Type: Green
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 3 minutes, 1 2.5g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal paper tea bag with green tea fannings and chunks of dried fruit and flower petals
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
This tea has a pretty good blend of ingredients: green tea, apple, hibiscus, pomegranate, rose, and a few other things. It's essentially just Bigelow's green tea (which I also have a teabag for) with extra ingredients, which I think it's pretty smart on the business end of things. As with most fruity teas, when brewed, the liquid tends to separate– the purple liquid/color of the pomegranate or apple settled at the bottom, as the rest of the tea turned a light grayish color. After brewing (and mixing it together by steeping the teabag), it became an opaque, orange-red color. The smell was sweet and fruity, with a slight hint of sticky rice in the background. As for the taste– it's less fruity than I'd expected, but still, it had a bit of sourness from the pomegranate. It's mostly mellow; I'd say that the slight grassy taste of the green comes out more than the pomegranate (unexpectedly). After the first sip, the pomegranate lingers on the tongue with the tart taste of the rosehip; it's smooth. Overall, not a bad tea at all. I'd like to try it iced.
Other Notes
Today's album is Oh Wonder's namesake debut album (Oh Wonder). If you've looked at the previous posts on this blog, I'm sure you can guess I'm into indie electronic pop. I found them through Youtube Music and I really like this album. It's a bit quiet and slow at times, but the songs are catchy and have great vocals.
As of today's review, I have tasted 199 teas and written about them on this blog. I guess in two days I'll have reached my goal, but I don't think I have any special teas to commemorate it. But, now, I either end the blog at 200 or keep going until my last day of summer on August 12. No matter how it ends, I do have a long post planned before I stop writing on this blog.
Anyway, yesterday, I mostly just went out shopping to buy college clothes and dorm stuff. I usually hate shopping– especially at the outlet mall near us, because there are so many people there and they can be dicks a lot of the time– but I'm pretty happy with what I got there.
Today, I went on a short hike with my Cal friend and my dog. Afterwards, we came back to my place and finished Over the Garden Wall (one of my favorite animated series; we watch it every Thanksgiving). I then gave the dog a bath and filled gas for the first time, which was interesting.
I also met up with one of my close friends– we took Japanese together– for the first time since school ended. We ate Korean fried chicken and picked up some art supplies for my grandma, and played video games at my place. Everytime I hang out with him, I'm more surprised at how similar we are. We've had a lot of the same experiences with girls, drugs, etc. and came to the same conclusions about them. He's attending community college but doesn't know what he wants to do in the future; once he chooses a major, I'm going to help him transfer to a university after two years. He's also dating a girl from Nevada and wants to move out and get his own place. I told him that if he ever needs a roommate for an apartment or something, I'm willing to help out if he decides to live in the North Bay. We planned to hang out a bit more before I move out, and I want to take him to football games at Cal, but I'm glad we connected again.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Review: Lemon Lift - Bigelow
Type: Black
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 2.3g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with mostly black tea fannings
Rating: C | 75/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, I was supposed to review a different tea today. I was at a law firm and I grabbed some teabags, in particular a darjeeling. I lost it; either, I misplaced it or it fell out of my pocket, so here we are now. After brewing, this tea came out a very dark brown color. It actually had a lot more oil on the surface than any tea recently; a ring formed around the top of the cup because of that. The smell wasn't what I expected. It smelled like baked goods, sweet and with cinnamon and lemon. As for the actual taste, it was surprisingly close to the smell. It's not sour, or lemony really, but instead a bit more bitter. It's definitely astringent, too. The taste is subdued and earthy, with a bit of sour from the lemon. It becomes sweet for a while, but the bitterness lingers on the tongue long after and dries the throat. Overall, it's a pretty bland tea. It's not terrible, but it's not very good.
Other Notes
Today's album is Everywhere Else by little xs for eyes. I already mentioned them previously, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I checked out their work again. When I did the last time, they only had released their EP. This is their second full length album and I like it as much as the EP (the reason why I started listening to them in the first place).
As I mentioned in the last post, I got my license, so I drove my unitmate and my Cal friend to the Great Mall. It was an easy day; we played at the arcade, did some shopping for my dad's birthday gift, ate at the food court, watched Spiderman: Homecoming (really good– wasn't expecting that), and got some boba in town before heading back home. As much as I love arcades, I forgot how expensive Dave and Buster's is, and how badly maintained a few of the machines are. It's a good place for claw machines and new releases, though. Did I mention: in middle school, I used to be obsessed with claw machines. I stopped after my closet was filled with stuffed animal prizes, and now I think they're pretty easy to win if the machine isn't rigged; it's a good skill to have if I ever go on dates. Afterwards, my Cal friend and I came back to my house and we watched some of Over the Garden Wall before I drove her back to her home. I stayed up late to work on a research essay, which, admittedly, I'm currently procrastinating on.
Today was the second summer session for next year's We the People teams. It went pretty well; once again, my school's team had the least attendance. My job this time was to judge an alumni panel and then to judge some groups from next year's team. Compared to the questions asked by the actual judges there, I'm surprised at how rusty I am– I felt like I couldn't contribute much in terms of good questions and feedback. We went with some people from another school (not our rival school), and my unit called me out on finessing one of them (I was not). Once again, I was the only guy there, and she sat next to me so I talked to her. We took the BART together and I added her on Snapchat. Just being friendly. Not finessing, my unit. After that, I went home and, since it's my dad's birthday, we went out to eat at an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue.
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 2.3g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with mostly black tea fannings
Rating: C | 75/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, I was supposed to review a different tea today. I was at a law firm and I grabbed some teabags, in particular a darjeeling. I lost it; either, I misplaced it or it fell out of my pocket, so here we are now. After brewing, this tea came out a very dark brown color. It actually had a lot more oil on the surface than any tea recently; a ring formed around the top of the cup because of that. The smell wasn't what I expected. It smelled like baked goods, sweet and with cinnamon and lemon. As for the actual taste, it was surprisingly close to the smell. It's not sour, or lemony really, but instead a bit more bitter. It's definitely astringent, too. The taste is subdued and earthy, with a bit of sour from the lemon. It becomes sweet for a while, but the bitterness lingers on the tongue long after and dries the throat. Overall, it's a pretty bland tea. It's not terrible, but it's not very good.
Other Notes
Today's album is Everywhere Else by little xs for eyes. I already mentioned them previously, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I checked out their work again. When I did the last time, they only had released their EP. This is their second full length album and I like it as much as the EP (the reason why I started listening to them in the first place).
As I mentioned in the last post, I got my license, so I drove my unitmate and my Cal friend to the Great Mall. It was an easy day; we played at the arcade, did some shopping for my dad's birthday gift, ate at the food court, watched Spiderman: Homecoming (really good– wasn't expecting that), and got some boba in town before heading back home. As much as I love arcades, I forgot how expensive Dave and Buster's is, and how badly maintained a few of the machines are. It's a good place for claw machines and new releases, though. Did I mention: in middle school, I used to be obsessed with claw machines. I stopped after my closet was filled with stuffed animal prizes, and now I think they're pretty easy to win if the machine isn't rigged; it's a good skill to have if I ever go on dates. Afterwards, my Cal friend and I came back to my house and we watched some of Over the Garden Wall before I drove her back to her home. I stayed up late to work on a research essay, which, admittedly, I'm currently procrastinating on.
Today was the second summer session for next year's We the People teams. It went pretty well; once again, my school's team had the least attendance. My job this time was to judge an alumni panel and then to judge some groups from next year's team. Compared to the questions asked by the actual judges there, I'm surprised at how rusty I am– I felt like I couldn't contribute much in terms of good questions and feedback. We went with some people from another school (not our rival school), and my unit called me out on finessing one of them (I was not). Once again, I was the only guy there, and she sat next to me so I talked to her. We took the BART together and I added her on Snapchat. Just being friendly. Not finessing, my unit. After that, I went home and, since it's my dad's birthday, we went out to eat at an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Review: Calm Chamomile - Tazo
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 minutes, 8 fl. oz, 1 1.6g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with a variety of herbs, including flower petals and grasses
Rating: B | 87/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Quick story about chamomile tea. While I was off exploring my obsession with tea, my ex only drank chamomile teas. I think that was her favorite, so I ended up calling her Cam as a nickname. It's dumb, but just something I remember from that time in my life. We started talking again, funny enough.
While she drinks a lot of chamomile, I don't at all. I don't know if it's just this tea, but I think it has a weird smell– the dry leaf is floral and sweet. The brewed tea is a very interesting color, a clear blend of olive drab green and golden yellow. It smells the same as the dry leaf, but the sweet aroma is a lot more prevalent. For some reason, it reminds me of the rooibos tea I've had a long time ago. Like you'd guess, the tea itself tastes incredibly floral. The chamomile is the main taste, lingers long after drinking, and permeates into the back of the nose. The closest flavor to this, I can think of, is any jasmine tea. It's slightly sweet, but as with most floral teas, there's a dull sourness or tanginess. Overall, it's surprisingly really good; I need to pick up more chamomile tea sometime.
Other Notes
Today's album is Forever by Mystery Skulls. I actually preordered this album on CD a long time ago; I've been a big fan of him after his first EP came out. Not much to be said– super catchy songs, great vocals. If you like electronic pop, check him out! All of his work is great.
I finally got my license today! Only 4 errors. It wasn't very eventful; we drove all the way to Vallejo, waited about an hour and a half, took the test, had brunch, and drove back home. At the DMV, a Filipino lady wanted me to tell her the course, which was a bit sketchy (and a very Filipino thing to do, heh). We got food at the Good Day Cafe, where I got french toast and my dad an omelette– it was really good and the service was great. We also saw the ferry terminal and walked through downtown Vallejo, which reminded me a lot of Sacramento. Oh, and we also almost got hit by a car that sped through a red at an intersection.
Yesterday, we had lunch with our AP Gov teacher at a Thai restaurant. It was nice; we talked about college, a lot about competition civics, and what's happened to us over the summer. To be honest, our government teacher felt a lot more like our coach than our actual competition civics coach (whom he called more of an advisor, which I agree with). I learned a lot in his class and spent a lot of time in his room. I'll miss it. Afterwards, we went to the mall and I bought my dad a jacket from Uniqlo for his birthday, and we got boba and went home. I haven't done that much work lately, which probably isn't that smart since I have an essay due Sunday and a testimony written for another competition civics summer session on Saturday.
Tomorrow, I go with my unitmate and Cal friend to the mall to hang out, play games at the arcade, and watch a movie. It's probably not the best thing to do with those deadlines looming over my head, but hell, it's summer and I want to have fun.
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 minutes, 8 fl. oz, 1 1.6g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with a variety of herbs, including flower petals and grasses
Rating: B | 87/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Quick story about chamomile tea. While I was off exploring my obsession with tea, my ex only drank chamomile teas. I think that was her favorite, so I ended up calling her Cam as a nickname. It's dumb, but just something I remember from that time in my life. We started talking again, funny enough.
While she drinks a lot of chamomile, I don't at all. I don't know if it's just this tea, but I think it has a weird smell– the dry leaf is floral and sweet. The brewed tea is a very interesting color, a clear blend of olive drab green and golden yellow. It smells the same as the dry leaf, but the sweet aroma is a lot more prevalent. For some reason, it reminds me of the rooibos tea I've had a long time ago. Like you'd guess, the tea itself tastes incredibly floral. The chamomile is the main taste, lingers long after drinking, and permeates into the back of the nose. The closest flavor to this, I can think of, is any jasmine tea. It's slightly sweet, but as with most floral teas, there's a dull sourness or tanginess. Overall, it's surprisingly really good; I need to pick up more chamomile tea sometime.
