memories don't go away

i remember everyday.

yaay work food

i bought this the other day. it was really good! strawberry and blueberry parfait. my coworker says the greek yogurt one is much better, but we're always sold out of it. i suppose that's a good thing, though.




my step mom gave me a new sutorappu (cell phone strap) and it's not a manapua-- it's an anpan!!!




filled with azuki beans. so delicious! see the difference?

sorry that i look so wretched in these photos. i've been only able to get on the computer when i'm eating breakfast and... yeah.

brownies and rusk

my mom used to bring these home all the time. i got them as a birthday gift from my step-mom/dad's friend sachiko. i love this rusk. it's really light and not too crunchy and perfectly sweet. i wish it came with larger portions, though.



last night i ate dinner at my dad's house. i've been promising him desserts for a while. he thinks of me as a really great baker (i think i kind of am, too). so i made a trip to the grocer and made these from scratch.



mac nut brownies
(recipe from hilaire walden's "the great big cookie book")

ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
6 oz white chocolate
6 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate
6 oz milk chocolate
1 and 1/2 cup unsalted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9in. springform pan (a regular circular 9in cake or pie pan will do). Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, and white chocolate until it's smooth. Cool, then mix in eggs, vanilla extract, and the sifted mixture into the pot. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into baking pan, making sure the mixture is level.

Bake this for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle the milk chocolate on top and bake for another minute. Take it out of the oven and with the back of a spoon, spread the milk chocolate evenly. Sprinkle macadamia nuts and then press it into the chocolate. Let it cool. With a knife, run around the edges of the pan to loosen.

anyway. the brownies are AMAZING. shocked at how good of a job i did. :)

camera post

i figured i should do one of these posts eventually. here's a post on the cameras i own.



clockwise starting at the top left: canon snappy lxii, diana+, colorsplash, (center) lomo LC-A, oktomat, canon ae-1 program, pop tart camera.



polaroid one 600 and my limited edition poloroid (kodomo no omocha)

drunken post

it's a rare occasion for me to truly see the stars. tonight was such a night. very little clouds, the moon shining with such brilliance. i am much in love with nature and with hawaii at this present moment. as much as i'd like to escape what i've long considered a prison, i doubt i will truly be able to. i love this place and tonight made that very clear.

tonight

it's a superchunk/pizza/xavier renegade angel kind of night. fuck yeah.



decided to take a break from my seclusion and make an appearance tonight at anna's. hopeful that it will be a smashing fun time.

it hurts, guys.

so first i want to start this post with pictures that will guaranteed gross you out. yesterday i worked a really long shift (6am-130pm) and i was dead tired afterwards. i rode my bike home begrudgingly and when i got home i had less than an hour to nap. i figured that it wouldn't be worth it, because i'd wake up more tired. i decided, then, that i should go jogging to boost my energy. this is what happened.




i. fucking. tripped. and. ate. shit. UGH. sorry for the bandaid photo but when i took it off this morning i was thoroughly grossed out with myself. i hate the sight of blood especially when it's my own. but now i have this crater thing in my knee. no skirts or shorts for a while. in addition to that knee, i have a scrape on the other side, scrapes on my right elbow and on both of my hands, and a bruise because i hit a rock on my right thigh. I AM IN PAIN. :((((

anyway onto the less gross stuff! my last day at satura photos:

miho and i. she's leaving, too!

actual last day. andy bought me a lei. i had to wear it all day.

blurry, but this is a picture of the soda josie bought me as a good bye gift in addition to the waste cupcake that cody gifted me. thanks, guys!



miho and kyoka made me a goodbye cake. amazing!! i miss you guys already.

then to go back in time, here are photos from my birthday dinner at CPK with my mom. my brother didn't show up. but that's okay, i guess. i was so tired this day.

asparagus and arugula salad! and the hummus and pita bread thing!

see, i told you this is my mom's signature pose.

clam linguine

me and my sam adams, margherita pizza, and diet coke! the pizza was mediocre.

