Chinese Association Newsletter

New York is the ideal place for escape. There's too many things going on around you all at once, but what I’d like to point out are the people, the food, and the places to go – I mean that’s what every college student likes right? To see good people, to enjoy bomb food, and to travel to cool places to Instagram.

New York is known to have a more fast-paced way of living. So what exactly is a ‘slow-paced’ way of living then? When you’re in New York, you’re bound to find people that are constantly walking at high speeds trying to get from place to place. People are always in a rush and don’t have time to dilly-dally or admire the sights around them, let alone take a casual walk outside on the streets. The people there can either be extremely nice, or very rude. It's at an extreme really. People can be pushy and some are very criminal like. With stealing purses/wallets/bags. Basically it’s mostly a place that’s better to visit than to live in.

The food is great here – and not to mention sometimes very convenient. Food trucks everywhere, one street after another. The trucks look pretty run-down and there’s nothing special or appealing about each one, yet the food smells great. This isn’t something you’d normally find in California. Sit-down foods are worth mentioning as well: from the amazing Philly cheese steaks to the Gordon Ramsay restaurants. Pricing on these foods is kind of steep, but it’s definitely worth the quality. 

New York is basically nothing but tall gray buildings all around you, but in the turn of a corner you’re suddenly in little Italy or Chinatown. I almost want to say that the heart of NYC is basically like the Las Vegas strip, where there’s constant people, flashing building and billboard lights, and shops galore.

Outside of the NYC there are also noteworthy places to visit and activities to do as well! You can go to the prestigious 9/11 memorial, you can go watch a Broadway show, or you could spend an afternoon on Long Island!

This article features my experience in desert camping. Although this experience was entirely unintentional, it harbored some great memories with some unlikely people. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and of course hot but at the same time humbling and beautiful. Our escape trip gone wrong was an attempt to bond with board two summers ago, away from the city, tech-obsessed environment that we're accustomed to.  

The area was a little further than Six Flags and was about 45 minutes away from LA. Little did I know that we would be spending a day and a half in a desert. Confused and a little horrified, the campsite sat near the main road, was completely flat, and had no trees for shade and even worse, the showers or adequate running water.  We were hot, stinky and sweaty but after awhile we started having fun with water fights, throwing the football, setting up a tent and talking around the campfire  for the first and enjoying each other’s misery.

Finally night time fell and the temperature got a lot cooler.  Also, the stars were as clear as crystals. It was an experience that is deprived from city life. Being surrounded by the dark and peace quiet was also liberating as it stripped the worry of everyday life. That night was just for us.  Since we were put not that environment we were forced to bond in a way that was different from being in the city.

Remember those goodbyes after middle school promotion where everyone cried because they thought they’ll never see each other again?  ITS A TRAP! I SAW THEM AGAIN!!!!! But anywho a great way to get away from it all is a vacation.  Now a days when we think of summer we think of summer school or maybe an internship or a job never a vacation, an escape from it all. If you ever decide to go to Europe for a vacation here is a list of things you can go do.

London Eye (aka Millennium Wheel)

The London Eye is the giant Ferris wheel in the picture.  Its on the South Bank of the River Thames in London and its 443 ft tall!!

2.  Germany’s Romantic Road

The Romantic Road passes through gorgeous countryside and dozens of quaint medieval towns and villages. The highlight of the trip for many is the Neuschwanstein Castle.

3.  Tour the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia

Mother Nature. Enough said.  Also very beautiful during the winter time.

4.  Gondola Ride in Venice, Italy

Its a river surrounding a busy city.  Theres no traffic and you get to see the city without doing exercise!!  You can see the Bridge of Sighs, St. Marks Square and other many magnificent landmarks.

5. Duck into the Blue Grotto in Naples, Italy

Yes you can only go in during low tides but check out the beautiful caves illuminated by bacteria that glow.

Real life being a dastard? Need to escape?  Look no farther than your cozy rest nest.  No, I’m not talking about sleeping on your problems.  I’m talking about taking trips to alternate dimensions and backslapping life in the face.  FOR NARNIA!!

Naw man, this is better than Narnia.  I’m talking about lucid dreaming.  It means realizing you’re dreaming WHILE you’re dreaming.  You know who has this ability?  Dal Po from Pinocchio.  And yours truly.