Other Notes
Today's album is Forever by Mystery Skulls. I actually preordered this album on CD a long time ago; I've been a big fan of him after his first EP came out. Not much to be said– super catchy songs, great vocals. If you like electronic pop, check him out! All of his work is great.
I finally got my license today! Only 4 errors. It wasn't very eventful; we drove all the way to Vallejo, waited about an hour and a half, took the test, had brunch, and drove back home. At the DMV, a Filipino lady wanted me to tell her the course, which was a bit sketchy (and a very Filipino thing to do, heh). We got food at the Good Day Cafe, where I got french toast and my dad an omelette– it was really good and the service was great. We also saw the ferry terminal and walked through downtown Vallejo, which reminded me a lot of Sacramento. Oh, and we also almost got hit by a car that sped through a red at an intersection.
Yesterday, we had lunch with our AP Gov teacher at a Thai restaurant. It was nice; we talked about college, a lot about competition civics, and what's happened to us over the summer. To be honest, our government teacher felt a lot more like our coach than our actual competition civics coach (whom he called more of an advisor, which I agree with). I learned a lot in his class and spent a lot of time in his room. I'll miss it. Afterwards, we went to the mall and I bought my dad a jacket from Uniqlo for his birthday, and we got boba and went home. I haven't done that much work lately, which probably isn't that smart since I have an essay due Sunday and a testimony written for another competition civics summer session on Saturday.
Tomorrow, I go with my unitmate and Cal friend to the mall to hang out, play games at the arcade, and watch a movie. It's probably not the best thing to do with those deadlines looming over my head, but hell, it's summer and I want to have fun.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Review: Passion - Tazo
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 minutes, 8 fl. oz, 1 2.8g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with small chunks of various spices, grasses, and herbs
Rating: C+ | 78/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
I forgot the story where I got this tea bag, but I'm pretty sure I mentioned in one of the previous Tazo reviews. The liquid for this tea came out a very deep purple and red color, like a red wine or sangria. For some reason, most fruity tisanes have this color and tend to stain whatever they land on– in this case, I think it's because there's been fruit juice added to the tea. As for the smell, it's very fruity (pomegranate) that's somewhat soapy and sweet. The taste is a lot more sour than I expected. It's very tart, similar to lemon juice; but, like lemon juice, it becomes slightly sweet at the end of the drink. I can taste some citrus and grape flavors, along with the rose hip (most likely the source of the sour) and passionfruit. It's mostly smooth, but the sourness made my throat feel a little dry after drinking. This would be much more better as an iced tea, but it seems a bit one-dimensional and similar to some other fruity herbal teas, especially those by Tazo.
Other Notes
Today's album is the Pyre Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb. I've been a big fan of Supergiant Games, and although I haven't bought Pyre yet, I'm already loving this soundtrack. Bastion and Transistor were amazing too– the vocal tracks are some of the best songs I've heard in games yet. I'm planning to attend MAGWest to see Darren Korb live.
So, I got my phone repaired yesterday, walked in the morning with my Cal friend (gave her a teddy bear, too, for making some art for me), and had lunch with a girl I dated for one day in middle school. She's been my lab partner in science classes for the past two years, and after her sister passed from cancer (seriously– fuck cancer), she's been worried about school and her family. I haven't seen her for a while since my AP Biology teacher's funeral, but we've been snapchatting and texting each other throughout summer. She seems a lot happier now and I'm glad for that; she's heading off to UC Santa Cruz and I think she'll do great there. I promised her that we'll keep in touch and that I'll make sure she'll go to medical school. I also got my roommate assignment! It's the guy I roomed with during the Regent's overnight host program, which is pretty awesome (what are the chances?). He's a global studies major from LA, and seemed pretty chill when I met him. I feel like he's kind of needy– he asked for the right bed specifically– and is wealthy, considering he travels a lot, but I think we'll get along. Online, he's very nice, and in person, I thought he was kind of awkward/quiet but very chill. He's also very clean and neat, which is great.
Today has just been a work day. Just did the usual schedule– woke up, exercised, practiced handwriting, cooked, worked on this review, did summer class stuff, and so on. I hate staying indoors all the time, but it's hard when you have nothing else to do and all of your friends are out travelling. To be honest, I can see why drugs are such a big problem in my town and in suburban America in general; there's nothing to do unless you have a car and money. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with the unit, Cal friend, and one of our teachers, so that's exciting. I'm probably going to spend the rest of this day finishing homework and practicing driving.
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 minutes, 8 fl. oz, 1 2.8g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Bleached trapezoidal tea bag with small chunks of various spices, grasses, and herbs
Rating: C+ | 78/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
I forgot the story where I got this tea bag, but I'm pretty sure I mentioned in one of the previous Tazo reviews. The liquid for this tea came out a very deep purple and red color, like a red wine or sangria. For some reason, most fruity tisanes have this color and tend to stain whatever they land on– in this case, I think it's because there's been fruit juice added to the tea. As for the smell, it's very fruity (pomegranate) that's somewhat soapy and sweet. The taste is a lot more sour than I expected. It's very tart, similar to lemon juice; but, like lemon juice, it becomes slightly sweet at the end of the drink. I can taste some citrus and grape flavors, along with the rose hip (most likely the source of the sour) and passionfruit. It's mostly smooth, but the sourness made my throat feel a little dry after drinking. This would be much more better as an iced tea, but it seems a bit one-dimensional and similar to some other fruity herbal teas, especially those by Tazo.
Other Notes
Today's album is the Pyre Original Soundtrack by Darren Korb. I've been a big fan of Supergiant Games, and although I haven't bought Pyre yet, I'm already loving this soundtrack. Bastion and Transistor were amazing too– the vocal tracks are some of the best songs I've heard in games yet. I'm planning to attend MAGWest to see Darren Korb live.
So, I got my phone repaired yesterday, walked in the morning with my Cal friend (gave her a teddy bear, too, for making some art for me), and had lunch with a girl I dated for one day in middle school. She's been my lab partner in science classes for the past two years, and after her sister passed from cancer (seriously– fuck cancer), she's been worried about school and her family. I haven't seen her for a while since my AP Biology teacher's funeral, but we've been snapchatting and texting each other throughout summer. She seems a lot happier now and I'm glad for that; she's heading off to UC Santa Cruz and I think she'll do great there. I promised her that we'll keep in touch and that I'll make sure she'll go to medical school. I also got my roommate assignment! It's the guy I roomed with during the Regent's overnight host program, which is pretty awesome (what are the chances?). He's a global studies major from LA, and seemed pretty chill when I met him. I feel like he's kind of needy– he asked for the right bed specifically– and is wealthy, considering he travels a lot, but I think we'll get along. Online, he's very nice, and in person, I thought he was kind of awkward/quiet but very chill. He's also very clean and neat, which is great.
Today has just been a work day. Just did the usual schedule– woke up, exercised, practiced handwriting, cooked, worked on this review, did summer class stuff, and so on. I hate staying indoors all the time, but it's hard when you have nothing else to do and all of your friends are out travelling. To be honest, I can see why drugs are such a big problem in my town and in suburban America in general; there's nothing to do unless you have a car and money. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with the unit, Cal friend, and one of our teachers, so that's exciting. I'm probably going to spend the rest of this day finishing homework and practicing driving.
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Review: Constant Comment - Bigelow
Type: Black
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 2g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Paper trapezoidal teabag with black tea fannings and chunks of orange rind
Rating: C | 77/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Short review today, and probably for the rest of the teabag reviews– there isn't enough to really write about since I'm drinking a single mug/brew of the tea.
So, this tea is another one of the teas I got from my Cal friend. I think I've had this tea at least once before, but I've forgotten its taste long ago. It says it has orange and spice in it, and I'm a big fan of orange teas (and orange chocolate, too– I've had a lot of that lately). After brewing this tea with 90°C water, it came out a deep, ruby-amber color. It smelled sweet; somewhat like the perfume of a potpourri, with a light orange scent. Although I brewed it for the recommended two minutes, it tasted a lot more bitter than I expected. I'm not sure if the temperature was too high, or if it's just the tea, but it definitely had the astringency and bitterness of an overbrewed tea. The other tastes, however, are very earthy. The orange is mostly in the background, giving the tea a slightly fruity and sour taste. You can't taste the spices until the end, where they leave a very vague aftertaste. It tastes exactly as it smells. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not great. If I had more teabags, I'd give it another chance because it feels like it's more bitter than it should be.
Other Notes
Today's album is Pink Season: The Prophecy by Filthy Frank. Surprisingly, Filthy Frank (or Joji) makes some pretty good rap and electronic music. I've been a fan of 88rising, an Asian producer, that he's been working with, so I was pretty excited when this EP came out. Best song is Fried Noodles (Getter Remix) in my opinion.
Yesterday was interesting. Biked with my dad in the morning the usual thirty mile route, and in the evening, went with my unitmate to get some food. Afterwards, we went to a concert my friend was putting on, which was surprisingly better than I expected for some small, local rock bands. We played a lot of cornhole, too, before going to get some soft serve. I'm a bit bummed since I dropped my phone (or it was knocked out my hand, not really sure) and the screen cracked pretty badly. I'm getting it repaired tomorrow, but it's a bit expensive– $75– and I haven't been able to get shifts at work. The pay for my internship also doesn't come in until next month, so I'm just going to have to eat the cost. I need to figure out my finances in college; I want to be able to follow a strict budget to save money, especially since I won't have an income for a while.
Today was fun, though! I went with my dad to Berkeley and we hiked quite a bit. Went up Panoramic Way to the lower Fire Trail, then the Botanical Garden, and then Big C. From the BART station, it's about 7-8 miles, and it's very steep, so I'm really sore right now. On the way, I did realize, though, that I made the best choice for college for me(in the whole Cal vs UCLA debate I've had with myself). I love the beauty of the nature around Cal (since I'm interested in environmental science, it's probably best I didn't choose to go to downtown LA), the nice people, the fact that there's access to so much stuff through public transit, the professors, the nerdiness and weirdness, and so much other stuff. It sucks that we're known for being so politically charged/liberal, which makes everything very tense in this political climate and people judgy, but that's expected to come from Cal's historical reputation. Anyways, since I love Southern and cajun food, we went to Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen for lunch and we shared one plate of fried chicken and one plate of fried catfish, with mashed sweet potatoes and hush puppies. Before we left, our waitress gave us a free order of beignets since someone canceled their order. Now, I'm writing this review.
This week, as I've mentioned before, is going to be a busy one. I have lunches with friends and teachers, another competition civics session in San Francisco, an essay due, shopping for college, my driving test, and so on. I really want to work at the ice cream shop to get money, but at the same time, I kind of have a lot on my plate and there's a lot of competition for open shifts– too many workers and not enough shifts. It's weird; I don't want summer to end, but I'm excited for college, but I don't want to start that transition in my life, and I don't want my friends to move, and I don't want the stress, but I'm gonna have to face it at one point, and on and on.
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 2g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Paper trapezoidal teabag with black tea fannings and chunks of orange rind
Rating: C | 77/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Short review today, and probably for the rest of the teabag reviews– there isn't enough to really write about since I'm drinking a single mug/brew of the tea.
