All posts in: Travel

11 Apr 2021

Blog Roundup

  • In A Role Reversal, Asian Americans Aim to Protect Their Parents From Hate [NY Times]
  • Michelin-Starred Ju-Ni Opens An Outdoor Omakase Counter [SF Eater]
  • 13 Sports Films You’ll Love Even If You Don’t Like Sports [Life Hacker]
  • Where to Stream the 2021 Oscar Films [W Magazine]
  • “We Already Belong”: A Conversation with R.O. Kwon [NPR]
  • America Ruined My Name For Me [The New Yorker]
  • After Working at Google, I’ll Never Let Myself Love A Job Again [NY Times]
  • These Are the 5 Deadliest National Parks [Outside]
  • How Do People Even Find Drug Dealers? [VICE]
  • Why the First Thing You Drink In the Morning Absolutely Shouldn’t Be Coffee [Well + Good]
  • The 10 Most Crowded Cities in America – and the 10 Least Crowded [Mental Floss]
  • The 26 Coolest Airbnbs in California [Green Wedding Shoes]

29 Dec 2020

Favorites of 2020

Favorite Style Icon (s): BTS

Before I even started writing this post, I knew I was in for a challenge. I’ve never had an issue deciding who was the most iconic in fashion for that year because we could always go back and look at who we shared the most for “Snaps for a Snapshot.” In a year where we had fewer red carpet experiences, that made this choice harder. And yet, it was easier. BTS truly shined in their “Dynamite” era and we were served impeccable looks for every editorial, appearance, and performance. Each one continued to top the last. Over the years, the guy have come into their own on highlighting the style that they are most comfortable with. Even though they show up as an ensemble, you can tell that they make it their own.

Runner Up: Margot Robbie

We somehow managed to get one award show season before the pandemic hit and Margot Robbie continued to stun on every red carpet.

Favorite Getaway: Los Angeles

I only had two places to choose from for this category this year and honestly, I loved Los Angeles and Phuket for two very different reasons. I think what pushed me towards LA is that I had the chance to celebrate the bachelorette of one of my best friends in a city that I love. No matter how many times I visit, I’m always being introduced to something new. Celebrating moments were few and far between, but this one was so memorable.

Favorite Artist: Dua Lipa

In 2020, I listened to an unhealthy amount of Dua Lipa. “Future Nostalgia” is a superb album and with the year that we’ve had, it was just what we needed. Full of pop tracks and dance hits, it’s actually quite difficult to be upset at any part of this album. It was the soundtrack to my summer and an album I know I’ll listen to even further into 2021.

Runner Up: Griff

Griff is just starting to come into her own, but we’re so excited for what she’ll achieve in the next year.

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Selling Sunset

It’s not easy for me to add a new reality television series into the mix, but Selling Sunset had all the right components. The series was catty, smart, and somewhat educational? I learned so much about homes and real estate just from watching the show alone without all of the drama. The episodes are short so it feels easily digestible and it is great background noise in case you don’t want to pay attention too closely.

Runner Up: Emily in Paris

How could we forget the show that we thought we’d end up hating, but actually loved?

Favorite Item Purchased This Year: [Amazon Brand – Terry Cotton & Modal Oversized-Fit Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt] – $29.50

If you had told me that lounge wear would be my aesthetic this year (pre-pandemic) I would have thought you were lying. Contrary to what some may believe, lounge wear can be stylish as well. However, this year taught us that comfort is key. That denim jeans may be a thing of the past (for now at least) and that half zips are the ultimate basic piece to own. We’ve talked about this Amazon half zip so many times now across all of our platforms, but I could live in this for a week.

Runner Up: [BLANKNYC Good Vibes Faux Leather Moto Jacket] – $98

The girl who thought she could never pull off a leather jacket finally did!

Favorite Albums (in no particular order):

  • Justin Bieber – Changes
  • The Weeknd – After Hours
  • Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
  • Kiana Ledé – KIKI
  • Tom Misch – What Kinda Music
  • JoJo – good to know
  • Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
  • Kygo – Golden Hour
  • Teyana Taylor – The Album
  • Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
  • Henry Green – Half Light
  • BLACKPINK – THE ALBUM
  • TWICE – Eyes Wide Open
  • BTS – BE
  • KATIE – Our Time Is Blue
25 Dec 2020