This Inception skill does take some practice and experience to level up, though anyone can learn it.  But it’s not as if you run no risk of running into new problems.  Heck, you may encounter gigantic zombie football players that can (and does) Rollout after you.  But hey, these problems are way better than real life ones you know?  Because when you’re lucid, you basically gain access to Super Saiyan hack mode.

When you’re in hack mode, you can unlock all sorts of abilities: flight, elemental control, invisibility, teleportation, extremespeed, underwater breathing, materialization, etc.  You name it, you can do it.  Now, the source of your power comes from FAITH, and the extent your IMAGINATION.  That’s right.  You heard me.  Another way to word it is mental fortitude or confidence.  The stronger your faith, the stronger your manifest powers.  So believe in yourself and venture forth.

When lucid dreaming, you can see whoever you want to.  You can do whatever you wish.  You can go wherever you please.  Got the urge to take a rocket to the outer reaches of space?  Go for it.  See undersea civilizations?  Leap across volcanoes or cracked tundra?  Navigate a tank up a flying fortress?  All super fun.  Plus, this is all free of charge and your body gets to rest while your mind goes off to Lala Land.  It’s win-win.

So next time, don’t be so quick to skip out on sleep.  Take a breather.  Escape.

P.S.  If you love life already, of course you can revisit scenes of your memories.  Or if you love work and feel like you don’t have enough time, simulation in dreams also translate into real life improvements and solutions. Just sayin.

I love everything about Irvine. I love how safe the city is and how close it is to such awesome places like Los Angeles and Disneyland and how hot the weather is and the food here. I came to UCI because I thought it was somewhere I wanted to live, possibly even after I graduated. Socal has exceeded my expectations and I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to spend my college years here.

However, not a day goes by where I wish I wasn’t back home. It’s funny how I’m always homesick to a place that is like Irvine, just not as good. Fremont is cold, ranked the second safest town in the US compared to Irvine as number one, far from any beach and is sparse in terms of dining experiences, or any activity really. I do not call my parents frequently, and I attend school with my own brother. If it’s not family that makes me want to get away from Irvine, then I don’t know what is.

1. Candy Canes

This sweet, multipurpose treat is not only eaten but also used as Xmas decoration but did you know that its creation was used to keep children quiet? According to German folklore, the j-shaped candy was invented by a German choirmaster in order to keep his noisy kids quiet during choir rehearsal, so he asked the candy maker to make the straight peppermint into Sheppard shape. Over time, the candy has been adopted as a Christmas symbol with its use as tree decorations dating in the late 18th century.

2. Fruit Cake

Fruit cake sometimes gets a bad rep for being notoriously as hard as brick and as brittle as sandpaper. However this dessert served a higher purpose in Ancient Egypt as it was placed onto coffins of the dead so they will have something to eat during their journey to the afterworld. Today it can be eaten all over the world with different various from icing and even alcohol. I still don’t know why it became a Christmas tradition though; maybe it is because it is colorful?

3. Missile Toe

Breakfast Restaurant

Four Sea Restaurant 15435 | Jeffrey Rd Irvine, CA 92618 | Working hour: 6:30am-3:30pm

At Four Sea restaurant. They sell more than just authentic Chinese breakfast, they sell a tradition and an opportunity to taste the foods of previous generations. Their break menu is similar to those that are found historically in China and Taiwan. They have traditional Chinese breakfast dishes such as Soy Milk, Baked Bun, Pastries, Rice Rolls, and Buns, Dumplings, Noodle. What their company provides to customers is recreating each of these dishes while remaining true to the taste and process.

Brunch Restaurants

Sam Woo Restaurant Seafood & BBQ Express | 15333 Culver Drive. Ste 720 Irvine.CA 92604 | Working hour: 11am-10pm

Though this is a cash-only operation, the menu lists a staggering 223 dishes. That number includes barbecued meats, soup, hot-pots, noodle dishes, rich plates, congees (rice porridges) and specialty dishes-in short, Cantonese standards ideal for the no-nonsense style of eating popular all over East Asia. The Natural starting place is barbecue. Sam Woo barbecue platter usually contains about four different meats, depending on what is in abundance on a given day. At brunch, try the rice plates, such as minced beef and egg, shrimp with satay sauce or the simple, elegant roast duck on rice. A few of these dishes are rather banal, though. Sam Woo is a pioneer, probably the harbinger of more good things to come in central Orange County. Sam Woo B.B.Q. is inexpensive to moderate. Barbeque is $4.25 to $11.95. Soups are $4.50. Hot pots are $5.95 to $ 7.50. Chinese dishes and rice plates are $4.25 to $8.95.