So, this tea is another one of the teas I got from my Cal friend. I think I've had this tea at least once before, but I've forgotten its taste long ago. It says it has orange and spice in it, and I'm a big fan of orange teas (and orange chocolate, too– I've had a lot of that lately). After brewing this tea with 90°C water, it came out a deep, ruby-amber color. It smelled sweet; somewhat like the perfume of a potpourri, with a light orange scent. Although I brewed it for the recommended two minutes, it tasted a lot more bitter than I expected. I'm not sure if the temperature was too high, or if it's just the tea, but it definitely had the astringency and bitterness of an overbrewed tea. The other tastes, however, are very earthy. The orange is mostly in the background, giving the tea a slightly fruity and sour taste. You can't taste the spices until the end, where they leave a very vague aftertaste. It tastes exactly as it smells. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not great. If I had more teabags, I'd give it another chance because it feels like it's more bitter than it should be.
Other Notes
Today's album is Pink Season: The Prophecy by Filthy Frank. Surprisingly, Filthy Frank (or Joji) makes some pretty good rap and electronic music. I've been a fan of 88rising, an Asian producer, that he's been working with, so I was pretty excited when this EP came out. Best song is Fried Noodles (Getter Remix) in my opinion.
Yesterday was interesting. Biked with my dad in the morning the usual thirty mile route, and in the evening, went with my unitmate to get some food. Afterwards, we went to a concert my friend was putting on, which was surprisingly better than I expected for some small, local rock bands. We played a lot of cornhole, too, before going to get some soft serve. I'm a bit bummed since I dropped my phone (or it was knocked out my hand, not really sure) and the screen cracked pretty badly. I'm getting it repaired tomorrow, but it's a bit expensive– $75– and I haven't been able to get shifts at work. The pay for my internship also doesn't come in until next month, so I'm just going to have to eat the cost. I need to figure out my finances in college; I want to be able to follow a strict budget to save money, especially since I won't have an income for a while.
Today was fun, though! I went with my dad to Berkeley and we hiked quite a bit. Went up Panoramic Way to the lower Fire Trail, then the Botanical Garden, and then Big C. From the BART station, it's about 7-8 miles, and it's very steep, so I'm really sore right now. On the way, I did realize, though, that I made the best choice for college for me(in the whole Cal vs UCLA debate I've had with myself). I love the beauty of the nature around Cal (since I'm interested in environmental science, it's probably best I didn't choose to go to downtown LA), the nice people, the fact that there's access to so much stuff through public transit, the professors, the nerdiness and weirdness, and so much other stuff. It sucks that we're known for being so politically charged/liberal, which makes everything very tense in this political climate and people judgy, but that's expected to come from Cal's historical reputation. Anyways, since I love Southern and cajun food, we went to Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen for lunch and we shared one plate of fried chicken and one plate of fried catfish, with mashed sweet potatoes and hush puppies. Before we left, our waitress gave us a free order of beignets since someone canceled their order. Now, I'm writing this review.
This week, as I've mentioned before, is going to be a busy one. I have lunches with friends and teachers, another competition civics session in San Francisco, an essay due, shopping for college, my driving test, and so on. I really want to work at the ice cream shop to get money, but at the same time, I kind of have a lot on my plate and there's a lot of competition for open shifts– too many workers and not enough shifts. It's weird; I don't want summer to end, but I'm excited for college, but I don't want to start that transition in my life, and I don't want my friends to move, and I don't want the stress, but I'm gonna have to face it at one point, and on and on.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Review: Plantation Mint - Bigelow
Type: Blend (Black and Herbal)
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 1.9g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoidal paper tea bag with black tea fannings and spearmint dust
Rating: B | 87/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Bigelow is the standard in office and hotel teas. Along with Tazo, you can find these in big display stands with a large variety of flavors. Today's tea is from my Cal friend, who picked this particular blend up at her work (tutoring) with a number of other flavors. Surprisingly, I'm almost near 200 reviews now– this should be number 195, and I have a lot more tea bags to go through. I feel like it's kind of a cop out to end on these teas, but tea is expensive and I want to save some money.
Anyway, after brewing this tea, the liquid came out a dark brown. It's interesting; I feel like you usually find mint on its own as a tisane or brewed with a weaker tea, like a green. However, this came out pretty good. The liquid obviously smelled like spearmint or spearmint gum. The taste was a lot more minty than I expected, considering the base. If you didn't tell me, I'd say this was just a spearmint tisane with no tea at all. It definitely has the slightly sour flavor and cooling sensation of the mint that is characteristic of spearmint, but it also has a nuanced sweetness and a little bitter, earthy flavor from the base. Overall, I thought this tea was very enjoyable. It's not too different from just a regular spearmint tea, but I think the black tea base makes it a bit more subdued.
Other Notes
Today's album is Bang Bang by Dispatch. My Cal friend gave me a mix CD a while ago with The General as the first track. I don't think I usually listen to rock, but this is surprisingly catchy. I don't have much more to say since I'm still listening to it as I write this.
I'm finishing one busy week and it looks like I'll be going into another one. Since the last review, I've been doing the same old things– practicing handwriting, studying math, doing that online class, working out, etc. I did go last night with my Cal friend to the Japanese supermarket in San Jose where we got food and some snacks, and she gave me some art she made. The day before that, I helped my childhood friend pack up for moving– I came over at 6 pm and we were lifting stuff in and out of a truck until 2 am (and they weren't finished yet when I went home). I'm sure he's moved to Stockton already, but I told him he's always welcome to hang out with me at Berkeley. My friends and I are trying to plan a road trip to Los Angeles since I have my driving test next week, but it's hard when everyone is busy and with college stuff coming around the corner. Oh, and my ex and I started chatting a little bit again and it isn't too bad.
This weekend will be exciting. Today, I'm going to go watch Dunkirk with the family. My grandma was having some health problems last night and this morning, so hopefully she gets better soon. I was going to go to Freq.Fest.SF today, too, but the person I was going with had family things come up, so that's fine. Tomorrow, I'm going to a concert my friend is putting on, and the day after that, I'm hiking the Fire Trails at Berkeley with my dad. I feel like I need to do a lot more (instead of staying inside all the damn time) to not waste this summer, but it's hard when 1. you can't drive, 2. you're trying to save money because you're not getting work shifts, and 3. your friends are busy with their own plans or are out of town. I'm both excited for college, mainly because of meeting people and having new experiences, but at the same time, it's a bit scary (and sad) having to leave home and seeing everyone else move on.
Producer: Bigelow
Origin: USA
Brewing Parameters: 2 minutes, 1 1.9g teabag (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoidal paper tea bag with black tea fannings and spearmint dust
Rating: B | 87/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Bigelow is the standard in office and hotel teas. Along with Tazo, you can find these in big display stands with a large variety of flavors. Today's tea is from my Cal friend, who picked this particular blend up at her work (tutoring) with a number of other flavors. Surprisingly, I'm almost near 200 reviews now– this should be number 195, and I have a lot more tea bags to go through. I feel like it's kind of a cop out to end on these teas, but tea is expensive and I want to save some money.
Anyway, after brewing this tea, the liquid came out a dark brown. It's interesting; I feel like you usually find mint on its own as a tisane or brewed with a weaker tea, like a green. However, this came out pretty good. The liquid obviously smelled like spearmint or spearmint gum. The taste was a lot more minty than I expected, considering the base. If you didn't tell me, I'd say this was just a spearmint tisane with no tea at all. It definitely has the slightly sour flavor and cooling sensation of the mint that is characteristic of spearmint, but it also has a nuanced sweetness and a little bitter, earthy flavor from the base. Overall, I thought this tea was very enjoyable. It's not too different from just a regular spearmint tea, but I think the black tea base makes it a bit more subdued.
Other Notes
Today's album is Bang Bang by Dispatch. My Cal friend gave me a mix CD a while ago with The General as the first track. I don't think I usually listen to rock, but this is surprisingly catchy. I don't have much more to say since I'm still listening to it as I write this.
I'm finishing one busy week and it looks like I'll be going into another one. Since the last review, I've been doing the same old things– practicing handwriting, studying math, doing that online class, working out, etc. I did go last night with my Cal friend to the Japanese supermarket in San Jose where we got food and some snacks, and she gave me some art she made. The day before that, I helped my childhood friend pack up for moving– I came over at 6 pm and we were lifting stuff in and out of a truck until 2 am (and they weren't finished yet when I went home). I'm sure he's moved to Stockton already, but I told him he's always welcome to hang out with me at Berkeley. My friends and I are trying to plan a road trip to Los Angeles since I have my driving test next week, but it's hard when everyone is busy and with college stuff coming around the corner. Oh, and my ex and I started chatting a little bit again and it isn't too bad.
This weekend will be exciting. Today, I'm going to go watch Dunkirk with the family. My grandma was having some health problems last night and this morning, so hopefully she gets better soon. I was going to go to Freq.Fest.SF today, too, but the person I was going with had family things come up, so that's fine. Tomorrow, I'm going to a concert my friend is putting on, and the day after that, I'm hiking the Fire Trails at Berkeley with my dad. I feel like I need to do a lot more (instead of staying inside all the damn time) to not waste this summer, but it's hard when 1. you can't drive, 2. you're trying to save money because you're not getting work shifts, and 3. your friends are busy with their own plans or are out of town. I'm both excited for college, mainly because of meeting people and having new experiences, but at the same time, it's a bit scary (and sad) having to leave home and seeing everyone else move on.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Review: Teh Halia - Lipton
Type: Instant
Producer: Lipton
Origin: Indonesia
Brewing Parameters: 180 ml hot water, 85°C, 1 packet (recommended)
Appearance: Grey and brown powder
Rating: D+ | 68/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Same story as the last Lipton instant tea I have. Instant teas don't lend themselves well to in depth reviews, so this is going to be short.
This one differs from Teh Tarik in that it has ginger added, but other than that, it's essentially the same. After mixing the powder in, the tea was a milky brown (like you'd expect), without much of a smell. The taste, at first, is sweet and has the waxy texture of powdered creamer. After that, the tea flavor becomes very strong and bitter, similar to coffee or concentrated, overbrewed black tea. Once that is gone, you can taste the ginger, which imparts a spicy feeling in the mouth. It might just be because I'm using a small amount of water (the recommended amount), but I don't like this at all– it's way too bitter, but at the same time, tastes like watered down milk. Like Teh Tarik, I'd recommend trying this with milk and iced, which might be better, but alone and prepared the way on the package, it's not great.
Other Notes
Today's album is BOOMIVERSE by Big Boi. Interesting album– it came up on my recommended list since I listen to Killer Mike, and I was surprised at how different it is. I like Kill Jill because of how weird the combination is; vocaloid and rap could better together than I thought they would. The rest of the songs are great, too. It's a weird mix of genres, with some old-style hip hop in there, which is cool.
Since after last weekend, I've been taking it slow. Two days ago, I went to my unitmate's house with my Cal friend and we watched Titanic. Yesterday, my Cal friend came over in the morning to give me a book and we hung out for a while, and in the evening, I helped another one of my friends (from my childhood/guy friend group) pack his things into storage since he's moving. Today's his last day in town, and I'm coming back later today to help them finish up. I don't know if it's who I am, or if we've just drifted apart during high school, but I just don't feel that broken up about it. I feel like I should be nostalgic or sad or bittersweet about it. It reminds me of when my ex moved last summer. I think I'm just bad at goodbyes, and it kind of sucks.