Blog Roundup

  • The 40 Best K-pop Songs of 2020 [Paper Mag]
  • The Year Instagram Became Facebook [The Verge]
  • Some Cities Will Pay You $10,000 to Relocate [NPR]
  • The Missed “Magical Negro” Trope in “The Queen’s Gambit” [Bitch Media]
  • Steve Yuen on the Honesty of ‘Minari’ and His Eclectic Career [Variety]
  • Meet Pdogg, the Musical Dynamo Helping Shape BTS’s Greatest Hits [Fast Company]
  • Your State’s COVID-19 Epidemic, Explained in 4 Maps [Vox]
  • The 100 Best Songs of 2020 [Pitchfork]
  • The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020 [Teen Vogue]
  • 10 Remote Airbnbs As Stunning As They Are Secluded [Architectural Digest]
  • ‘The Bachelorette’ Stylist Shares How the Fashion Came Together for this Unprecedented Season [Fashionista]
  • The Journalist and the Pharma Bro [Elle]
  • Why Dave Chapelle Doesn’t Want You to Stream Chapelle’s Show [Vox]
  • Best House of 2020 [Arch Daily]
  • My Unusually Normal Life in Taiwan Amid the Global Pandemic [Bloomberg]
29 Nov 2020

Holiday Gift Guide 2020

[Ohom Kopi Mug and Warmer Set] – $75

When it comes to Christmas shopping, Kevin and I are no strangers to waiting until the last minute to shop for my parents. Instead of shipping things directly to our parents’ home (to avoid spoilers obviously) we wait until we’re back in Seattle to do all of our shopping. Most times, it can be what you expect it to be: hectic and chaotic. Other times, it gives us an excuse to leave the house and visit some of our favorite local spots while we’re out.

This year, we won’t be returning home for Christmas. Instead my parents will receive their presents unwrapped, but boxed from USPS. It’s not the holiday we hoped for, but we’ll make this sacrifice for the safety of those we love. In previous years, you’d be getting this holiday guide from me the week before Christmas. Since I had some time off this week from Thanksgiving, I decided to get a head start. You all may need it since you might also be doing some shipping of your own!

I didn’t intend for the theme to be so focused on home life, but after the year we’ve had and what 2021 may look like, this seems fitting. Moreover, festivals and celebrations are all about cheerfulness and colorfulness, one way of achieving it could be through decorating the home with some beautiful lights and lamps like the ones available at thelamplife. When the home looks bright, our mood brightens up instantly. This is the reason this time, I have focused on the gifts that can make your home a little more “home-y” and you more comfortable. In addition to getting this guide earlier than usual, you’re also getting MORE because nothing is sold out yet.

[Ortofon Orbit Special Walnut Turntable with Built-In Pre Amp] – $549

Read more “Holiday Gift Guide 2020”
27 Nov 2020

Yow Yow! Travels to Thailand

More than any other traveling post that I’ve delayed in the past, I’ve had the most trouble writing about this one. Our trip to Thailand coincided with the start of the pandemic that we are still in now. I’m talking like…I was at the gate about to board when I had heard about the first cases near my hometown. Part of the reason why I put off writing this post was because it never felt like a good time to share. Did it make sense to share a personal vacation when the coronavirus was still ravishing our entire country? Does it feel like we are flaunting a vacation during a year when some people will not even have one? Instead, I waited eight months to be able to be okay to write this.

In San Francisco

For weeks, leading up to the trip, I nearly backed out a handful of times. Friends and family gave their opinions on whether or not I should cancel and ultimately, I made this decision harder on myself. They say if you’re looking to make a decision, you should ask 1 or 2 people, but never 15 in my case. What’s humoring to me now is that the people that advised me to cancel have absolutely no problem at all taking their trips now as cases and deaths have increased. Oh yes, I haven’t forgotten. If the administration can’t set the tone for how to handle the pandemic, what is one supposed to do? And in that reality and one where new information comes out every day, how can you possibly know what is accurate and true?

People say that when you take a vacation, the first two days are a wash. You’re in work mode, but in the process of transitioning. For me, it was less about work, but the thoughts and opinions of others that got in the way. As appreciative as I was for the concern, it brought on an unexpected level of anxiety and uneasiness that I carried with me through the entire trip.

Admittedly, Angel and I did not do as much planning and research for this trip as we had with Taipei. Our last trip had every outing and meal planned whereas we let our moods drive us this time around. Our agenda included a visit to the Tree Tops Elephant Reserve which Angel gets the credit for planning. There are plenty of places like this in Thailand, but not all are ethical and provide a safe environment for elephants. It was the most outdoorsy part of our trip and gave us a chance to spend some much needed time out of the busy town. At the time of our visit, we had a very pleasant experience. However, I’d be lying to you if I said watching Tiger King afterwards didn’t make me nervous about the similarities I observed.

