Morsels: Himalayan Kitchen

New post up on le food blog! Check it out!

Himalayan Kitchen

Rock the Vote 2012

Proud to have voted in my first Presidential election. 

We The Urban

Insomnia

A playlist for those sleepless nights

Listen here

Life Imitating Art: College Edition

Just another typical YOLO Friday for us. 

I love these guys. 

Sunnies

I've been in the market for a new pair of sunglasses for a while.  In Hawaii, there really aren't many options for prescription sunglasses, which I find ridiculous because people here practically live in them.  Places like LensCrafters wanted up to $500 for Rx sunglasses and as a broke college student, there is NO WAY I can fork over $500.  After some online research I came across this online optical and sunglass company called Warby Parker.  I was really impressed with their company and how affordable and fashionable their product is as well as the philanthropy behind the brand.  I'm quite picky with things like this because I can't stand the flashy styles that have been dominating the market.
Read: simple and classic.

  When you purchase a pair of glasses, whether they be optical or sun, they donate a pair of optical glasses to someone in need.  How awesome, right? So my $150 for Rx sunglasses not only bought a dope pair of sunnies for myself but also someone else in the world who needed a pair.  The company also does this cool try-on program where you can pick out five frames to try on.  They mail them to you and you have five days to test them out for free and find your favorite.  However, they don't offer this service yet to folks living in Hawaii.  I hope they do soon though because I'm in the market for new Rx glasses! *hint hint* 

I chose the frame style Thatcher in the color they call greystone.  (The picture directly below has it's color altered by the light on my desk.  The color is true to the last two photos.  I just wanted to show the inside of the case.)  I'm in love.  As much as I'm a all-black all the time kind of girl, my friends will definitely vouch for me, sometimes even I can admit that it can come off as too harsh.  The greystone option looked less harsh yet had the vibe I wanted out of a black frame.  They came in this super sturdy hard case complete with a lens cleaner inside.  Tomorrow I'll take them out for a spin and report back! 

Check out Warby Parker here

I should have been Greek

One of my favorite times of the year finally happened, Honolulu Greek Festival! I can't even remember how long I've been going, it's been that long.  Usually we try to go to both days but as I've gotten older, I treat my mama to the second day.  I had to work one of the two days this year so my mom and I went on opening day, my treat.  This year was just as great, not to mention delicious.  Over the years we've learned that on the first day you get there super early in order to make it into the pastry line first.  Those suckers sell out by the first couple of hours.  This year we stoked up on pastries up to my eyeballs.  Baklava, chocolate baklava, kataifi, koulourakai, and sooo much more.  It was a good call because by 3:30 (festival opens at noon) half of it was sold out.   

After we pretty much single-handedly bought out the pastries we headed to the greek kitchen section to feast.  I got the spanakopita plate which included greek salad, feta cheese and bread, olives, rice pilaf, dolmathes, and a piece of baklava.  I also got an extra piece of spanakopita because it's my favorite and just so damn good.  My mom shared the plate with me but got her own piece of spanakopita and a piece of moussaka, her favorite.  We found seats near the main stage where we got a great seat in the shade under the trees and watched the live greek band, Apollo, perform.  We lucked out that some of the festival volunteers from the Greek Church danced to traditional songs.  

About an hour later we decided to muster up the energy to get up (and not explode) and walk around.  I always love visiting the booth that a local jewelry store, Artlines, sets up.  I usually find a bracelet or ring that I like but this year I found a sick bell bell chime that I couldn't pass up.  It was so hot that day so to cool off we shared a bowl of lemon sorbet.  Before we called it a day, I picked up a gyro for dinner and a greek sausage and pita bread for my mom.  Overall, another great festival and a very satisfied Kiyana.     

Back to School Again

If only going back were this fun. 

You're Invited

All I want is to throw a swank-ass dinner party in my own apartment with good friends, delicious food, and lots of booze.  

Lust

As I get more and more into scuba diving I'm constantly thinking about investing in a camera.  There are just some things about diving that I can't put into words and want to share with people.  Being able to film and capture those moments give me the ability to do so.  My friend Sarah just got a GoPro camera that she's in love with and let me tell you, I'm seriously jealous.  The GoPro HD Hero2: Surf Edition sounds perfect for me.  It can go down to 60 meters or 197 feet deep which is perfect for all sorts of dives.  After I sacrifice some of my paychecks towards school and books this will definitely be my next purchase.

All photos courtesy of GoPro

Mac Attack

I did it. I finally, finally caved and converted to mac.  I joked around with my sister, who got her mac a few months ago, that we've finally conformed.  Conformity is expensive!  But the tesimony from the countless mac users helped make the decision to switch that much easier.  I guess I get to cross off one of the 25 things to do before I turn 25 tasks.