Producer: Lipton
Origin: Indonesia
Brewing Parameters: 180 ml hot water, 85°C, 1 packet (recommended)
Appearance: Grey and brown powder
Rating: D+ | 68/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Same story as the last Lipton instant tea I have. Instant teas don't lend themselves well to in depth reviews, so this is going to be short.
This one differs from Teh Tarik in that it has ginger added, but other than that, it's essentially the same. After mixing the powder in, the tea was a milky brown (like you'd expect), without much of a smell. The taste, at first, is sweet and has the waxy texture of powdered creamer. After that, the tea flavor becomes very strong and bitter, similar to coffee or concentrated, overbrewed black tea. Once that is gone, you can taste the ginger, which imparts a spicy feeling in the mouth. It might just be because I'm using a small amount of water (the recommended amount), but I don't like this at all– it's way too bitter, but at the same time, tastes like watered down milk. Like Teh Tarik, I'd recommend trying this with milk and iced, which might be better, but alone and prepared the way on the package, it's not great.
Other Notes
Today's album is BOOMIVERSE by Big Boi. Interesting album– it came up on my recommended list since I listen to Killer Mike, and I was surprised at how different it is. I like Kill Jill because of how weird the combination is; vocaloid and rap could better together than I thought they would. The rest of the songs are great, too. It's a weird mix of genres, with some old-style hip hop in there, which is cool.
Since after last weekend, I've been taking it slow. Two days ago, I went to my unitmate's house with my Cal friend and we watched Titanic. Yesterday, my Cal friend came over in the morning to give me a book and we hung out for a while, and in the evening, I helped another one of my friends (from my childhood/guy friend group) pack his things into storage since he's moving. Today's his last day in town, and I'm coming back later today to help them finish up. I don't know if it's who I am, or if we've just drifted apart during high school, but I just don't feel that broken up about it. I feel like I should be nostalgic or sad or bittersweet about it. It reminds me of when my ex moved last summer. I think I'm just bad at goodbyes, and it kind of sucks.
Monday, July 17, 2017
Review: Honey Tea - Love from Minnesota
Type: Flavored Black
Producer: Love from Minnesota
Origin: Sri Lanka
Brewing Parameters: 90°C, 250mL water, 2.2g teabag, 5 min.
Appearance: Small, rectangular paper tea bag with small black fannings
Rating: B | 84/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, I was supposed to review a different tea today, but my parents just got back from Minnesota and they brought this back. There's actually less information on the packaging for this tea than the ones from Taiwan; all I could really find was the name of the company (with a very cheesy and touristy logo), name of the tea, and location of production. The brewing parameters above, therefore, are what I'm choosing to do for myself.
The honey smell for this tea is very apprarent. It's in the loose leaf and the brewed liquid. I'm not versed enough in honey to figure out the flower its from, but it's very concentrated. If you've cooked with honey, or made honey candy before, you'd know the smell– it's very strong. As for the actual tea, it brewed a dark ruby color. It tastes very fruity (like berries) with notes of chocolate. I don't taste any strong honey flavors, but I think it adds a natural sweetness which is subtle, but there. There's only a slight bitter taste and some astringency after drinking, and a sour flavor lingers on the tongue. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good this tea is. It's a bit pricy; apparently it was around $5 for only 15 tea bags. I'd like to try it with milk, but it doesn't need extra sweetener.
Other Notes
Today's album isn't exactly an album. It's D.R.A.M's NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, which is pretty good. I found it through Chance the Rapper's Tiny Desk Concert (recommend that one too!). Generally, I've only really heard D.R.A.M. at parties or dances, but I'm actually very surprised how good of a singer he is. He reminds me of a few soul singers. The version of Broccoli he sings in this concert is great– much different than the album version.
After my parents left on Wednesday to go visit my sister in Minnesota, I've been very busy. I graduated the Justice Academy that day; the group speech went well (i.e. not great), but apparently I spoke well enough that I was asked to give a testimonial of the program for the press team. Afterwards, I got lunch with my friends at a Thai place and went home.
From Thursday to Sunday, I've either been getting high or drunk each day, and I regret it so much. On Friday, I hung out with one of my guy friends for the first time this summer (as I mentioned previously, I've been hanging out with girls exclusively) and of course, he wanted to smoke. It was fun seeing him again, since we grew up together and haven't met since school ended, but I remembered why I don't like hanging out with him too often: every time we hang out he wants to get high and tries to pressure everyone into it. After that, I cooked dinner with that friend that's also going to Cal and we watched Moonrise Kingdom (great movie, I loved it).
Then, on Saturday, I went to San Francisco to present a We the People testimony for next year's teams with my unitmate and a few friends from other schools. It went well; I'm a bit disappointed in the team from my school, though, since they were the last group to arrive and came in the smallest numbers. They're good at speaking, but I feel like the other teams have more motivation and potential than ours. After the workshops were over, the people hosting the event brought us to lunch at the Irish Bank and after, we went to get milk tea. I spent the rest of the evening with one of the people from the other schools (same unit as that girl I liked). We watched Antz and Hot Fuzz, had a few beers and a shot, and ate some of the birthday cheesecake I baked for her.
After she left, my guy friends called me up randomly to ask if they wanted to hang out (at around 10 pm), and I said yes since I haven't seen one of them in a while. I ended up regretting it. In short, they were high and smoked throughout the night, and we got In N Out, played Mario Kart, and watched videos we made as kids. It was fun, but again, my problem is that the only thing my guy friends want to do when we hang out is get high. It sounds more judgy than I wish it does, but they seem a lot more and more like stereotypical douchy fratboys.
I always thought that, in college, I wanted to be someone who goes out to parties and gets drunk and does all that stuff. But, after this weekend, and comparing it to my different friend groups, I don't think that it's for me. I don't know if it's because I've drifted apart from my old friend group (the guys), or what, but I just don't find the same enjoyment they do in smoking, skateboarding, freestyle rapping, or BMXing. I don't enjoy getting high as a kite, or drunk off my ass, or having intimate relationships with girls only for sex. I like doing what I do with the friends I made this year– cooking dinner together, going out for food, watching movies, hanging out together, and only occasionally, having a few beers or some weed. Doing bad stuff is nice in moderation, and when it isn't the only thing you do with your friends. I can't handle doing it every day like some of my friends do, nor do I want to. I guess it's good that I'm figuring this stuff out now; as much as I tell people to embrace who they are and do what they love (especially for college applications), I've struggled with coming to terms with my identity. It's hard, man, and I hope I figure it out in college.
Producer: Love from Minnesota
Origin: Sri Lanka
Brewing Parameters: 90°C, 250mL water, 2.2g teabag, 5 min.
Appearance: Small, rectangular paper tea bag with small black fannings
Rating: B | 84/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, I was supposed to review a different tea today, but my parents just got back from Minnesota and they brought this back. There's actually less information on the packaging for this tea than the ones from Taiwan; all I could really find was the name of the company (with a very cheesy and touristy logo), name of the tea, and location of production. The brewing parameters above, therefore, are what I'm choosing to do for myself.
The honey smell for this tea is very apprarent. It's in the loose leaf and the brewed liquid. I'm not versed enough in honey to figure out the flower its from, but it's very concentrated. If you've cooked with honey, or made honey candy before, you'd know the smell– it's very strong. As for the actual tea, it brewed a dark ruby color. It tastes very fruity (like berries) with notes of chocolate. I don't taste any strong honey flavors, but I think it adds a natural sweetness which is subtle, but there. There's only a slight bitter taste and some astringency after drinking, and a sour flavor lingers on the tongue. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good this tea is. It's a bit pricy; apparently it was around $5 for only 15 tea bags. I'd like to try it with milk, but it doesn't need extra sweetener.
Other Notes
Today's album isn't exactly an album. It's D.R.A.M's NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, which is pretty good. I found it through Chance the Rapper's Tiny Desk Concert (recommend that one too!). Generally, I've only really heard D.R.A.M. at parties or dances, but I'm actually very surprised how good of a singer he is. He reminds me of a few soul singers. The version of Broccoli he sings in this concert is great– much different than the album version.
After my parents left on Wednesday to go visit my sister in Minnesota, I've been very busy. I graduated the Justice Academy that day; the group speech went well (i.e. not great), but apparently I spoke well enough that I was asked to give a testimonial of the program for the press team. Afterwards, I got lunch with my friends at a Thai place and went home.
From Thursday to Sunday, I've either been getting high or drunk each day, and I regret it so much. On Friday, I hung out with one of my guy friends for the first time this summer (as I mentioned previously, I've been hanging out with girls exclusively) and of course, he wanted to smoke. It was fun seeing him again, since we grew up together and haven't met since school ended, but I remembered why I don't like hanging out with him too often: every time we hang out he wants to get high and tries to pressure everyone into it. After that, I cooked dinner with that friend that's also going to Cal and we watched Moonrise Kingdom (great movie, I loved it).
Then, on Saturday, I went to San Francisco to present a We the People testimony for next year's teams with my unitmate and a few friends from other schools. It went well; I'm a bit disappointed in the team from my school, though, since they were the last group to arrive and came in the smallest numbers. They're good at speaking, but I feel like the other teams have more motivation and potential than ours. After the workshops were over, the people hosting the event brought us to lunch at the Irish Bank and after, we went to get milk tea. I spent the rest of the evening with one of the people from the other schools (same unit as that girl I liked). We watched Antz and Hot Fuzz, had a few beers and a shot, and ate some of the birthday cheesecake I baked for her.
After she left, my guy friends called me up randomly to ask if they wanted to hang out (at around 10 pm), and I said yes since I haven't seen one of them in a while. I ended up regretting it. In short, they were high and smoked throughout the night, and we got In N Out, played Mario Kart, and watched videos we made as kids. It was fun, but again, my problem is that the only thing my guy friends want to do when we hang out is get high. It sounds more judgy than I wish it does, but they seem a lot more and more like stereotypical douchy fratboys.
I always thought that, in college, I wanted to be someone who goes out to parties and gets drunk and does all that stuff. But, after this weekend, and comparing it to my different friend groups, I don't think that it's for me. I don't know if it's because I've drifted apart from my old friend group (the guys), or what, but I just don't find the same enjoyment they do in smoking, skateboarding, freestyle rapping, or BMXing. I don't enjoy getting high as a kite, or drunk off my ass, or having intimate relationships with girls only for sex. I like doing what I do with the friends I made this year– cooking dinner together, going out for food, watching movies, hanging out together, and only occasionally, having a few beers or some weed. Doing bad stuff is nice in moderation, and when it isn't the only thing you do with your friends. I can't handle doing it every day like some of my friends do, nor do I want to. I guess it's good that I'm figuring this stuff out now; as much as I tell people to embrace who they are and do what they love (especially for college applications), I've struggled with coming to terms with my identity. It's hard, man, and I hope I figure it out in college.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Writing: College Application Essays #11 (Scholarships)
Note: I applied for a few scholarships, but the only one I was really successful with was UCLA's Leadership Award. I ended up recycling versions of some of the previous essays, so here is the one original one I wrote. I usually don't like rereading my writing, but I was surprised when I did for this essay because it's better than I thought it was when I wrote it. This is the final post in my college application series, so now I actually have to write some new content. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
Select any quote about leadership, and share how it relates to your core principles. (482 words)
On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt presented his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech to students at the University of Paris. These students did not know that four years later, they would be sent off to fight and die in the fields of Passchendaele, the Somme, or Verdun during one of the bloodiest wars in history.