Yus Garden | 5408 Walnut Ave Ste H, Irvine, CA 92604-2529 | Working hour 9:30am-11:00pm

 IlluminOcean @ OC Dana Point Harbor

Couldn’t book plane tickets to New York or Chicago this year but you still want to see some amazing holiday light shows? Well don’t worry!!! The IlluminOcean at Dana Point is Southern California’s version of a holiday light show that is based on the Rockefeller Center in New York of Millennium Park in Chicago. The theme of the holiday lights is the deep wonders of the blue sea and there is a dazzling spectacle of sights, sounds, and motion that will show the amazing ocean view like never before. The IlluminOcean is open for 40 days, from November 26, 2014–January 4, 2015 from 5-10 PM on Sundays-Thursday and 5-11PM on Friday-Saturday. This is for sure something you do NOT want to miss! It’s going to be beautiful. Make sure you bring a nice camera so you can capture the beautiful lights!

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Downtown Disney @ Disneyland 

Want to experience the Disney magic during the holidays but you don’t have a Disney pass? Well you can just go to Downtown Disney and it will be JUST AS GREAT!! The holiday decorations and festivities aren’t just in Disneyland and California Adventures! Downtown Disney is still chock full of the holiday spirit! Walk along the road and you will see plenty of shops to buy souvenirs from and plenty of restaurants to eat delicious food from. Food will always be a major part of the holiday for me so satisfy your tummy by eating a yummy sandwich from Earl’s Sandwich and then get some Beignets for dessert at the Jazz Kitchen Express!

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LA Zoo Lights @ LA Zoo

Is Dana Point too far for you but you still want to see some holiday lights this season? Well you can go to the LA Zoo Lights at the LA Zoo! This is a new holiday light experience that combines the spectacular sets and lighting design with the environment of the LA Zoo. Take a stroll through the Zoo that has been transformed into a fantastic winter wonderland populated by glowing light animals. There will also be holiday treats and goodies and you can enjoy them under the stars at night. This is a great holiday experience for the whole family. But make sure to buy tickets fast because they are selling out! This event is happening from November 28, 2014 – January 4, 2015. Please note that they are closed December 24 and 25. There are early tickets (Nov 28-Dec 11) for $8/person. Regular prices start Dec 12-Jan 4 and there is group rates $11/person or individual $13/person. Also, parking is FREE!! What a deal ;)

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Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade @ Santa Monica

This is an outdoor shopping area with a large variety of stores available. Stop by here to experience the nice holiday atmosphere as well as complete your holiday shopping at the same time! The Promenade is a whole street dedicated for shoppers to walk around and no cars will be around there. This would be a nice place to go to relax with friends and do some shopping or window shopping, whichever one you prefer. There is also an outdoor ice rink here as well so you can knock out two birds with one stone!! Who doesn’t love that right?

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Outdoor Ice Skating @ Pershing Square, Downtown LA

There’s no better feeling than being reunited with the ones you love. No matter what, I can count on my family to be there for me whether it is a shoulder to cry on or someone to sing songs. Whenever I reunite with one of my sisters, we always choose a song to harmonize to. Even though I am not the best at harmonizing she manages to stay patient to help me through it so that by the end of the Christmas break, our finished product is decent enough to present to our friends.

Christmas really brings my family together. From northern California to southern California, we manage to meet in the middle in Bakersfield, California to get the chance to see the ones we love and to enjoy such delicious food. After many, many years Christmas has become so routine that my family knows who is cooking what. My uncle cooks the turkey while my mother makes most of the Asian fusion we add into Christmas while my sisters and I cook the sides – mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. We then proceed to come together at my house and enjoy the extravagant feast that will leave us stuffed for days.