Impromptu

25 things to do before you turn 25

1. Make peace with your parents. Whether you finally recognize that they actually have your best interests in mind or you forgive them for being flawed human beings, you can’t happily enter adulthood with that familial brand of resentment.

2. Kiss someone you think is out of your league; kiss models and med students and entrepreneurs with part-time lives in Dubai and don’t worry about if they’re going to call you afterward.

3. Minimize your passivity.

4. Work a service job to gain some understanding of how tipping works, how to keep your cool around assholes, how a few kind words can change someone’s day.

5. Recognize freedom as a 5:30 a.m. trip to the diner with a bunch of strangers you’ve just met.

6. Try not to beat yourself up over having obtained a ‘useless’ Bachelor’s Degree. Debt is hell, and things didn’t pan out quite like you expected, but you did get to go to college, and having a degree isn’t the worst thing in the world to have. We will figure this mess out, I think, probably; the point is you’re not worth less just because there hasn’t been an immediate pay off for going to school. Be patient, work with what you have, and remember that a lot of us are in this together.

7. If you’re employed in any capacity, open a savings account. You never know when you might be unemployed or in desperate need of getting away for a few days. Even $10 a week is $520 more a year than you would’ve had otherwise.

8. Make a habit of going outside, enjoying the light, relearning your friends, forgetting the internet.

9. Go on a 4-day, brunch-fueled bender.

10. Start a relationship with your crush by telling them that you want them. Directly. Like, look them in the face and say it to them. Say, I want you. I want to be with you.

11. Learn to say ‘no’ — to yourself. Don’t keep wearing high heels if you hate them; don’t keep smoking if you’re disgusted by the way you smell the morning after; stop wasting entire days on your couch if you’re going to complain about missing the sun.

12. Take time to revisit the places that made you who you are: the apartment you grew up in, your middle school, your hometown. These places may or may not be here forever; you definitely won’t be.

13. Find a hobby that makes being alone feel lovely and empowering and like something to look forward to.

14. Think you know yourself until you meet someone better than you.

15. Forget who you are, what your priorities are, and how a person should be.

16. Identify your fears and instead of letting them dictate your every move, find and talk to people who have overcome them. Don’t settle for experiencing .000002% of what the world has to offer because you’re afraid of getting on a plane.

17. Make a habit of cleaning up and letting go. Just because it fit at one point doesn’t mean you need to keep it forever — whether ‘it’ is your favorite pair of pants or your ex.

18. Stop hating yourself.

19. Go out and watch that movie, read that book, listen to that band you already lied about watching, reading, listening to.

20. Take advantage of health insurance while you have it.

21. Make a habit of telling people how you feel, whether it means writing a gushing fan-girl email to someone whose work you love or telling your boss why you deserve a raise.

22. Date someone who says, “I love you” first.

23. Leave the country under the premise of “finding yourself.” This will be unsuccessful. Places do not change people. Instead, do a lot of solo drinking, read a lot of books, have sex in dirty hostels, and come home when you start to miss it.

24. Suck it up and buy a Macbook Pro.

25. Quit that job that’s making you miserable, end the relationship that makes you act like a lunatic, lose the friend whose sole purpose in life is making you feel like you’re perpetually on the verge of vomiting. You’re young, you’re resilient, there are other jobs and relationships and friends if you’re patient and open.

I was scrolling through my dash on my tumblr and came across this post through my friend Lindsey.  I think everyone should take this list with them and work to accomplish each thing.  Whoever compiled this is a genius. 

Summer Fun No. 1

This beach day at Waimea was quite a while ago as Julie is now back in Boston, but it was such a good day that I thought what the hell and decided to share.  The weather was a bit overcast but good enough to relax in!  Definitely looking forward to a sunnier day so that the underwater shots come out better!

Liebster Award

I was graciously tagged by Amy of Scenique Route! The Liebster Blog Award is for bloggers with no more than 200  followers.  I've never really done this sort of thing so I thought I'd give it a go!