Following the classic American ideal of rugged individualism, Roosevelt told them:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who strives valiantly... who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds... who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows... the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst... fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those... who neither know victory nor defeat.”
As a leader, the so-called “man in the arena” Roosevelt describes leads through action and example. He rises above, not by telling others what to do, but by doing it himself. He does not strive to succeed or fail; he strives to act, regardless of the outcome. No one can tell him otherwise. Every time he’s knocked down, he gets up, dusts himself off, and tries again.
The “man in the arena” embodies perseverance and determination. In my opinion, he follows the American Dream; if you keep trying, you will eventually achieve your hopes and aspirations. Martin Luther King Jr. tried again after state troopers beat civil rights activists on Bloody Sunday of the Selma marches. Carlos Bulosan, the Filipino immigrant and writer, kept writing despite the racism he encountered– and was published in a time when Asians were considered subhuman. Chief Justice Earl Warren continued to enforce desegregation and protect civil rights, despite facing massive resistance by the South and political backlash.
I follow in the footsteps of these men in the arena. However, my arena is not Jim Crow, racism, or American politics. My arena is classism and inequalities in education and opportunity. Unlike my peers, I cannot afford standardized test preparation, college counselors and tutors, or summer college programs. But, like King, Bulosan, or Warren, that does not stop me. I leave my small suburb, find as many free volunteer and educational programs, and succeed. With each rejection, I take a deep breath and move onto the next opportunity.
Intelligence, communication skills, and time management are just a few skills for being a strong leader. However, above all of these skills is the ability to stay motivated and act in the face of adversity. A strong leader will always find a way– and if he finds none, then he must make one.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Writing: College Application Essays #10 (University of California 2)
Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.
Since elementary school, American history has been my favorite subject.
Beginning in 1607, immigrants have come to America in search of wealth, liberty, or life. Through free land in the West, Americans have formed a deep commitment to the ideals of social mobility and rugged individualism; everyone, and anyone, can succeed through hard work. This mindset has created the American dream: a distinct, unwavering work ethic and optimism not found anywhere else.
However, history shows that this dream is not attainable for all. For many minorities, the system works to prevent their success.
For women, suffrage came about after a long 140 years, despite their roles in shaping the nation’s politics, economics, and culture since the colonial era. For African-Americans, remnants of slavery led to Jim Crow laws and, today, issues of police brutality and mass incarceration. For Asian-Americans, discriminatory immigration laws, fueled by anti-Asian sentiment, associated us with crime and undesirability. Similar patterns are seen for all other minority groups.
Although time has shown that the American dream only exists for a minority of the majority, it still thrives today. Americans still have faith in the institutions that have discriminated against them for three centuries.
That faith has led me to ask: why do we continue to trust these systems? AP US History was only the entrance to that rabbit hole; it led me to explore our nation’s ideological foundation and the struggles of the underclass.
That’s why, this year, I’m studying African American Literature, the first class in my school solely about people of color; volunteering with the Uhuru Movement and Cheza Nami, groups dedicated to advancing African rights and culture; and competing with Amador’s Competition Civics team, debating the Constitution and Bill of Rights in a style similar to a congressional hearing.
For many Americans today, including my parents– first generation immigrants from rural provinces in the Philippines– the past has not stopped them. Nor will it stop me. The American Dream thrives on our choice to take initiative to change the status quo, and that is why I love our history.
What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?
Camellia sinensis– tea– is a modest drink. At its base, it’s just hot water and leaves; however, depending on the country, it has milk, sugar, cream, honey, or interestingly, yak butter. Since its discovery, tea has shaped the world, determining cultural traditions, economics, and politics. Today, it’s a close second to water.
Beginning freshman year, I’ve explored this drink. I’ve learned the Chinese tea ceremony, authored a tea review blog, and tried, unsuccessfully, to start a tea club at my school. It’s quickly spiraled out of hand; in three years, I’ve tasted over 150 teas from the Azores Islands to the shores of Tanegashima.
Through it, I’ve learned history, culture, and even science. I’ve asked myself several questions: “What made tea so important to the feudal Japanese? When did tea reach India and become a staple good? Why did Americans choose coffee over tea?” Answering these questions requires looking at the history of colonialism, the rise of international trade, and how they’ve affected cultural beliefs.
Then, there’s the most important question, “How can I make the best tasting cup?” The scientific method is the perfect solution; each hypothesis and trial reveals a new depth to the taste.
With my research, I’ve found that tea is special. It’s a paradox; it’s simple, but yet, so complex. From a single leaf, you can create a grassy green, creamy oolong, earthy black, or fishy pu’erh.
But, at first, it’s not much. If you want the best taste, you must spend time with your tea, working with it to discover its strengths and weaknesses. It requires enthusiasm, determination, and a keen attention to detail.
If you want to succeed, these skills are key. That’s why I love tea. It’s given me stronger problem-solving abilities and a better understanding of the importance of multiculturalism and diversity. It’s allowed me to explore my Filipino roots and succeed in and out of school. No one I’ve met has had the same passion for tea, and that’s okay. For me, it has been the perfect source for exploring the world and my identity.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Review: Zen - Tazo
Type: Blend (Green and Herbal)
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 236 ml hot water, 80°C, 3 min. (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoidal paper tea bag with green tea dust, lemongrass, and spearmint
Rating: 88 | B+/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
As I mentioned in a previous review, I got this tea at the California mock trial state finals when I raided the hotel's tea display. When I brewed this tea, it came out a very dark orange/amber color– the same color that mint tea usually comes out as (the spearmint here I think is the culprit). Same with the smell, it's more minty than grassy or citrusy. It actually has a very pleasant taste, too. I'd say it's a predominantly a mint tea; the first and foremost taste is spearmint. After that, it goes into a mellow, grassy flavor with a vague sweetness, and finally, it becomes sour and stays in the mouth for a few seconds. It feels like an interesting in-between for green tea and a tisane, and it's not bad at all. Overall, I like it; my only problem I have with it, but that's with all Tazo tea in general, is that the teabags are never really have any good quality leaf in them (I wonder if they sell loose leaf?).
Other Notes
Today's album is EP by little xs for eyes. Found this band through the remix album by Sounds of System Breakdown, and this has always been one of my go-tos for relaxation music. It's mainly acoustic, slow, and very chill, but from what I've heard, their new stuff has gone to a more upbeat, pop/indie/folk sound. I like it; check them out sometime.
So, yesterday was my last day of work. It went the same as usual; only notable thing was that I helped an old Mexican man pick up his keys, and after we went through security, he almost accidentally grabbed my wallet instead of his. I stopped him and gave him his, but he began to talk to me in Spanish and I didn't really know how to respond (I don't speak Spanish). So, I mostly just nodded and said yeah, and wished him a good day as I walked away.
The day before that, it was my friend's grad party. Quick backstory: she's from my main friend group from freshman and sophomore year, and we took African American Literature together this year. The group broke apart around junior year; people had left in small groups before because they made new friends or started dating people, but there was a big fight and a lot of drama between my ex and this friend. The group broke after that. At the party, though, some of the group got back together and it was fun– we got in a limo and went to an Indian/Pakistani restaurant to eat. Food (samosas, curry, chicken, fish, naan, and interestingly a chocolate fountain) was amazing, and we watched a Muslim prayer. The drive home was the best part. We got glow sticks and blasted music like Bohemian Rhapsody, All Star, Panic! at the Disco, and a few others, and just had fun screwing around. Someone mentioned this at one point, and I think she was absolutely right: we're all great people, but when we were together in that group, it was just very toxic.
One thing that came up often was my ex. Apparently, she used to talk badly of almost everyone behind their backs, and there was a lot of drama over relationships (not with me, but from crushes carrying over from middle school). We don't talk anymore. We used to chat on messenger and snapchat pretty often, but she suddenly stopped one day. I was told at the grad party, though, that she had posted on her tumblr that she had said she wanted to distance herself from her ex (i.e. me) and mentioned stuff like never snapchatting your ex when you're having emotional struggles. Oh well. It's been a while since we last talked– we had a quick conversation about AP scores last week, and it felt very strained– and I guess I've moved on. It hasn't bothered me too much, but she does cross my mind sometimes.
Today, I have to enroll for my classes for Berkeley. I'm planning on taking general chemistry, intro to sociology, foundations of data science, and single variable calculus; hopefully I can get an Asian American studies class on musicals, too. I feel like it might be a lot and that I should take only three classes my first semester, but since I'm interested in double majoring in biological/environmental sciences and a social science, I have to take a lot of the boring, general classes to be able to declare before I get into the fun stuff in upper divisions. Also, I need to take breadths which forces me to take interesting classes (data science is one of those). The great thing is that, if it's too much for me, I have time to drop a class before I'm stuck. I want to get good grades in college, but I'll have to put a lot more work if I want to keep the straight As I earned in high school. My realistic goal is a 3.0, to keep my scholarship, but the dream is over a 3.5 GPA.
Tomorrow, I graduate from the justice academy and have to present a speech that we haven't necessarily practiced that much, but I feel like it'll go fine. My parents won't be able to attend since they'll be on a flight to Minnesota; I think that's good since my group isn't so polished. I'm going to spend the rest of the week relaxing and hanging out with friends, since I have the house until Sunday or Monday. On Saturday, I'll be going to San Francisco to watch the first summer session for next year's We the People teams, so that'll be fun– I'm excited since I'm going with a few friends.
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 236 ml hot water, 80°C, 3 min. (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoidal paper tea bag with green tea dust, lemongrass, and spearmint
Rating: 88 | B+/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
As I mentioned in a previous review, I got this tea at the California mock trial state finals when I raided the hotel's tea display. When I brewed this tea, it came out a very dark orange/amber color– the same color that mint tea usually comes out as (the spearmint here I think is the culprit). Same with the smell, it's more minty than grassy or citrusy. It actually has a very pleasant taste, too. I'd say it's a predominantly a mint tea; the first and foremost taste is spearmint. After that, it goes into a mellow, grassy flavor with a vague sweetness, and finally, it becomes sour and stays in the mouth for a few seconds. It feels like an interesting in-between for green tea and a tisane, and it's not bad at all. Overall, I like it; my only problem I have with it, but that's with all Tazo tea in general, is that the teabags are never really have any good quality leaf in them (I wonder if they sell loose leaf?).
Other Notes
Today's album is EP by little xs for eyes. Found this band through the remix album by Sounds of System Breakdown, and this has always been one of my go-tos for relaxation music. It's mainly acoustic, slow, and very chill, but from what I've heard, their new stuff has gone to a more upbeat, pop/indie/folk sound. I like it; check them out sometime.
So, yesterday was my last day of work. It went the same as usual; only notable thing was that I helped an old Mexican man pick up his keys, and after we went through security, he almost accidentally grabbed my wallet instead of his. I stopped him and gave him his, but he began to talk to me in Spanish and I didn't really know how to respond (I don't speak Spanish). So, I mostly just nodded and said yeah, and wished him a good day as I walked away.
The day before that, it was my friend's grad party. Quick backstory: she's from my main friend group from freshman and sophomore year, and we took African American Literature together this year. The group broke apart around junior year; people had left in small groups before because they made new friends or started dating people, but there was a big fight and a lot of drama between my ex and this friend. The group broke after that. At the party, though, some of the group got back together and it was fun– we got in a limo and went to an Indian/Pakistani restaurant to eat. Food (samosas, curry, chicken, fish, naan, and interestingly a chocolate fountain) was amazing, and we watched a Muslim prayer. The drive home was the best part. We got glow sticks and blasted music like Bohemian Rhapsody, All Star, Panic! at the Disco, and a few others, and just had fun screwing around. Someone mentioned this at one point, and I think she was absolutely right: we're all great people, but when we were together in that group, it was just very toxic.
