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I'm living life extravagantly, enjoying these two weeks of dine-out Vancouver. Unfortunately, many of the great restaurants are now on the $35 list which furthers the hole in my purse. My reasoning goes like this: it's be a rarity to see my pretty face indulging in Vancouver's fine-dining restaurant scene.

Here's my attempt at a Restaurant Review.

No worries, I won't make a habit of it.

This is a fabulous promotion from the recesses of Tourism Vancouver. When everyone intends to "cut back" and save money after Christmas, many of us end up dining out multiple times for $35/$25/$15 for a 3-course meals. Great food. But after drinks and tax, we're looking at 50 bucks a pop. Ouch.

Rare is the winner of "silver" in the "new fine dining" category of Vancouver Magazine. Seriously, Vancouver is quickly becoming a one-stop cuisine destination, rivaling the best in the US.

I failed by forgetting to bring my camera. But you can just imagine. A delectable 3 course meal. Not counting the two "from the chef" plates that came out to greet us... for free!

Only problem is that for someone who enjoys raw fish, thought the edges of my fish were a bit dry. And my dad's beef tasted like something from the Taiwanese beef noodle house. The flavours in the dishes however nicely complemented each other.

And the service was impeccable.

I'd go there again.... If I had $50 bucks to spare.

After all this, trust me. I'll be dining in.

i'm thinking... (which is always good)

Here's a new label for you.

Are Sunday church services suppose to include preaching? Is that "mandatory?" Does it say somewhere in the Bible that some guy (or gal) has to stand up and deliver a "sermon?" Or is it tradition? If it's tradition then is it a custom that needs to stay? Or can some churches adopt other methods of teaching and it be "ok"?

I've always been fascinated with "how people grow?" It's the title of a book that perhaps one day I will read. But how does an outsider come to the understanding of all the cliches and jargon bridges the gap between this outsider becoming an "insider?"

1pm PST

Were you up?

I sent out an email at 1pm PST and back flies three emails, from LA (ok, same timezone), from London (almost bedtime) and another from Australia (ready for work!). They "just received" my email.

Crazy.

Hong Kong, were you up?

Er... n/m it was 5am.

678

My brother and his high school prom date are getting married on June 7, 08.

...but not to each other.

Reality struck today.

No "S" sizes at the mall. A sharp reminder that I'm now living amongst skinny people. And get this: they're small but fierce. Watch 'em sharp elbows. Buyer beware.

Moving Notice.

We've downsized.

My current bedroom = Mom's old closet

Was mom's closet ginormous or is my room now teeny weeny?

Miss me?

'cause I missed you.

I hope the feelings mutual.

for the two of you who read...

Family trip to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Dad's Hometown...

Please note, I do have more than one shirt...

:)

Beijing Tour...
You can come over and see the pictures... here's just a few.

Stayed at some hotel with hotsprings... and fish who eat the dead skin off your feet. Yeah, that's right. Yum.


Not complete without the Great Wall...


Hometown in "BoGut" and "SakBa"

I started counting... the Chu family, starting from my dad's generation down (four generations currently exist), have about 150 members. About 100 in China. Here are a few...


My "nephew" cutting and peeling sugar cane for his auntie (me) and uncle (Brad).


Lunch after sugarcane...
The centerpiece of meat is "dessert"
Please don't ask what it is... animal activist will be after me.
As Brad said... "And God declared that all was clean..."


Hong Kong...
My dad takes the cousins out to a bar ;)


The tough men. Hmmph!


Me and the HK girl cousins


Dad and I with new shades--totally Honger.


And the highlight? This little guy. My cousin's son. The guy never cries.


This guy is playing in my suitcase... with my femine products.




Mom's too happy... she's itching to be a grandmother. Hah!

book facing.

I'm home now. Home. Is this home?

I think I'm past jetlag now... now it's just pure laziness. Yep. Shelaine is lazy. Get that.

Anyhow, I've discover the world of facebooking. Man, it's worse than MSN or any other IM I've been on before. Does that mean blogspot is a thing of the past?

YES!

Canucks won Game One!!
Yay!
I wanted to scream... but my house is asleep.

I half expected car horns bleeping outside...

but I forgot...

I'm in LA -- they don't watch hockey here :(

still here...

Finally! Pictures!
First week in LA... and I'm reminded that I'm really in Hollywood!
Who's this? Hint... look at chin!


Donald gets his Star...


My car... this was always meant to be driven by me... don't you think?


District Youth Camp... it's "winter-camp"...sunny and warm!


I spoke too soon. Snow the last day... but dude.. the 8 inches on the roads were melted and cleared in four hours! Many of the youths first time seeing snow fall.


Dream Center... an old converted hospital.


Venice Beach Outreach to homeless youth


Mobile Food Truck ministry... bagging cans and cans and cans...


Dream Center interns/volunteers.
A Swede, An Aussie, and an Canadian!


Adopt a Block, pre-meeting. Resembles a rally!


The "Thai Elvis..."


Praying for the city of El Monte


My new calling?


Mrs. Wong... I love this lady! My dancing granny...


The height of domestication... Apple Crumble.

One reason for weight gain. I love "nian gao" so I bought one. It comes out every Chinese New Year. The lady I live with tasted a bit and said, she's had better. So she bought another one. Then a few days later, she saw another company's "nian gao" and bought that one too... So we had three for two people. But she bought them for me because she doesn't even like the stuff! Nian gao is basically, brown sugar and flour. Yep. Sugar flour. 'nuff said.


Happy Chinese New Year... The year of the pig. I went down to Chinatown with some Dream Center folks--we're promoting Chinese culture there..! I don't think I've ever been to the one in Vancity, but here I am in LA, embracing my Chinese-ness!


Getting outta my Chinese-shell... visit to a primarily black church. It was interesting. I told someone the previous night the city I would be going to and he responded, is it a gospel church? I was like.. how does he know? Anyhow, prior to church, I went to Vons (American Safeway) and then I noticed something strange... Everyone was black!? I was in a black neighborhood! So off I go to church and really... I kinda stuck out. But it's all cool. Groovin with my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ.