Lend a hand. If you can.

I came across Maya's Hope on Craigslist while I was searching for volunteer opportunities last year. They were looking for people who could write case files for children so that potential sponsors could learn more about their story, their struggles and how they can help.

 

One great takeaway from my previous job in the bank is that you are never too busy to help. A little contribution goes a long way in helping others. And you feel good, knowing that you've put your skills to good use.

 

I have been writing case files whenever I can. In between doing housework, traveling and hosting visitors. I love writing and am happy to take part in a meaningful cause. My work's probably minute compared to other volunteers but it's still something.

 

If you'd like to help, you can contact Maya's Hope on their website or check out how to get involved as a volunteer. Maya's currently looking for people who can post ads,  recruit volunteers, write, raise funds, use Instagram and contact companies for donations.

 

Better yet, if you are financially comfortable, you can help give hope and save a child's life.

 

As with all volunteer work, commitment is the key criteria. That and a lot of love and enthusiasm for the cause you believe in. In this case, it's helping children in need.

 

  

*Note: A New York based non-profit organisation that helps children living in extreme poverty, Maya's Hope provides more than just physical and financial support in terms of food, education and other daily necessities. The goal is to give love and hope to the young ones, so that they can grow up to be emotionally strong people who can contribute back to their community. 

A birthday surprise to Santa Cruz

I planned a little birthday surprise for the hubs on Memorial Day weekend! My limited and sad budget does not allow me to book a room at Post Ranch Inn but I held on to the theme of Sun, Sea and Cosiness. Did my research diligently while the hubs was away, and my final choice was Sea and Sand Inn at Santa Cruz!

Thank God for the superb weather because seriously, who wants to go to the seaside when it's cloudy? There was a slight jam on CA-17 as we headed towards Santa Cruz but Panda was snoring all the way in the car so by the time he woke up for his surprise, we've already arrived at Zachary's - our downtown lunch stop serving American brunch.

After filling our stomachs, we checked in at the charming little inn and headed towards the beach to experience the California summer (they said MD is the unofficial start of summer.) It reminded me of Santa Monica in LA - the crowd, the music, and all the hot bods! I especially love the Boardwalk. It's a great carnival with rides and games and food. We even won a prize at one of the stalls!

Back at the inn, the view from our cottage suite patio was amazing. What's more, we had a 4-pax outdoor hot tub that allowed us to enjoy the view from the privacy of our room. We were there in the tub, drinking Starbucks coffee and waiting for the sun to set...

I've thought long and hard before splurging, given that I'm not working right now. But it's truly money well-spent, and I couldn't ask for better company.

Happy birthday, my dear!

Down at the beach at Santa Cruz

At the entrance of the Boardwalk

This flying ride was rather popular with kids and teens!

I love these colourful mushroom like cable cars

Loads of screaming here!

Our prize, nicknamed "three dollar" because that was how much it cost us!

Should we get our feet wet, or not?

View of the beach from our room

The outdoor hot tub

My best companion

Les lettres des enfants de Toguiron

As part of the French Club activities I signed myself up to do French-English translation for primary schools. Kids from African countries write to their pen pals in America, and we have to translate these letters to English.

A real challenge is their cursive handwriting and spelling mistakes. I got to look up the dictionary and search online for words and phrases which I don't understand. Some are plainly illegible or just don't make sense. Makes me wanna ask the teacher, you sure you are teaching them good writing skills? :(

But I had fun nonetheless, learning more about the African culture especially their daily staples - rice, fonio, cassava, mangoes... The children's letters are quite cute, mostly talking about their family, their favorite animals and food.

Still, I'm glad that I took part. Even more glad, for the chance to keep the language alive in me.

Some drawings are pretty cute too!

Beautiful May. Visits to Vancouver and Yosemite!

May is a good month not only because the flowers are in full bloom, but Sis and OSH finally got off their busy work/baby schedule to visit us. I'm über happy!

Despite their short one-week visit, we managed to squeeze in two short trips - one to Vancouver to visit our distant relatives, and the other to Yosemite, a national park which I've always wanted to go. We were panting like mad with back-to-back flights/drives but it was all worth it. The scenery, the company... All made the trips extremely enjoyable. On the last day we even made an impromptu drive to Sterling Vineyard some two hours away, just to enjoy that last sip of wine under California skies.

Of course, food is a major feature in this trip since Sis and OSH could hardly eat a proper meal back home with baby Jovan around. Even after the sumptuous dinners in Vancouver, courtesy of our aunts and uncles, we didn't rest our stomachs but went straight for everything - down from cheesecakes to crabs. We even went back for seconds at The Boiling Crab and Nini's Coffee Shop which serves very tasty home-cooked American breakfast. I am so stuffed that I am undergoing a 3-day detox after they left.

Here are just some snapshots of our trip. The best are in my memory!

Vancouver's Fisherman's Wharf is smaller and cosier compared to SF

At Mount Elizabeth Park with our aunt

Check out the famous gas clock at gas town

Viva the gigantic Olympics fire

Had king crab at my uncle's restaurant. It was very, very yummy.

At Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge under crisp Canadian weather

We just had to try Tim Hortons, the local 'Starbucks'!

At Deep Cove, a tranquil little area by the bay

#whatcrazysistersdo

Took the ferry to Lonsdale Quay Market on our last day in Vancouver

Back in US. After driving for 4hrs, we finally caught a glimpse of the Upper Yosemite Fall behind us.

We checked in at Tenaya Lodge. We had dinner at a nearby pizza place and the portions are BIG!

After roaming around Curry Village & Mirror Lake in the morning, we headed to Glacier Point. The view was breath-taking.

At Napa. Squeezed a trip to Sterling Vineyard for the pair of wine lovers.

I say give that lady a bottle of SV reserve

The Boiling Crab sha-bang sauce was so good, we had to go back for seconds on their last night!

Nini's exudes old American charm with a comforting breakfast menu. They had to eat it once more before their noon departure.

DIY gelish nails

I haven't done any manicure or pedicure ever since I came to US. Something which I missed terribly. Main reason is cost - it's gonna be pricey especially if I opt for gelish nails which will last much longer than normal polish.

So Panda very sweetly got me the Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit. It's available in Target for around US$60. (The last I checked it's not available in Singapore yet!) It'd already be worth my money if I use it more than twice. The cheapest gelish manicure I've done back home is around US$32.

The set comes with this:
· 1 LED Lamp
· 1 Gel Base Coat
· 1 Gel Nail Color
· 1 Gel Top Coat
· 10 Nail Cleanser Pads
· Acetone Remover
· Cuticle Stick
· File & Buffer
· Instruction sheet

The steps are very easy to follow. For someone like me who is not used to painting my own nails though, it can be rather tricky! But I got the hang of it after a while and amazingly my right hand turned out to be nicer than the left, simply because I had much practice by then.

Here are more photos of the kit, and the results of my first attempt.

*Tip: Although instructions call for nails to be cured for 30s each time, I find it better to let them stay longer under the LED light. Average no. of times I've pressed the light for each coat = 5.

A picnic with fellow French lovers

I haven't been attending the French Club gatherings for a long time because of the Stanford course and the 3-week visit by SILs. So I'm quite glad to have joined them again for a picnic at the San Mateo Central Park today.

It's a surprising 23C weather today (read: hot!) Kia was waiting for us when we arrived and I noted that she has decorated the place with a nice big sign, a French flag, and a bunch of paper flowers. Nice.

For the potluck picnic, we had pasta salad, sandwiches, brownies, nachos, fried bee hoon (by me) and a home-made strawberry tart. The picnic was somewhat disrupted by a homeless man, who kept telling us about his Chinese wife and made loads of comments about the food we offered him. But it was overall enjoyable, and we had such a great time talking to the lovely folks.

After that, we were divided into pairs and introduced to the game of bocce. In order to win a point, either one of your team's balls must land closest to the smaller yellow ball. If both you and your partner's balls are closest to the yellow ball, you will win double point. The game is actually so much more difficult than it looks, because you need to roll your ball on all kinds of terrain!

In the end, Panda and my partnership worked - we emerged champions of the bocce game even though it was the first time we played. Les bleues sont les gagnants! Merci a tous!

Viva Vegas!

Et voila! Uploading the photos of our Vegas expedition as promised. It was fun, fun, fun! On the day we arrived, the Stripe was relatively quiet because it was a Tuesday. After eating the Todai buffet, we headed towards the Premium outlets in the South. Once again, we underestimated the amount of time we'd spent at the outlets. We only stopped when the shops were about to close and we packed soup from Whole Foods and burgers from Five Guys for dinner. The staff was really nice - he gave us some fries to munch on while we waited for our order.

The next day Julio from Grand Adventures picked us up early from our hotel, New York New York, for the Grand Canyon tour. I don't usually join tours but I've got to say it's one of the best tours I've ever been on. It wasn't just the places that Julio brought us to - Hoover Dam, Seligman, Grand Canyon (of course) - it was the way he introduced us to the area. I was fascinated by his stories, and he kept us looking out for rattlesnakes, eagles and California condors along the way. He also showed us the best spots to take photos - we owed some of the daredevil poses to him too!

The last two days at Vegas were spent at the Premium outlets as well, this time in the North. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We also had better time management, having highlighted the shops which we REALLY NEED to go the night before. I'm rather surprised that we managed to pack everything we've bought in our bags without buying extra luggage. It's surely a miracle, to say the least!

Viva Vegas... and long live our fantastic memories there!



Arriving at the airport

On the Strip

Free fries for us while we waited for our orders



Burger madness from Five Guys

Historic Seligman Sundries, Arizona

Jump shots at Grand Canyon

A magnificent view behind us



Freezing our butts off for that glorious sunset

The client and her dealer

We love shopping!

Do I get a discount here too?

My lovely peanut M&M



A brown M&M it is!

It's like a M&M rainbow!