One thing that came up often was my ex. Apparently, she used to talk badly of almost everyone behind their backs, and there was a lot of drama over relationships (not with me, but from crushes carrying over from middle school). We don't talk anymore. We used to chat on messenger and snapchat pretty often, but she suddenly stopped one day. I was told at the grad party, though, that she had posted on her tumblr that she had said she wanted to distance herself from her ex (i.e. me) and mentioned stuff like never snapchatting your ex when you're having emotional struggles. Oh well. It's been a while since we last talked– we had a quick conversation about AP scores last week, and it felt very strained– and I guess I've moved on. It hasn't bothered me too much, but she does cross my mind sometimes.
Today, I have to enroll for my classes for Berkeley. I'm planning on taking general chemistry, intro to sociology, foundations of data science, and single variable calculus; hopefully I can get an Asian American studies class on musicals, too. I feel like it might be a lot and that I should take only three classes my first semester, but since I'm interested in double majoring in biological/environmental sciences and a social science, I have to take a lot of the boring, general classes to be able to declare before I get into the fun stuff in upper divisions. Also, I need to take breadths which forces me to take interesting classes (data science is one of those). The great thing is that, if it's too much for me, I have time to drop a class before I'm stuck. I want to get good grades in college, but I'll have to put a lot more work if I want to keep the straight As I earned in high school. My realistic goal is a 3.0, to keep my scholarship, but the dream is over a 3.5 GPA.
Tomorrow, I graduate from the justice academy and have to present a speech that we haven't necessarily practiced that much, but I feel like it'll go fine. My parents won't be able to attend since they'll be on a flight to Minnesota; I think that's good since my group isn't so polished. I'm going to spend the rest of the week relaxing and hanging out with friends, since I have the house until Sunday or Monday. On Saturday, I'll be going to San Francisco to watch the first summer session for next year's We the People teams, so that'll be fun– I'm excited since I'm going with a few friends.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Writing: College Application Essays #9 (University of California 1)
Note: So, these are the essays that got me into all of the UCs I applied to and with some nice scholarships to boot. This year of applications required 4 essays of 350 words each, so I'll be splitting them into 2 separate posts. I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I got sidetracked, so here it is now.
Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
For me, creativity comes as unorthodox solutions to real-life problems.
Generally, the issue of designing public transportation falls under the category of civil engineering. When planning, officials must ask: how can groups of people, going to different destinations, take similar routes? How can we minimize damage to the environment? What technologies will we use?
For these questions, engineers refer to mathematics and the physical sciences. However, one field that they do not refer to is biology. How could the study of life be used to figure out how to move people on a large scale?
After studying this problem, the solution came in the form of the modest slime mold. A simple organism with a primitive intelligence, physarum polycephalum lacks a nervous system but has been proved to recreate the designs of railways around the world. I thought that if this slime mold can recreate transit systems, then it should be able to design one.
For six months, my room was littered with petri dishes, containing oat flakes and yellowish webs of physarum polycephalum. In the end, the experiments recreated the layouts of BART and Alameda County’s roadways, validating the efficiency of what exists.
The reason for this is simple; for many organisms, survival comes from equality of energy input and output. Therefore, in real life, the roads and trains we use everyday are the perfect balance of fuel usage and distance traveled. The networks the physarum polycephalum created are a living representation of that.
When I presented this project at the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair, the judges praised it as a creative approach to a common problem. I was awarded first place in my category and a scholarship from Chevron for the work.
My way of expressing creativity is by connecting the dots in a new way. The parts were already in place. In biology, slime mold has been studied for its design capabilities. In civil engineering, transit designs are weighed for costs and benefits. The only piece the puzzle needed was for someone to take these two separate ideas and fit them together.
Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Being from a Filipino family with a rural background, the most significant challenge I have faced was finding a place in an economically homogeneous community. In 2014, Pleasanton, California had a median household income of $123,608– 230% above the national median. In this affluent suburb, there is decent racial diversity, with sixty percent white, twenty percent Asian, ten percent Hispanic, followed by African Americans and others.
The same racial diversity exists in Amador Valley High School. However, in contrast, there is a glaring lack of economic diversity, which becomes apparent in upper-level AP and honors classes. Because students can afford high-end college counselors and SAT prep programs, Amador has an ultra-competitive academic environment at the cost of students’ mental health.
Pleasanton is interesting in that way; race, on its own, is not the problem. Classism and elitism, on the other hand, are what plague the community. Students are judged on their academics, but in the end, their success is solely determined by money or family connections.
With my background, I face challenges that my classmates do not. Being academically, but not economically competitive, I’ve had to take risks to succeed, participating in as many free science and volunteer programs as possible across the Bay Area.
By overcoming this challenge, I’ve realized that while this lack of economic diversity is damaging to most students, it has helped me grow as an individual. Without the same advantages as my peers, I’ve accepted that I’m not going to participate in summer college programs across the country, learn how to game the system of standardized tests, or have an internship at a local laboratory. But that doesn’t stop me; rather, it’s pushed me to work even harder. If anything, my achievement is a small symbol against Pleasanton’s powerful class system.
You just need to pick your battles and find a niche. If you can’t match academic success with money, you match it with a genuine love for learning. If you can’t buy opportunities, you find them, no matter how far you have to go. There’s always a way.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Review: Teh Tarik - Lipton
Type: Instant
Producer: Lipton
Origin: Indonesia
Brewing Parameters: 180 ml hot water, 85°C, one packet (recommended)
Appearance: Light brown and grayish-white powder
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Although it isn't what I usually review, I still consider instant tea to be some kind of tea. This particular tea is from Singapore/Malaysia, and like the teabags from earlier reviews, came across the sea in a big box with other goodies. I usually make this tea iced and with milk; my method of preparation is adding boiling water to dissolve the powder into a paste, and then mixing it with cold milk. For purposes of this review, I'll be following the instructions, however.
Interestingly, this tea is very frothy/bubbly. A layer of bubbles formed with little mixing, covering a creamy, dark brown liquid. It smelled very sweet; if you've had milk tea with a black tea base, it smells very similar to this. I think this is essentially just that. I usually make this tea with milk because I found the flavor to taste very watered down when I make it with water, but that may be because I add too much. Without milk, I found that this tea tastes very similar to milk coffee; it has that strong, somewhat bitter flavor that's earthy. It's sweet, but it also has a light sour flavor coming from the tea base. The aftertaste is the milk, which has a waxy feeling that comes from I found powdered dairy creamers. In general, I find that instant teas don't necessarily taste the best on their own– but if you change the method of preparation, it can improve it. They're generally better for a quick sugar fix or if you're lazy and want milk tea. In the realm of instant teas, however, this is one of my favorite ones. My only problem is that it's only sold overseas, so it's more of a treat than a daily drink.
Other Notes
Today's album is Vault Vol. 2 by STRFKR. As much as I love STRFKR's new albums. like Being No One, Going Nowhere, they have definitely changed their sound. It was more acoustic and folksy and now focuses more on synths, but it still is the same pop-feeling. This album was released last night, and I think it's a nice return to the albums that actually got me interested in STRFKR in the first place.
These past few days have been incredibly busy. Thursday was fun; I took the MUNI Metro for the first time with one of my closest friends (I love her, she was on my competition civics team and we're both going to Berkeley) and we went to Golden Gate Park. We had some really good Thai food and walked around the park, near the Conservatory of Flowers and Botanical Gardens. We listened to some jazz underneath a bridge and explored the area around the De Young museum. Eventually, we found our way up a large hill that gave a good view of the park and city, and watched a few hawks and (apparently) an erotic comedy that people were acting out at the top. We talked a lot about stuff like family and our relationships with friends, and headed back to the Embarcadero where we got ice cream from the Ferry Building. The day ended with us playing games at the Musee Mechanique and exploring Pier 39 before walking home and riding BART back.
Yesterday, I had an adventure showing my friend from San Diego around San Francisco. A lot happened that day, so look at the post before this if you want an overview.
I got back very late last night, so I slept in. I was supposed to watch Spiderman: Homecoming with my friends (the first time I'd be hanging out with my guy friends this entire summer), but it didn't work out because I was too tired to wake up early and my other friend had a hair appointment. I did wake up to a number of texts and a missed call from the third friend that I told last night that I'll be sleeping in. He's one of my childhood friends, but as much as I like him, he can be kind of self-conscious; his texts today reminded me like that possessive girlfriend stereotype, which was a bit annoying. We'll reschedule it later though, and I'll be hanging out with my unitmate and my friend from earlier that's going to Cal, too, so I'm not too upset. I still have that essay to write due tomorrow evening, but once next week is over, I'll finally be able to take a break.
Producer: Lipton
Origin: Indonesia
Brewing Parameters: 180 ml hot water, 85°C, one packet (recommended)
Appearance: Light brown and grayish-white powder
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Although it isn't what I usually review, I still consider instant tea to be some kind of tea. This particular tea is from Singapore/Malaysia, and like the teabags from earlier reviews, came across the sea in a big box with other goodies. I usually make this tea iced and with milk; my method of preparation is adding boiling water to dissolve the powder into a paste, and then mixing it with cold milk. For purposes of this review, I'll be following the instructions, however.
Interestingly, this tea is very frothy/bubbly. A layer of bubbles formed with little mixing, covering a creamy, dark brown liquid. It smelled very sweet; if you've had milk tea with a black tea base, it smells very similar to this. I think this is essentially just that. I usually make this tea with milk because I found the flavor to taste very watered down when I make it with water, but that may be because I add too much. Without milk, I found that this tea tastes very similar to milk coffee; it has that strong, somewhat bitter flavor that's earthy. It's sweet, but it also has a light sour flavor coming from the tea base. The aftertaste is the milk, which has a waxy feeling that comes from I found powdered dairy creamers. In general, I find that instant teas don't necessarily taste the best on their own– but if you change the method of preparation, it can improve it. They're generally better for a quick sugar fix or if you're lazy and want milk tea. In the realm of instant teas, however, this is one of my favorite ones. My only problem is that it's only sold overseas, so it's more of a treat than a daily drink.
Other Notes
Today's album is Vault Vol. 2 by STRFKR. As much as I love STRFKR's new albums. like Being No One, Going Nowhere, they have definitely changed their sound. It was more acoustic and folksy and now focuses more on synths, but it still is the same pop-feeling. This album was released last night, and I think it's a nice return to the albums that actually got me interested in STRFKR in the first place.
These past few days have been incredibly busy. Thursday was fun; I took the MUNI Metro for the first time with one of my closest friends (I love her, she was on my competition civics team and we're both going to Berkeley) and we went to Golden Gate Park. We had some really good Thai food and walked around the park, near the Conservatory of Flowers and Botanical Gardens. We listened to some jazz underneath a bridge and explored the area around the De Young museum. Eventually, we found our way up a large hill that gave a good view of the park and city, and watched a few hawks and (apparently) an erotic comedy that people were acting out at the top. We talked a lot about stuff like family and our relationships with friends, and headed back to the Embarcadero where we got ice cream from the Ferry Building. The day ended with us playing games at the Musee Mechanique and exploring Pier 39 before walking home and riding BART back.