The Rules:

• You must write 11 things about yourself
• Answer the questions the person who tagged you has set and add 11 questions for the people you tag
• Choose 11 people and tag them in your post
• Go to their page and tag them
• No tag backs

11 things about me

1. I am the eldest of three children, my sister being the middle and my brother, the youngest.
2. I am Japanese and Okinawan yet I have a Hawaiian middle name.  Actually, I'm the only one in my family who has a Hawaiian name.  Long story short, my mother's adoptive family, or hanai family, is Hawaiian. 
3. I'm going to be a junior in college this upcoming fall semester where I am studying English.
4. I love to eat.  If you want to try out a new place, call me up!  I love exploring what's out there. 
5. I get sentimentally attached to things and find it hard to part with them.  Possible hoarder tenancies?  Nah, I eventually give in to the clutter and purge. 
6. Music is a big part of who I am.  I connect better with people and ideas when I can relate it to music.  People have told me that I'm a walking ipod; I sing to whatever song is playing.    
7. I can get lost in books.  I have quite the vivid imagination and tend to "see" the book as I read.  This makes it difficult when there are film adaptations because I get very annoyed when it doesn't turn out how I envisioned in my head.
8. I'm addicted to scuba diving.  If you haven't done it, what the hell are you waiting for?
9. My favorite movie of all time is Grease.  
10. I would like to move to the East Coast, preferably New York.  
11. I may like to shop a little too much. 

Questions from Scenique Route

1. What is your number one goal in life?

• I would like to have the opportunity to travel the world.  I'd love to become a fashion/travel writer and document my finds and ideas as I globe-trot.  

     2.  What do you gravitate towards more, shoes or makeup?

• As much as I love shoes, I'd definitely say makeup.  I am obsessed with makeup.  It's a little strange as well because I don't wear much, yet I have and know about so many products.  I enjoy doing other peoples' makeup more than my own.  

     3.  Are you more of an outdoors or indoors person?

• Ooh, this depends.  If we're talking full on nature outdoors, I'm definitely an indoors gal.  I hate getting dirty so things like hiking are out of the question.  The only exception is the beach and being in the water.  But I love being on boats and at parks on a nice day.  

     4.  What is your favorite restaurant?  

• I have far too many.  But one of my favorites is Himalayan Kitchen.  The food is amazing and I love the atmosphere.  I'm all about the right kind of atmosphere of places and this place definitely has it.  Laid back, eclectic, yet simple and effortless.

     5.  What is a talent you'd like to possess? 

• I'd love to be able to sew.  My life would be so much easier if I could make exactly what I wanted, when I wanted it.  I would save so much money and be able to tailor items to fit my body rather than the general public's.  

     6.  If you could have one material item besides money, what would it be?

• I'd love my own rent-controlled loft or brownstone apartment in NYC (does that count?).  I thrive on independence and Hawaii is way too slow for my liking.

     7.  What is one place you'd like to travel to?

• Italy.  I've wanted to go there since I was in the fourth grade.  It's the perfect blend of the old culture and new.  Not to mention it has amazing museums, art, architecture, fashion, music, and culture.           

     8.  What is the last thing you purchased?

• Food/Drink: Mocha Cookie Crumble frap at Starbucks
• Clothing/Shoes: Black suede ankle boots from Target that totally look like the Dolce Vita Jamison boots
• Makeup: New shade of Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation
• Random: EOS hand lotion 

     9.  Shoes of bags?

• BAGS, hands down.  It's a problem...

     10.  Who is your favorite musical artist?

• Noooooooo. This question is impossible!  Too many too possibly just choose one.  Always on rotation are: Citizen Cope, Michael Buble, Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, old musical movie soundtracks, and...so many others. Hahaha this question is hard!

     11.  If you could meet one person in the world, who would it be?

• I'd really like to meet J.K. Rowling because I think the woman is genius.  I am such a fan of Harry Potter and I cannot believe how detailed and extensive of a world she created in the series.  I'd love to have a chance to pick her brain. 

My questions

1. If you could live in a foreign country, where would it be?
2. What is your favorite type of food?
3. Is there anything that you hold onto (physical object) from your childhood?
4. If you had $5000 to spend, would you spend it on a plane ticket, a handbag, or a killer pair of shoes?
5. If you could see one musical artist, living or not, who would it be?
6. What is a book you can read over and over again?
7. How did you become close to your best friend? (I'm curious because I can't remember for the life of me!  It just seems like we've always just been best friends.)
8. What is your dream job?
9. What do you splurge on?
10. If it was impossible for you to fail, what is one thing you would love to do?
11. What is one thing you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime?

Tag! You're it! 
I'm drawing a blank...I'll tag more blogs as I remember them.

http://theroamingrussian.blogspot.com/
http://freshnectar.blogspot.com/
http://trendcastmtl.com/

http://kaimanadivers.blogspot.com/ (Kaimana Divers has like, a billion fans because they're so damn awesome, but do check out their blog!)
I wish I could tag Amy back but that would be against the rules haha. But do check her out!
http://sceniqueroute.blogspot.com/

1, 2 Step

Current shoe rotation...minus the slippers. It is Hawaii after all. 

Summer Project: closet organization and purge

Yes, we are adults