Every year, Christmas is one of the few times I can see all my family together. It really gives me a nostalgic feeling seeing everyone together, making me feel like I live back with my parents and not all alone in Irvine. Being able to come together with my whole family makes me feel like I was 8 years old once again.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Micol

1.

Now, I don’t know if it is true,

This tale that I retell for you

About a plant of crimson hue

That blooms for Christmas cheer;

But legends sometimes bear inside

A bud of truth that won’t subside,  

But, nurtured, quite declines to hide

And grows to touch each ear. 

So I will share the tale once told

By wise ones sharing lore of old            

About a child born in the cold

And swaddled in a manger.

2. 

It happened, once upon a time

(But not far back, as in most rhyme)

In a warm and sunny clime

A child walked, a stranger.

At midnight (so the story tells)

In silence softened by sweet knells

From seven solemn steeple bells,

He neared a chapel’s entry;

His bowed head bare, his feet unshod,

He knelt before the plain façade 

Of a humble house of God,

As if he were a sentry;

And wondered, as he lisped a prayer

To the waiting, moveless air,

If he dared to enter there

In rags, and with no present

To lay before the Christ-Child’s feet,

At an altar, with blooms replete,

Still fragrant in white candles’ heat,

Their loveliness not spent.

No, he mourned, I cannot go

Into His presence to Whom I owe

My life and more, and in the glow

Of candlelight feel shame.

With bitter heart, he turned to leave;

He wiped a tear with one worn sleeve,

And took his way, alone, to grieve          

Disgraced, far from the flames

That burned like Love within the hall.

But then he glanced along a wall,

And saw a flower, pale and small,

Atop a weedy stem.

With patient ease he plucked one shoot    

Close to the ground, near its root,

Then stood a moment, pensive, mute,

Arms cradling his gem.

He turned, returned, entered among

The worshippers whose hymns had sung

Him welcome, and whose bells had rung

Redemption to the night.

None bid him leave, none shrugged away

His raggedness, but as one they

Parted as he made his way

Toward their hearts’ delight;

They watched him walk with solemn grace

To the flowered altar’s base

And, bowing, bend his knee to place

His gift at Jesus’ feet.

They watched him weep a single tear

That fell upon the weedy spear;

They held their breath, as if in fear

Of what his gift should meet.

And breathed again as—wondrous show—

The single weed began to glow,

And from its base began to grow

A dozen dozen fronds.

They lengthened through some power unseen

In silence blessèd and serene,

And burgeoned in bright red and green,

Like living, weaving wands:

Broad leaves as green as springtime’s floods;

Stiff-velvet bracts like living blood;

And tiny blossoms, golden buds;

A Christmas Miracle.

The one-time weed, transcendent now,

Unfurled into a brilliant bough 

As worshippers bent solemn brow 

And sang sweet canticles.

3.

In after years, a man of fame,

Ambassador Poinsett by name,

Would bring the flower wide acclaim

By spreading it abroad;

And in good time, in jubilees

And holidays’ expansive sprees,

It found its place beneath bright trees,

To share their Christmas laud

Of Him who once, in cold and dark,

Descended here, a living spark,

Began His mission, to embark

As Jesus, Son of God.

That’s all. There is no more to tell

Beyond this simple, sacred spell.

I give you love, where’er you dwell,      

Hey there CA! Getting ready for the holidays? Staying home for Christmas?

Well, let me tell you that the NBA has an amazing schedule of games lined up for you to watch on Christmas Day. What better way to celebrate Christmas after opening up your presents than with amazing basketball games. Several games that I'm excited about is the Cavaliers vs the Heat. This game is bound to get good as Lebron will have to face his old squad with his new "Big 3". Next, I keeping an eye out for the Spurs vs. the Thunder matchup because this game will be about the old against the young, a battle of experience vs talent. Later on the day, we have the LA Clippers take on the Golden State Warriors, a brawl of SoCal vs. NorCal. This game looks like its going to be a good one since there have been tension between the two teams! Lastly, the game I’m definitely going to be watching will be the purple and gold Los Angeles Lakers against the Chicago Bulls. This is going to be interesting as Kobe and Gasol are going to be playing against each other. WIth such exciting matching ups on the way, just sit back and sip on that hot coco as you watch some of the best teams and players go head to head for victory!

Kimi Ga Ita Basho