Yesterday, I had an adventure showing my friend from San Diego around San Francisco. A lot happened that day, so look at the post before this if you want an overview.
I got back very late last night, so I slept in. I was supposed to watch Spiderman: Homecoming with my friends (the first time I'd be hanging out with my guy friends this entire summer), but it didn't work out because I was too tired to wake up early and my other friend had a hair appointment. I did wake up to a number of texts and a missed call from the third friend that I told last night that I'll be sleeping in. He's one of my childhood friends, but as much as I like him, he can be kind of self-conscious; his texts today reminded me like that possessive girlfriend stereotype, which was a bit annoying. We'll reschedule it later though, and I'll be hanging out with my unitmate and my friend from earlier that's going to Cal, too, so I'm not too upset. I still have that essay to write due tomorrow evening, but once next week is over, I'll finally be able to take a break.
A Day in San Francisco
Sorry for missing a post on the schedule, but I have a strong excuse– I was showing my friend from San Diego (going to UCLA) around San Francisco and Berkeley. I just got home from spending the last hour or two riding trains, so I'm very tired. But, still, it was one of the most exciting times I've had in a while, with three parts: San Francisco with my friend, Berkeley with her and her friend going to SFSU, and going home. For ease, I'm going to call them by the college they're going to.
The first part of the day was very touristy. In the morning, I took BART and the MUNI Metro to pick up UCLA at the university, and we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. I've been a few times, and today it was more beautiful than ever. There was just the right amount of fog and sun, but we still had a perfect view of the bridge, city, Alcatraz, and bay. UCLA thought the bridge was more beautiful in person than it is in the postcards; it never really hit her that it was something tangible– that it was large and able to be walked on. Once we walked half of the bridge, we took a bus going the wrong direction but eventually reached Ghiradelli Square, where UCLA bought some ice cream and I bought a shake. We walked along the waterside until we reached Fisherman's Wharf, where we had sourdough clam chowder at Boudin and played foosball at the Musee Mechanique. After that, we went to Pier 39 and window shopped for a while. The conversation mainly revolved around our own relationships, plans for college, and experiences working at ice cream shops. Finally, we caught a bus to Chinatown and went shopping for clothing and fidget spinners– her choice, not mine. We spent a lot of time thinking of bad pick-up lines/puns that I sent to my friends; UCLA eventually got a call from SFSU that she was done with orientation, so after resting in a park for a while, we all met at BART.
From BART, the second part of the day began as we met. I think we all hit it off pretty well, and we took a train to Berkeley. There, I brought them to the Asian Ghetto for food, and afterwards we looked for stores selling Cal gear. Most were closed, so we just decided to get milk tea at U-Cha and I gave them a tour of the campus, showing them the basic stuff like the Campanile, Valley Life Sciences Building, and whispering bench. The day ended with an ice cream sandwich at Cream, which we all shared together before heading back to BART. It was getting pretty late, but since they didn't really know how to navigate public transit here, I went back with them to the university.
The last leg of the trip came from my adventure trying to get back home. I haven't taken MUNI Metro at all until the day before, and when I reached the end of the line, I had no clue how to reach a BART Station. My phone was almost dead, and I got onto another train, but was kicked off by the operator who said that he was also reaching the end of the line. I ended up hopping onto a third train, marked shuttle, that I had no idea where was going– all I knew that it was moving in the direction I needed to go. At this time of the night, San Francisco was especially beautiful; it was a sea of lights in a place I had never been alone. I had a conversation with a man who had a knack for identifying people's races and spoke too fast and too quiet with a mumble. He connected the protests today, in Germany and about Korea, with his experiences seeing the protests about the Vietnam War. After transferring to another train once the shuttle stopped, I finally was in a place I felt was familiar. I got off at Civic Center and had a quick conversation with a Filipino lady who lived near the station and was surprised that I lived so far away from San Francisco.
Since I've never taken BART this late at night, and caught the second-to-last train, I went in and sat down in the first seat I could. When I did, I accidentally took the seat of a man who was going to sit with his wife– and he angrily asked me if I was stealing his girl. I quickly switched to the seat behind him, and I spent the rest of the ride watching the rest of the people on the train. In front of me was the angry man and his wife; they fell asleep together as the ride went on. Behind me was a girl who was either writing or sketching something in a notebook the entire ride. To my left, there was a man who looked angry at the world, taking swigs out of a bottle of Jager and chasing it down with coke. He was eventually replaced with two ladies who were drunk and giddy and laughing the entire time. In the corner of the car were two young metalheads, who kept flashing the rock-on sign throughout the ride. The most interesting people was another couple, two seats in front of me, who discussed the importance of education in socioeconomics. Someone sitting next to them joined their conversation, and they talked about topics ranging from music, to stories growing up and leaving home, to recipes, and to ideas of progressivism. The wife looked at me a couple of times, smiled, and rolled her eyes when politics came up, and I smiled back.
Today was a day with a lot of firsts. I took a number of buses that I never have taken before. I went to places that I've never been, despite living here for my whole life. I ate at restaurants that I've never tried, and walked in areas that I've never seen. I also got to look at the city and stay out, far from home, at a time much later than I've ever been. It's fun– but it's also terrifying and exciting at the same time. At times, it felt lonely. At others, I felt like I had been long friends with people I've only known for a weekend or have never met at all. I guess this is what it feels like to grow up; last night was memorable and I'd definitely do it again in a heartbeat.
The first part of the day was very touristy. In the morning, I took BART and the MUNI Metro to pick up UCLA at the university, and we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. I've been a few times, and today it was more beautiful than ever. There was just the right amount of fog and sun, but we still had a perfect view of the bridge, city, Alcatraz, and bay. UCLA thought the bridge was more beautiful in person than it is in the postcards; it never really hit her that it was something tangible– that it was large and able to be walked on. Once we walked half of the bridge, we took a bus going the wrong direction but eventually reached Ghiradelli Square, where UCLA bought some ice cream and I bought a shake. We walked along the waterside until we reached Fisherman's Wharf, where we had sourdough clam chowder at Boudin and played foosball at the Musee Mechanique. After that, we went to Pier 39 and window shopped for a while. The conversation mainly revolved around our own relationships, plans for college, and experiences working at ice cream shops. Finally, we caught a bus to Chinatown and went shopping for clothing and fidget spinners– her choice, not mine. We spent a lot of time thinking of bad pick-up lines/puns that I sent to my friends; UCLA eventually got a call from SFSU that she was done with orientation, so after resting in a park for a while, we all met at BART.
From BART, the second part of the day began as we met. I think we all hit it off pretty well, and we took a train to Berkeley. There, I brought them to the Asian Ghetto for food, and afterwards we looked for stores selling Cal gear. Most were closed, so we just decided to get milk tea at U-Cha and I gave them a tour of the campus, showing them the basic stuff like the Campanile, Valley Life Sciences Building, and whispering bench. The day ended with an ice cream sandwich at Cream, which we all shared together before heading back to BART. It was getting pretty late, but since they didn't really know how to navigate public transit here, I went back with them to the university.
The last leg of the trip came from my adventure trying to get back home. I haven't taken MUNI Metro at all until the day before, and when I reached the end of the line, I had no clue how to reach a BART Station. My phone was almost dead, and I got onto another train, but was kicked off by the operator who said that he was also reaching the end of the line. I ended up hopping onto a third train, marked shuttle, that I had no idea where was going– all I knew that it was moving in the direction I needed to go. At this time of the night, San Francisco was especially beautiful; it was a sea of lights in a place I had never been alone. I had a conversation with a man who had a knack for identifying people's races and spoke too fast and too quiet with a mumble. He connected the protests today, in Germany and about Korea, with his experiences seeing the protests about the Vietnam War. After transferring to another train once the shuttle stopped, I finally was in a place I felt was familiar. I got off at Civic Center and had a quick conversation with a Filipino lady who lived near the station and was surprised that I lived so far away from San Francisco.
Since I've never taken BART this late at night, and caught the second-to-last train, I went in and sat down in the first seat I could. When I did, I accidentally took the seat of a man who was going to sit with his wife– and he angrily asked me if I was stealing his girl. I quickly switched to the seat behind him, and I spent the rest of the ride watching the rest of the people on the train. In front of me was the angry man and his wife; they fell asleep together as the ride went on. Behind me was a girl who was either writing or sketching something in a notebook the entire ride. To my left, there was a man who looked angry at the world, taking swigs out of a bottle of Jager and chasing it down with coke. He was eventually replaced with two ladies who were drunk and giddy and laughing the entire time. In the corner of the car were two young metalheads, who kept flashing the rock-on sign throughout the ride. The most interesting people was another couple, two seats in front of me, who discussed the importance of education in socioeconomics. Someone sitting next to them joined their conversation, and they talked about topics ranging from music, to stories growing up and leaving home, to recipes, and to ideas of progressivism. The wife looked at me a couple of times, smiled, and rolled her eyes when politics came up, and I smiled back.
Today was a day with a lot of firsts. I took a number of buses that I never have taken before. I went to places that I've never been, despite living here for my whole life. I ate at restaurants that I've never tried, and walked in areas that I've never seen. I also got to look at the city and stay out, far from home, at a time much later than I've ever been. It's fun– but it's also terrifying and exciting at the same time. At times, it felt lonely. At others, I felt like I had been long friends with people I've only known for a weekend or have never met at all. I guess this is what it feels like to grow up; last night was memorable and I'd definitely do it again in a heartbeat.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Review: Lemon & Ginger - Twinings
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Twinings
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 3-4 min., 1.8g tea bag (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoid-shaped paper tea bag with small chunks of ginger and some strands of unknown herbs
Rating: B+ | 88/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
The story behind this teabag is another short one. I think we received a box (or my parents returned with one) from Singapore or Philippines. One of my aunts included this tea in there, and I ended up taking it and drinking it often for colds, sore throats, and other ailments. Knowing that I'd review it eventually– it's been more than a year now– I put away a single tea bag for a day like today. And here we are now!
Since I threw away the box listing all of the ingredient information a long time ago, all I can really identify is the ginger. I'm guessing there might be lemongrass, but I really have no idea. After brewing for four minutes, the liquid came out a very dark, dull yellow with a bit of cloudiness. Sweet lemon was the main scent coming off of the tea, with some light notes of the ginger hiding in the back. Unlike most teas with ginger, I actually found the ginger to not be so overpowering; it's mainly a light lemon flavor that's more savory than fruity. The ginger mainly comes in as a feeling, rather than a taste. The spiciness of the ginger lingers on the tongue after the lemon taste quickly subsides, but is complemented by a subtle sweetness. It's been a while since I've had this last, but I can see why I went through the box so fast. I like it– and I think if you added honey, it'd emphasize the natural sweetness that's in this tea.
Other Notes
Today's album is Under the Western Freeway by Grandaddy. I mentioned Sophtware Slump, by the same artist, awhile ago in another review, but this is the album that got me into Grandaddy. In particular, the song AM 180 is one of my favorite songs by them; I have some fond memories associated with it. At my second California Extreme, I think, I brought my friends to the music showcase to listen to Slime Girls (the first of a few times I'd be listening to them) very late at night, around maybe 2 AM. They opened with that song, and I just remember being half-asleep, sitting down and hearing AM 180 in a tiny room that made me half-deaf after a few songs. It might have been one of the first concerts I actually wanted to go to.
