome designs too. Affordable and personalized

Married people, do you have any additional advice? Did most of these tips apply to you too? Let us know!

Get to preppin,
Jay

—–
Fun fact: The engagement ring on our invite and website is my actual engagement ring

Wedding time!

June 23, 2014 by Jamie Lam

Wedding season is upon us! June is a month that’s near and dear to me.

MG and I got married on June 30, 2012.

Our two year anniversary is almost here! To celebrate and to relive that glorious day, I am going to be on a 5 week blogging theme dedicated to weddings, showing you pictures of my wedding and tips to ensure a smooth planning process (or at least as smooth as can be). I was one of the early ones to get married. I wish I had some wisdom and advice from friends during my engagement on how to plan; it would have been so helpful. So I want to do just that – share some advice. I really hope that you find these posts interesting and that it helps you get creative when planning. If you have questions along the way, ask!

Here’s a few snippets of what’s to come:

Tips for the invite process
How I shopped for my dress (I designed it)
How we picked our venue
Scheduling
DIY decor
Reception table decor
Getting your wedding rings from a top jeweller in Brisbane
Photography expectations
A traditional Chinese tea ceremony
First look
Ceremony and reception
Plus, lots of tricks of the trade to have a cost-efficient but gorgeous wedding

Before we begin, know that MG and I wanted to keep our wedding costs to a minimum, while also having the wedding of my dreams. We had about 210 in attendance at our wedding because we both have large families and also both go to church. We found ways to cut costs by purchasing items online and DIY-ed many decoration pieces. Emily steward photography offers affordable wedding photography that leaves you in awe with how beautiful they capture each moment.

Before you begin the planning process, chew on this:

1. How many guests and what’s your budget? That’s the very first thing to think about!
2. If you like it, purchase it. You’ll rack your brain with wedding things because there’s so much out there!
3. Enjoy the process. Remember that in the end, you’re marrying someone you love. Wedding day is one day but you’re marrying the person for a lifetime.

Stay tuned! And if you’re not planning a wedding yet, start your wedding pin board. It’s never too early! Or at least, come check out the pictures.

Happy Monday!
Jay
—–
All photography by Orange Turtle Photography

Spain & Ireland

June 18, 2014 by Jamie Lam

Today’s post is a big one! I’m combining my trip to Barcelona and Dublin into one big post!

To be totally honest, I had high hopes for Barcelona. Everyone has told me that it’s a great place. I was also looking forward to relaxing on the beach (spent weeks upon weeks looking for a cute swimsuit for this leg of the trip but no avail). Barca wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t my favorite place. Plus, Barcelona happened after a wonderland called Venice. It’s your typical city with shopping, markets, and a beach. The rain probably didn’t help Barcelona’s cause. I had a good vacation here, and I ate some delicious foods, but it simply wasn’t my favorite vacation spot.

My favorite thing here would, hands down, be La Boqueria. This market has lots and lots of delicious treats! For a person who considers food as her passion (tehehe fatty at heart), this place is something like heaven! Fruit, candies, and juice galore! Mmmmm nom nom noms… Now be prepared for a color overload!

This market is one of the main attractions of Barcelona. That doesn’t say much about a city… just saying. Dang, I’m a hater!

I must say though, shopping was great here! I bought a new jacket from Massimo Dutti (see my new jacket in my Dublin pics) and check out my new sunnies! No tax means let’s spend some $$$. Great shops near Plaça de Catalunya!

We also went to Park Güell to see beautiful views of the city. Many buildings are designed by an architect by the name of Gaudí. He used a lot of mosaic tiling, ceramics, and stained glass. Buildings with these details can be found all over the city.

The clouds look so ominous

You’re probably here reading to find out what restaurants we ate at, am I right to assume? I will say that I had some of the best food in Barcelona. I’m a huge seafood person so this city was on point when it came to food!

If you’re ever there, do yourself a favor and check out La Bombeta for tapas. When there’s a line of locals waiting to dine here, you know your stomach will be happy. Even the sangria is delicious! Can Majó is a noteworthy mention too. It has one Michelin star, which is well deserved for price and quality. Very fresh seafood and one of my favorite things I ate on this trip, a noodle paella. Seriously check these places out!

The next day we went to take pictures at Sagrada Família, a Roman Catholic church also designed by Gaudí. Construction of this church began in 1882 and will be completed in 2026. We didn’t buy tour tickets, and I’m starting to regret that… But that just means I’ll have to return.

We had a bit of sun peak through the clouds so we were able to spend a few hours on the beach! Not sunny enough to tan but warm enough to enjoy the view (of naked people!!!)

For our last meal in Barcelona, we bought food at La Boqueria. Mussles and sea snails in a wine broth, pan-fried fish fillets, and razor clams. I’ve never had razor clams before… Why! I’ve been missing out. These things are so sweet.

Then we headed over to watch the Magic Fountain. The fountain has a music/light show at night.

We spent a good amount of time trying to do this ^^^

We had some time before getting on a plane to Dublin so we walked to Parc de la Ciutadella to hang out.