it's so weird how into greek food my mom has been lately. it started when she wanted to eat lunch with me one afternoon and we couldn't decide where to eat. "how about greek?" i asked. she made the nastiest face ever, "yadda. daikirai." really? i asked. turns out she was basing her disgust on that movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and how the food didn't look super delicious. "niku bakkari janai ka?" no, mom, it's not completely meat filled cuisine. after a bit more talking i convinced her to try eating at the greek corner with me over on university and king. she was amazed! she kept saying that their food seemed so healthy, not bad oily, vegetable filled. she also loves feta cheese.



here's a photo of her at the greek cafe. i went there with her a few weeks ago and it was pretty amazing considering the price, but definitely not the best greek food on island.

i'm really bad at ending posts with the whole tying this whole blog together thing. i feel like all my posts are just some stream of consciousness bullshit that never gets anywhere and no point is ever made. but meh, i think it's a good idea to record my thoughts regardless of how scattered they are, right?

"sometimes, arisa, you're just crazy."

so i've gotten at least five shades darker in the last two days thanks to biking. i can also tell my bum is less jiggle! this is amazing. who knew exercise could do this? i sure as hell didn't!

my appetite has grown substantially. it might have to do with the fact that i have been overworking my body. seriously. looking back on it, no, going out and drinking after working doubles was a bad idea. no wonder i looked/felt so terrible. my skin is finally starting to recover and i am so happy!

starbucks food is actually not that bad. i had a roasted tomato and mozzarella panini for breakfast today and it was ah-ma-zing! a bit oily, though, but nothing a napkin and a bit of dabbing can't cure. i'm actually a little sad because i won't be closing at all this weekend. i open throughout and am unsure if i'll be able to haul my ass to work at the ungodly hour of 345AM. wish me luck.

this song is kind of my favorite stephen malkmus song of all time.



anyway, my coworkers have become substantially nicer. mostly due to the fact that i haven't worked with the one i mentioned previously. the downside is that none of them really know how to train people. it's kind of a constant "wait, you don't know how to make that?" i'm sorry... i didn't get any formal step-by-step on drink making. been kind of winging it since day one (literally).

this week looks like it should be fun. and i'm getting my film from this past weekend developed (finally). hip hip!

komeda + opening at starbucks + foooood!

i haven't listened to komeda in so long (probably because i've been filling my ears with too much noise) but i kind of really like them. i don't really care the implications of that statement, or how you'll judge me, blah.



on wednesday i opened at starbucks for the first time. it was kind of exciting! i get the feeling this whole "she's the newbie" thing is an excuse to be curt, somewhat rude with me. but it's only temporary. once i get to know everyone i'm sure they'll be close, warm, and friendly. just gotta keep at it.

on the way there was a bit of trouble. i rode my bike. i was riding down royal hawaiian ave, towards the shopping center and i rode onto the side walk and dismounted. "HEY. YOU!" came from behind me and i turned around. a cop was running towards me, some 200 ft away, waiving frantically. "YOU'RE BREAKING THE LAW." she shouted as she slowed towards me. "i'm sorry? what's the problem?" "you're riding on a sidewalk." "um, no, i got off my bike when i got on the sidewalk." "yes, exactly." "then what's the problem?" this woman went on to explain to me that had there been a pedestrian trying to cross the street, i would have hit him with my bicycle and caused him serious injury, possibly killing him. "could you live with that?" she asked. "well, obviously i can't. but there was no one there." i replied. she glared. "don't get smart with me. you're supposed to dismount on the street before getting onto the sidewalk." okay officer, i get it, i totally understand. "if i see you around here again i'll cite you." "what?" "you heard me. i'll cite you." "for what?" "chances are you'll be doing something illegal and i'll get you for it. you can bet your life on it."

when i got home later that morning and told my mom this story she said to me, "women cops are the worst. they're so hysterical and crazy." hahaha. she's probably right. but i've met some nice women cops before. this one was just nuts. gah.

these last few days have been such a blur which saddens me because today is my last day at satura. i doubt i'll have time to get nostalgic because i have to hustle over to starbucks and work the closing shift. last night after i got off there, mom and i got kotteri ramen at tenkaippin. my mouth still reeks of garlic as a result.

the other day i ate at that plate lunch place next to rainbow mart in palolo. i haven't been to the newly renovated one so i thought i'd give it a try. it was pretty good.



chicken cutlet with gravy. portion was amazingly perfect. saw a guy eating hamburger steak so i might have to give that one a try next time. pretty reasonable prices. got my drink at the convenience store, too.

anyway. not much else to say. boobs.

just a funny

look at my ipod's top plays.

pretty killer, eh?

p.s. i just downloaded the goo goo dolls discography! don't hate.

pizza rant

MAN. so i really really love papa john's pizza. i don't really know what it is about the garden fresh pizza (maybe the deliciously sweet tomatoes, or maybe it's the crunchy bell peppers?) but i am hooked. absolutely. and guess what? i really really love papa john's because they allow online ordering. AND they post all their specials up there. gasp! the internet has officially made me fat.

i guess i'm excited because i do not like ordering over the phone. i always get way too caught up with the specials that the employee kind of barfs out at the beginning of the phone call. this leaves me feeling overwhelmed with options that i haven't had time to consider, and me being indecisive makes it all the harder. i can't even tell you how many times i've hung up on pizza places which in the end made me opt to not even get pizza because i was afraid if i called back they'd recognize my voice.

anyway, the internet has oversimplified this dilemma and has eliminated what was really preventing me from ordering delivery. now i don't know what i'm doing but i'm eating pizza three times a day several times a week. yes, this is horribly unhealthy (hence garden fresh, i figured the veggies make up for something) but god. i can't help it.

which is what brings me to this point. they're onto me, papa john's that is. i got this in the mail today, just after i had ordered pizza.

oh man. THEY KNOW THAT I'M HOOKED! i know for sure now. i only have till august 28th to take advantage of this deal (which is an amazing deal). even if i can't eat more than two slices in one sitting, i can always freeze whatever the second pizza is and eat it over time.

what is wrong with me?!

this weekend was amazing

so i want to take this moment to apologize. yes, my posts lately have been so not food related and have been shifting to a more my-daily-life blog. but it's okay. i feel like i haven't really been eating anything worth blogging about and i feel the need to post about what i have been up to.

lately i've been a bit of a recluse. mostly because starcraft 2 has totally taken over my life. but it's okay. i made up for it all by going out this weekend and it was nothing short of awesome.

(thanks tracy chan) look! there's me in chaplain lain checking out angel's goods for the first friday shop bop and grind! it was crazy hot that day. i bought a cardigan off of angel and a really cool trucker hat from shaz. i have been looking forward to hole in the wall's brisket slider. it's a mini burger with this tender, slow cooked rib meat that is slathered in barbecue sauce and put on the softest bun ever. i was giddy with excitement. the woman serving me laughed. joe bought some pork lumpia and that was also super delicious! i fucking love hole in the wall. yeah, there are roaches and yeah it's sometimes a bit sketchy but i can live with that. absolutely.

this is me and the aforementioned hat with max in intense mode, like ash ketchum in pokemon.

the whole night was so scattered. after mercury i bought a bottle of jameson at longs and drank with joe and his (future) roommate, lane. until juvana and her coworker showed up. then we headed down to the madness that is first friday. i've never actually been inside smiths union bar until now. and to be honest, it's not as bad as it seems.

i kind of really love these people. no, really, i do.

then there's saturday. genki sushi with joe, juvana, avery, and brittnie. i love those people, too, but i didn't take a photo!? what was i thinking! oh well.

shopping list + persian excursion. i think the drummer from shopping list is easily my favorite drummer in honolulu right now. persian sounded was the usual, always bringing a smile to my face. to everyone: i had the absolute best best BEST night with you guys and i am so so SO happy to have you guys as friends.

this is kind of an update. i bought a bike, as you can see in the background. i rode it around today and it was so much fun! i feel like i'm going to have amazing legs so soon. also, i bought franken's "lies and the lying liars that tell them." it's probably my favorite book by him, also in my top ten favorite titles.

i'm really not looking forward to the doubles i'm working this week, or the fact that i'm closing both on saturday AND sunday, but it's okay. it's a job. and i'm really happy and grateful to have one.

with friends like these

so it was (as i've mentioned) my birthday this past weekend. dana and diane, two of the kitchen staff, made me a (belated) birthday cake!