Read more “Yow Yow! Travels to Thailand”
18 Nov 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Millennials Grow Up, But American Girl is Forever [Fashionista]
  • The World’s 50 Best Bars of 2020 [Hypebeast]
  • How to Carve Out “Me Time” When Work Never Ends [Fast Company]
  • 25 Movies Endings That Never Fail to Make People Cry [Buzzfeed]
  • It’s Time to Tell Your Family You Aren’t Coming Home for the Holidays [The Cut]
  • Here Are 6 Things to Consider About Holiday Travel [Vox]
  • Every BTS Song Ranked in Order of Greatness [NME]
24 Oct 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Top 100 Most Popular Foods in the World [Taste Atlas]
  • How to Deliver Bad News Without Being Hated [Fast Company]
  • The Falling Man [Esquire] published September 9, 2016
  • How Often Should You Work Out, Really? [Greatist]
  • America’s 20 Most Popular National Parks, Ranked [Thrillist]
  • Director Caroline Suh on Filming BLACKPINK [Nylon]
  • How Social Justice Slideshows Took Over Instagram [Vox]
  • When It Comes to Indoor Dining, Restaurant Workers Face the Greatest Risk [Eater]
  • How Chefs in the NBA Bubble Make 4,000 Meals A Week
  • South Korea’s Universal Basic Income Experiment to Boost the Economy
11 Sep 2020

The World’s Longest Glass Bottomed Bridge Now In China

When I first saw images of this bridge spanning Lianjiang River, I was instantly reminded of bridges in South Korea or the one in Switzerland. Both of which were iconic to the K-drama series, Crash Landing on You. This new bridge in China though is neither. What it is is setting a new world record, however, for longest glass bottomed bridge in the entire world.

The suspension bridge connects two sides of a gorge 660 feet above the river and has a capacity of 500 people. Suspended from cables and supported by two red towers at either end, it’s constructed using three layers of tempered laminated glass, and has a transparent bottom that allows tourists to look directly down at the water. There are also large viewing areas where visitors can stop to take photos. The glass-bottomed feature offers a pretty cool perspective, but if you’re afraid of heights, this bridge might just be your worst nightmare.

Because of its beautiful glass bottom, this is sure to be a popular spot for photos.

[Source]

30 Aug 2020

Los Angeles Bachelorette

I love any excuse I can get to take a trip to LA. Before pandemic and before Thailand, we were in Los Angeles just a few weekends before celebrating Elynn’s bachelorette. Talk about good timing because who could have predicted what would happen next?

I was most looking forward to this bachelorette party because Elynn is one of my favorite friends to eat with. She has high-quality taste and she’s always one of the first people to introduce me to a new restaurant and my go-to for boba recommendations in any Bay Area city. We do our fair share of trying some of the bougie stuff around the Bay Area, but we can also be very simple. Both of grew up having home cooked meals with our families so we’re comfortable with the staples. Every meal would consist of a carb (rice or noodles) vegetables and meat. Some of my favorite meals out with her have been to these type of home-y places that are comforting for us.

It was so fun to celebrate with Elynn because it was entirely made of all of her favorite things – boba, delicious food, games, and karaoke.

16 Aug 2020

Blog Roundup

  • JJJJOUND Is a 21st Century Entrepreneur [Hypebeast]
  • 10 Things You, A Man, Should Not Write In A Dating App Bio [InsideHook]
  • Instagram is Reels Complicated [Bloomberg]
  • Sweatpants Forever [NY Times]
  • The 15 Best Oscar Winning Films Of All Time [Esquire]
  • How Justin H. Min Became The Umbrella Academy’s Breakout Star [GQ]
  • Most Of Us Only Dream Of Being Claudia Kishi. Momona Tamada Actually Got To Be Her. [Elle]
  • Chanel Miller’s Secret Source of Strength [NY Times]
  • Here’s What Could Happen If Kanye West Is Found Guilty of Electoral Fraud [High Snobiety]
  • The Pinterest Paradox: Cupcakes and Toxicity [Medium]
  • We Tested Instagram Reels, the TikTok Clone. What A Dud. [NY Times]
  • Twins Film Their Reaction to Hearing Phil Collins For the First Time
  • AMC Theaters Will Reopen August 20 With 15 Cent Tickets [Hypebeast] Cool cool cause a pandemic is still happening and all
  • The Best Place to Camp in Every State [Conde Nast Traveler]