Busy week. Finished at the DA's office for this week, with my last day next Monday. On the Fourth, I went to a friend's house for some food (really good ribs) and then worked at the ice cream shop, which was, you guessed it, very busy considering the holiday. Some notable things from that night were a conversation with a girl visiting from Virginia about college applications and another group of girls getting excited over my UCLA hat and talking to me thinking I went there (no looking back now about Cal, though. Trying to work on moving on from choices I've made without regrets).
My unitmate, who also works with me at the shop, called me out on flirting with them (which, admittedly, I sort of was) and says there's something about me that makes girls, but not guys, want to talk to me. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing but I guess she's right; I haven't done a single thing with any of my guy friends this summer. Hopefully that changes on Saturday, since I plan to watch a movie with the boys. Other things I have planned are a spontaneous trip to Golden Gate Park tomorrow (no idea what we're going to do, but that'll be fun), a tour around San Francisco with one of the people I met at UCLA on Friday, and a grad party on Sunday. After next week, I should finally be free to do more things since the Justice Academy finally ends. Still going to work at the ice cream shop, though.
Now, I've been procrastinating on an essay I need to write for my Berkeley online class. Expect a new post on Friday! My new schedule, if you haven't noticed, is a new post every two days.
Producer: Twinings
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 3-4 min., 1.8g tea bag (recommended)
Appearance: Trapezoid-shaped paper tea bag with small chunks of ginger and some strands of unknown herbs
Rating: B+ | 88/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
The story behind this teabag is another short one. I think we received a box (or my parents returned with one) from Singapore or Philippines. One of my aunts included this tea in there, and I ended up taking it and drinking it often for colds, sore throats, and other ailments. Knowing that I'd review it eventually– it's been more than a year now– I put away a single tea bag for a day like today. And here we are now!
Since I threw away the box listing all of the ingredient information a long time ago, all I can really identify is the ginger. I'm guessing there might be lemongrass, but I really have no idea. After brewing for four minutes, the liquid came out a very dark, dull yellow with a bit of cloudiness. Sweet lemon was the main scent coming off of the tea, with some light notes of the ginger hiding in the back. Unlike most teas with ginger, I actually found the ginger to not be so overpowering; it's mainly a light lemon flavor that's more savory than fruity. The ginger mainly comes in as a feeling, rather than a taste. The spiciness of the ginger lingers on the tongue after the lemon taste quickly subsides, but is complemented by a subtle sweetness. It's been a while since I've had this last, but I can see why I went through the box so fast. I like it– and I think if you added honey, it'd emphasize the natural sweetness that's in this tea.
Other Notes
Today's album is Under the Western Freeway by Grandaddy. I mentioned Sophtware Slump, by the same artist, awhile ago in another review, but this is the album that got me into Grandaddy. In particular, the song AM 180 is one of my favorite songs by them; I have some fond memories associated with it. At my second California Extreme, I think, I brought my friends to the music showcase to listen to Slime Girls (the first of a few times I'd be listening to them) very late at night, around maybe 2 AM. They opened with that song, and I just remember being half-asleep, sitting down and hearing AM 180 in a tiny room that made me half-deaf after a few songs. It might have been one of the first concerts I actually wanted to go to.
Busy week. Finished at the DA's office for this week, with my last day next Monday. On the Fourth, I went to a friend's house for some food (really good ribs) and then worked at the ice cream shop, which was, you guessed it, very busy considering the holiday. Some notable things from that night were a conversation with a girl visiting from Virginia about college applications and another group of girls getting excited over my UCLA hat and talking to me thinking I went there (no looking back now about Cal, though. Trying to work on moving on from choices I've made without regrets).
My unitmate, who also works with me at the shop, called me out on flirting with them (which, admittedly, I sort of was) and says there's something about me that makes girls, but not guys, want to talk to me. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing but I guess she's right; I haven't done a single thing with any of my guy friends this summer. Hopefully that changes on Saturday, since I plan to watch a movie with the boys. Other things I have planned are a spontaneous trip to Golden Gate Park tomorrow (no idea what we're going to do, but that'll be fun), a tour around San Francisco with one of the people I met at UCLA on Friday, and a grad party on Sunday. After next week, I should finally be free to do more things since the Justice Academy finally ends. Still going to work at the ice cream shop, though.
Now, I've been procrastinating on an essay I need to write for my Berkeley online class. Expect a new post on Friday! My new schedule, if you haven't noticed, is a new post every two days.
Monday, July 3, 2017
Writing: College Application Essays #8 (Common App - Misc.)
Note: I put this essay in the other comments section of my application– dumb idea, yes, I know– when I should have actually made it my main essay. This is one of my favorite ones, and I used it for some scholarship applications, which I never heard back from.
Pleasanton, California is known as one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation. In 2007, the United States Census Bureau named it the most affluent midsize city in America. In 2013, around sixty percent of households made over $100,000.
Pleasanton, California is known as one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation. In 2007, the United States Census Bureau named it the most affluent midsize city in America. In 2013, around sixty percent of households made over $100,000.
In 1997, my family found its way to this picturesque and prosperous suburban city after arriving from rural provinces in the Philippines. Understandably, they experienced quite a bit of culture shock. Armed only with their newly-earned college degrees, they lived in poverty for a while until they built themselves up, living the American Dream. As people of color in a predominantly white, wealthy community, they were met with subtle racism in employment and everyday life.
Today, Pleasanton has gone the same way as the rest of suburbia in America, with growing racial diversity and rising incomes. Having grown up here, I did not experience the same racism or struggles as my parents did. However, as a second generation immigrant, I’ve faced different obstacles– mainly regarding economic class.
My school is a microcosm of that community. Here, Asians make up the largest minority group, around fifty percent. But, within that group, Filipinos only make up a small percentage. The majority of students are from established families, having lived in Pleasanton for a number of generations.
As a result, students have opportunities and connections not available to most high school students. It is normal– and expected– for my peers to take paid summer internships at prestigious universities, fly across the nation to attend pre-college programs, or learn how to game the system of standardized tests for perfect scores. My classmates are expected to go to elite colleges and continue the family tradition of becoming doctors, lawyers, or accountants– and as a result, academic competition becomes tense. The prevailing mindset is that my failure is someone else’s gain; so, I’d better make sure that failure is not a possibility.
In this world built upon numbers, GPAs, and test scores, I don’t necessarily fit in. My peers’ paths are set; I am a blank slate. From their own experiences, my parents know the importance of choosing your own destiny. Back in Philippines, my father chose his own path, moving to Manila to learn telecommunications instead of staying a farmer and fishery worker.
However, choosing a destiny comes at a cost. Unlike my classmates, I lack the resources, connections, and advantages to traditionally succeed in Pleasanton. Instead of researching cutting-edge medical technology in a family friend’s laboratory, I ride the six AM BART train to Fremont to go to free summer science camps. I tutor other struggling students at my old middle school. I cook and sell food to raise money for social justice. I teach children about science and cultures vastly different from my own.
But, sometimes, it’s like flying through a storm; I’m moving blind. I don’t know where I’m headed, and I’ve lost sight of where I’ve come from. I don’t know what I want to do or what the future holds for me. The sunlight which guides my classmates is obscured by dark clouds.
My goal isn’t to follow in my parent’s footsteps. My goal is to make a place in the world. My race or economic class does not define my future or my success. My education, on the other hand, is my guiding light; it is also my wings. It is not a stepping stone to wealth or a checkmark on a bucket list.
I will always find a way. No matter where I go, my passion for learning will always take me to where I need to be.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Review: Wild Sweet Orange - Tazo
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 min., 8 fl oz. water (recommended)
Appearance: Paper, trapezoid shaped tea bag with a variety of small, light-green and yellow herbs (orange peel, lemongrass, herbs, and licorice root)
Rating: C | 74/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
As for the story about this tea bag– and a few more Tazo brand teas– I picked it up during the California state mock trial competition. There was a rooming mishap, so we ended up stuck in the lobby for over three hours, during which I raided a few tea displays. It was free, the ones they offer at breakfast, so I grabbed one of each. It was a pretty fun weekend, overall. Not as memorable as competition civics, probably because I didn't have to put too much work in my position, but fun anyway.
One great thing I've found about herbal teas is that they tend to be very aromatic; this tea smells strongly of oranges. The liquid brewed to be a dark orange color, and interestingly, some droplets of oil formed, floating at the top. And man, did this tea catch me off guard. I followed the instructions, and when you first sip this tea, it's very flavorful. Sour, too. The orange and citrus taste is ridiculously strong; if you've ever drank lemon juice and water, that's what it reminds me of. The next strong taste is the rose hips, but most everything else was overpowered by that orange taste. It did get sweeter as I finished more of the cup, and it does leave a sweet aftertaste in the mouth, however. Overall, I think it's a decent herbal tea, but too sour for my tastes
Other Notes
Past few days have been pretty chill. I went to the fair, as I mentioned in my last post, and we hit it off with them. They're nice people, but my unitmate isn't that interested (romantically) in the guy. They're fun to hang out with, though; we got dinner with them afterwards at a Mexican place, and today, we watched Baby Driver with them. The whole situation is kind of funny. My unitmate wanted to bail before the fair because she said she wasn't interested in him anymore; I talked her into giving him a chance; after two dates (technically), she's lost all interest because she thinks he's a boring guy. Hot, but not someone you could date because he doesn't start conversations and can only really talk about TV shows. So it goes.
One thing I've learned: a good way to make friends with people is to act like you've been friends with them for a long time– they tend to say it makes you seem chill.
Producer: Tazo
Origin: Unknown
Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 5 min., 8 fl oz. water (recommended)
Appearance: Paper, trapezoid shaped tea bag with a variety of small, light-green and yellow herbs (orange peel, lemongrass, herbs, and licorice root)
Rating: C | 74/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
As for the story about this tea bag– and a few more Tazo brand teas– I picked it up during the California state mock trial competition. There was a rooming mishap, so we ended up stuck in the lobby for over three hours, during which I raided a few tea displays. It was free, the ones they offer at breakfast, so I grabbed one of each. It was a pretty fun weekend, overall. Not as memorable as competition civics, probably because I didn't have to put too much work in my position, but fun anyway.
One great thing I've found about herbal teas is that they tend to be very aromatic; this tea smells strongly of oranges. The liquid brewed to be a dark orange color, and interestingly, some droplets of oil formed, floating at the top. And man, did this tea catch me off guard. I followed the instructions, and when you first sip this tea, it's very flavorful. Sour, too. The orange and citrus taste is ridiculously strong; if you've ever drank lemon juice and water, that's what it reminds me of. The next strong taste is the rose hips, but most everything else was overpowered by that orange taste. It did get sweeter as I finished more of the cup, and it does leave a sweet aftertaste in the mouth, however. Overall, I think it's a decent herbal tea, but too sour for my tastes
Other Notes
Past few days have been pretty chill. I went to the fair, as I mentioned in my last post, and we hit it off with them. They're nice people, but my unitmate isn't that interested (romantically) in the guy. They're fun to hang out with, though; we got dinner with them afterwards at a Mexican place, and today, we watched Baby Driver with them. The whole situation is kind of funny. My unitmate wanted to bail before the fair because she said she wasn't interested in him anymore; I talked her into giving him a chance; after two dates (technically), she's lost all interest because she thinks he's a boring guy. Hot, but not someone you could date because he doesn't start conversations and can only really talk about TV shows. So it goes.
One thing I've learned: a good way to make friends with people is to act like you've been friends with them for a long time– they tend to say it makes you seem chill.
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