it ended up being creme fraiche cheesecake! my favorite cake from the store! i can only hope that at my new job i'll meet people as great/fun/thoughtful as them.

me doing my mom's signature "thumbs up? or not?" pose with my new work apron on. i kind of missed wearing full length aprons so this is a nice change. my first day on monday was fantastic! i shadowed/did a booklet thing/watched a guy make 107 frappuccinos in roughly two hour period single-handedly. sure, i may have washed a few blenders to assist, but it was really all him.

i'm kind of looking forward to actually starting to work there, which won't be for a while. i'm still "training." heh.

this isn't really a blog

as much as it just a little note for myself.

i just played starcraft for four hours straight without really realizing it. i took my dinner in front of my computer. like i did with my lunch. and my early morning breakfast. i don't feel like i'm intentionally isolating myself, as i sent numerous text messages to friends (albeit, starcraft related) but never received responses.

here is a list of bright sides to me playing games this much
-spending less money
-drinking less!
-spending more time with my cat/family

bad sides
-lack of actual human contact
-prolonged numbness in my butt has become almost the norm
-i do go for hours without eating meals, which is probably unhealthy
-pale
-lack of sleep
-beginning to neglect basic hygiene. mostly due to the fact that my room is just unnaturally hot and being in here so much is forcing me to take multiple showers a day, which i do not have the time for.

i'm also beginning to sort of incorporate starcraft into my daily life. the other day i was at the supermarket with my dad and there were a bunch of cops outside around this car. turns out, according to the cashier, that some guy was found dead. i immediately got scared but not because the guy was dead. i, for a split second, thought that he was infected with a zerg virus and would zombie march and infect everything around us.

no joke.

i need a life.

weekend fun

so friday ended up being a lot of fun. i didn't go to the bon dance as i had originally planned, but i did go out and drink way too much. thanks to everyone that i did see. in all honesty, i was sort of picturing my night as me drinking by myself at various bars. i didn't anticipate to see as many familiar faces as i did, nor the not-so-familiar, but i'm glad i did and thanks for all the well wishes. a special thank you to joe, who is always there to take care of me. i've got your back this year, buddy.

saturday morning i had the worst hang over of my life. okay, not greek festival '09 bad, but still pretty horrible. i spent most of my day eating rice and curry and playing starcraft as i attempted to recover.

if you haven't already played this game (at all, or the new version) it's pretty amazing. i'm hooked! the new battle.net system is pretty amazing, too. friends list! yay! send me your bnet ID, guys!

my dad had me over for dinner a little later in the evening and we had roast pork/mochiko pork/ steamed veggies. my step mom, atsuyo, introduced me to her love. avocado and wasabi shoyu. it's kind of amazingly good but there's something about knowing it's really bad for you. i imagine a wasabi shoyu dressing on an avocado arugula salad would be amazing. i'll try it out and let you know. my dad also baked me a really huge cake. three layers!

i do not know how i will finish this all. so. much. sugar. gah! but thanks, dad, if you're reading this! it's actually really good. two layers of funfetti cake and the middle is lemon with a cream cheese icing between and regular frosting on the outside. nummy!

then last night i went to this show for a friend's brother. it was his birthday. all kinds of madness came out of that night, and while i still can't stomach the reality of certain things the boys are absolutely right. i will absolutely look back on last night and think "wow, that was some awesome/crazy shit." i am going to keep this vague for a reason because a) what did happen was pretty obscene and b) i don't want to get anyone in trouble. man-oh-man, though, i'll never forget... not even if i tried.

i've never had a jack in the box double cheese burger in my life. generally speaking, i really have a dislike for fast food burgers except when i'm poor, but even then i'd rather eat a cup noodle. last night i realized that i really do not like these types of burgers and while everyone gave me a little shit for ordering it, i can honestly say that i regret it immensely. the way it sort of floated in my stomach atop all that beer was the most unsettling feeling. never again. but i always say that and i always find myself back in line at mcdonalds. convenience is a hard thing to pass up.

anyway, to sum this post up, i had an amazing, exciting, crazy, change-filled weekend. totally looking forward to august and the rest of this year!