Saturday, May 16, 2009

Today while I was indulging in the late 18th century/early 19th century British society of Highbury with Emma Woodhouse at Kerckhoff Patio, 2 girls from a Christian group approached me and just sat down and started talking to me. I hate being one of those people who are immediately repulsed by religious zeal and reject them with contempt, because I know how much courage it takes to do what they do. They truly place faith in "spreading the gospel" or whatever the correct term is, so I usually try to behave civilly, and be open-minded and less annoyed. I talked with them for a bit, and answered them truthfully when they asked me questions. But maybe I should have just been a bitch, because they ended up reading me the entire pamphlet.

The first page showed that without god, people don't live fulfilled, abundant lives. And they asked me, "Why do you think many people don't live full, abundant lives?" And I said, "I feel like most people do live full and abundant lives (in the context of people within the same social and economic realm as me, of course)." "Oh... that's good!" Then they showed a page with two diagrams, one about a "self-centered life" and one of a "god centered life". And they asked me which diagram best represents my current life. Being the virtuous, honest lady I am, I obviously said self-centered life. Then they asked, "What kind of life would you like to live in the future?" and I said, "Probably a self-centered one," not because it's true, but because out of the 2 options, that's the most probable one. "Oh, That's ok!" I think it's odd that "self-centered" and "god-centered" are the only two options available. It was a catechism game I was ruining. But she doesn't want me to lie, right? Anyway, she mostly ended up telling me about her story of religious discovery while I just listened. Maybe I'm supposed to follow in her footsteps? It was nice talking to her (even tho it was mostly her talking), but I felt bad for wasting their time, because I told her I've already heard it before, with 3 Christian roommates and numerous Christian friends. Maybe she thought this time it would be different.

I wonder why people will only talk to strangers with an intent of making them think in the same way. Why can't we just converse to learn about each other for the sake of appreciating people for their diverse beliefs, and then accept one another for who we are? Why can't we comprehend that other people may have given as much thought about these profound issues as we have? The one phrase she used that bothered me was "One, true path". Why is there only ONE religion? Is there only ONE correct race to be? ONE concept of beauty? ONE idea of happiness? ONE Yogurtland flavor we have to pick? so why would there be ONE answer to all questions in life for the billions of people? Am I just naive? Or do we all really want everyone to be the same and think the same way? For some reason, it just felt like religious intolerance on a slightly more passive level. I feel like they won't ever understand the real reason why it's so hard to convert people, if they don't stop feeling sorry for and pitying everyone for their "empty, unfulfilled" lives. OMG I'm becoming a ranter. or canter. oh no, STOP ME!!!

Anyway, next time I should turn the bitch switch on cuz it saves everyone time and energy... Not that it's easy, cuz I'm a really nice person :)

Thursday, May 7, 2009

further down the road to epicurianism

I suppose this might eventually turn into some type of food blog along the way, but how can food not be incorporated into a person's life? Especially in the melting pot we live in, with world cuisine at our fingertips!

http://www.lamag.com/uploadedImages/LA_Mag/issue/2009/05/cover_0509_lg.jpg

Before I can leave LA to take on the world, I cannot definitively call myself an Angeleno without having conquered at least half of these local gastronomic wonders. In the two years that I've had a car at UCLA, these are sadly the only cheap eats I've been to so far:

Blue Ocean Seafood
Din Tai Fung
Grub
Philippe The Original
Pho 79
Pink's
Golden Deli
Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles
Tasty Garden
Original Tommy's
Zankou Chicken

So that's like... 90 more to try?!? But the list will grow. Small steps, steph, small steps! Oh what a painful, torturous, and ambitious journey I've decided to take on :D

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

worldly appetite

Just one of the many things I must do in my lifetime: hit up each and every one of these Babies... Come with me!


S. Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants 2009

--Personal Edits

0.8 Les Halles, New York, US (Anthony Bourdain's old restaurant)

0.9 Bouchon , Las Vegas, US (Thomas Keller's Napa spin-off)

1. El Bulli, Roses, Spain (Best in Europe)

2. The Fat Duck, Bray-on-Thames, UK

3. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark (Chef's Choice, Best in Scandinavia)

4. Mugaritz, San Sebastián, Spain

5. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain

6. per se, New York, US (Best in North America)

7. Bras, Laguiole, France

8. Arzak, San Sebastián, Spain

9. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France

10. Alinea, Chicago, US

11. L'Astrance, Paris, France

12. The French Laundry, California, US

13. Osteria Francescana, Italy

14. St John, London, UK

15. Le Bernardin, New York, US

16. Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland

17. Tetsuya's, Sydney, Australia (Best in Australasia)

18. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Paris, France

19. Jean-Georges, New York, US

20. Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan

21. Chez Dominique, Helsinki, Finland

22. Cracco Peck, Italy

23. Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany

24. D.O.M., Brazil (Best in South America)

25. Vendome, Germany

26. Hof van Cleve, Belgium

27. Masa, US

28. Gambero Rosso, San Vincenzo, Italy

29. Oud Sluis, Sluis, Netherlands

30. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria

31. Momofuku Ssam Bar, US

32. Oaxen Skärgårdskrog, Sweden

33. Martin Berasategui, Spain

34. Nobu, UK

35. Mirazur, France

36. Hakkasan, UK

37. Le Quartier Francais, South Africa

38. La Colombe, South Africa

39. Asador Etxebarri, Spain

40. Le Chateaubriand, France

41. Daniel, US

42. Combal Zero, Italy

43. Restaurant Le Louis XV, Monaco

44. Tantris, Germany

45. Iggy's, Singapore

46. Quay, Australia

47. Les Ambassadeurs, Paris, France

48. Dal Pescatore, Canneto sull'Oglio (Mantova), Italy

49. Le Calandre, Padua, Italy

50. Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden