Fall Quarter: An introduction

Guilty. As I raise my arms in culpability, I bow my head in full reconciliation of the neglect I have so unforgivingly bestowed upon you, blogspot. I've managed to allow the fall quarter of my last year in college to slip through my anxious fingers without a pause for sentiment, a moment of solemn reflection, or a whisper into the vast void of my cyber consciousness. It's only now, after the fact, and after four consecutive days of my ass pasted onto the living room couch, eating from the Belgium chocolate cookie tin bought from Costco -- mindlessly watching Top Chef episodes and wallowing at my own self-induced boredom, that I realize. . . I should probably consolidate everything that's happened in the last 3 months before it withers away into the oblivion of undocumented memory (as 3/4ths of it already has.)

The year started off, surprisingly even to myself, pretty blasé. There were no desperate attempts to make this year especially memorable, no fanfare, no gut-wrenching nostalgia, no ostentatious displays of school spirit . . . just that plain old familiar feeling of gnawing fear. That ever annoying, ever reoccurring, ever haunting question:

"So, wtf are you going to do when you grow up? When you graduate? When you become an actual functioning human being?"

And here is my ever pathetic, ever constant, ever humble answer.
"I really don't know."

I mean, come on. This question really doesn't go away.
It doesn't go away when you're given the role of "younger sister" at birth,
it doesn't go away when you're given the role of classroom monitor in the third grade,
it doesn't go away when you choose your major in college,
and it certainly doesn't go away once you're flung into the dark and scary real world --
where everyone is not your age and the UCLA fight song is not ubiquitously known.

What if I just wanted to own a plot of land, or maybe some caves, and I make my own cheese? Also, in these caves, I would throw cheese parties where I would play songs like "Can't Stop, Addicted to the Shindig." Which, by the way, no offense, was a horrible song.

Anyway, I digress. Autumn in Los Angeles came abruptly. The "cold" weather, the daylight savings, and the commencement of the holiday season.

This also means, my famous pumpkin pie made from scratch! :)

The photo that jump-started Yannan's new career.

Seared (overcooked) ahi tuna steak with roasted tomatoes, grilled onions, and sliced cucumbers

Homemade ratatouille with ingredients from the Santa Monica farmer's market!

A late night at the painting studio

With a little company :D
(p.s. those are not my pieces)

d'aweeeee