It’s near the zoo, hence this behemoth

^^^ Arc de Triomf in Barcelona

—–

Then we made our way over to Dublin, Ireland. Most people are surprised to find out that I have relatives here!

My sweet Aunt Kathy bought us some musical tickets for our first day. We watched “Singing in the Rain,” and it was amazing! Katie and I love musicals, and this was one of our top favorite shows.

^ Family selfie after the show

The next day we headed out to see Trim Castle. To be honest, I don’t know much of European history… but there are a few things I remember. Trim is a large Norman castle, it is three stories high, and it’s uniquely shaped like a cross. Coolest thing? All of Braveheart was filmed here. The movie used different angles of the castle. I haven’t seen Braveheart so it’s just kinda cool to me. Perhaps watching the film makes it a better fact. Heheh

The boys… I kinda love this shot!

Oh you know… just pondering about life in his castle…

Are you even allowed to climb these rocks?

^^^ Richie, Jay, and Fay Kay

It’s so beautiful

Another really awesome place we toured, the Guinness Storehouse! You learn how this dark beer is brewed, how to master pouring yourself a pint, and there’s a 360° viewing room to enjoy your beer.

^^^ Beer staches!

She actually finished her pint!

We also met my cousin Richard’s girlfriend at a cute teppanyaki restaurant called Chai Yo. This place blows Benihana out of the water… It’s an interactive restaurant. They call on you to perform tricks! Our waiter even memorized all our names. I tried to catch an egg on my spatula; caught it but it cracked. MG was to catch an egg in his hat and he did it! So impressed by my man. The guy at the table next to us didn’t catch his egg, and it cracked on his back. Yikes. Not impressed but hilarious! Really random dinner but so much fun.

Okay, okay. I’m done! I thought that Barcelona and Dublin could be in one post because there wasn’t much that went on. Going through pictures and this post, I was wrong. There was a lot that happened!

Have you travelled to these cities? How was your experience in Barcelona? How did you like Dublin? Are you interested in these cities? If so, why?

Paris and London to come soon…
Jay

Venezia

June 16, 2014 by Jamie Lam

Let me first start off by saying that these pictures do not do Venice justice. This city is overly beautiful and jaw droppingly amazing.

One thing I remember most about this trip is when we got off the train and left the building. As we walked out, I stopped and literally gasped at the beautiful scenery. There’s no place like Venice. I’m not an avid traveller, but I’ve been to some pretty neat places. Venice, by far, is one that takes my breath away. Venice consists of 118 small islands connected by bridges and canals. It’s a city that relies on water transportation; no trucks and no cars. That alone is impressive.

We got into our apartment late in the evening. We found dinner and saw the Rialto Bridge at night. Ended the night early to wake up for a full day of sight-seeing.

For our first full day, we took some pictures at Piazza San Marco. This is where the famous Church of St. Mark and the clock tower can be found. Nearby also houses the Palazzo Ducale, also known as Doge’s Palace, where the supreme authority of Venice resided.

We wandered over Ponte dell’Accademia to the Basilica de Santa Maria della Salute to sit on the steps and just gaze. This was our rest stop.

^^^ Family selfie again!

I love this candid shot of the gang!

We look like a painting, right?

After a new change of clothes, we went on a gondola ride! While planning for this trip, people told us to skip the gondola because it’s expensive. But I totally think it’s worth it to ride a gondola. When you tell people that you went to Venice, you already know the first question that will be asked, “Did you ride a gondola?” Fortunately for me, my answer is yes! For 60 euro, the boat ride is about 30 minutes for up to 6 people. Since we had the maximum amount of riders, it was definitely worth it for us!

Venice is an expensive place to eat. To save money, we decided to cook at home. Sadly, the fish market is closed on Mondays. We then went to to the local grocery store to pick something up. Whole chickens were on sale, so we picked up two for under 10 euros and took them home to make rotisserie chicken (my recipe here). Ohhh yeahhh! For our first course, I made a creamy ravioli with bacon (refrigerated pasta is even amazing!). Then we had roasted chicken, cauliflower, and risotto for our main course. All this to feed 6 for under 30 euros. We did good!

The next morning we were leaving for Barcelona in the afternoon, which meant we had a bit of time in the morning. We visited Venice’s famous fish market. So much to look at! If only we had another night to make a seafood meal. Guess that will have to wait for my next visit!

Tip: Trip guides mention that a vaporetto boat (water bus) is the best and cheapest way to get around. I think walking is the most ideal way to really see the city and alley ways. It’s really easy to get lost because there are few main sidewalks so bring a map! Google maps actually failed us here because buildings are so tall and old so reception is limited. We went old school way!

Just a funny pic. MG and I slept on the pull out couch in the living room. Since there wasn’t a door, we made one out of pillows. Hey, it worked!

I really enjoyed Venice and would recommend this city as a must-visit in your travel bucket list. Have you been to Venice before and what was your favorite part about the city? Were you as amazed as me? If you haven’t been before, would you go and why?

Happy Monday! Stay tuned for Barcelona and Dublin in one post!
Jay
—–
Just a reminder, if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll get some extra pics that are not on the blog.

Jay's Cup

the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair…

Tag Archives: life