Thoughts about my China Trip (1 year after)

I can't believe it's been a year since my trip to China last summer. It seemed like a couple years ago that I went. So much has happened in just a year! This summer is nothing compared to last summer (but still somewhat eventful).

Anyway, I thought I'd give you my thoughts on China one year after coming back. But, first, I'd like to re-share some pictures of the trip with you guys. I warn you. It's a lot. I wish I could share more but it would be just too much. I'll post the links of the posts I wrote about my China trip a week or two after I had come back.


Beijing:
 The Great Wall of China

my drink after the hike up the Great Wall

In one of the towers of the Great Wall of China. The stairway is so narrow and steep. I don't know how soldiers were able to move quickly!

Tiananmen Square

In the airplane, on the way to China.

At a garden. It started raining! 

This was the street food. I think it's mainly for the entertainment for foreigners. 

This was in front of the Mao Zedong sculpture. 

 Part of my Dad's Village in Taishan (台山)
In Taishanese, the city is pronounced hoisan. In Cantonese, it's pronounced toisan. Taishan is the Mandarin pronunciation.

 Macau

 Hong Kong

And, my favorite:

Wang Leehom! =) I love his music! 

So, that was a brief, VERY brief picture overview of my trip to China last year with my family. It was a month long trip.  Sorry with bombarding you guys with a lot of pictures. I warned you though! I wish I could post more pictures but I think that would be too much. 

The trip to China is probably once in a lifetime experience. I got to see where my parents grew up. The feeling was just overwhelming and it's hard to explain. I really enjoyed the peace of mind I had when I was there. I was thinking things like, "This is where my roots are. I must never forget it." When I have children, I would bring them back to the village too (somehow). I still occasionally talk to one person from the village online. I don't know what will happen in the future to the village, since the young people are moving out to the cities. But, I hope that it will still be there. It's amazing how they inscribed ,into a wall, the name of almost every single person that had lived there since hundreds of years ago. They even have a mural with pictures of couples that had lived there (well, from when cameras existed). 

I can say it was a very humbling experience for me. When I wasn't in my parents hometown, my parents did most of the talking because my Mandarin wasn't that good. I learned a lot and had a great time. But, the culture and environment is very different. In the big places such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, you will see that they look a bit more industrialized and Westernized. However, even in those parts, there will be parts where it's underdeveloped. 

You will learn to accept a lower standard of living. Forget the air conditioning and good toilets. The weather is humid and most of the toilets are still holes in the ground. There will be places with air conditioning but most use fans. It's humid there and rains at the most unexpected times. My family was taking a walk one afternoon and it was sunny. One minute after, it was pouring rain. 5 minutes later, it was sunny again. 5 minutes later, it rained. After that, it remained sunny and hot the rest of the day. I got too many mosquito bites in China. I remember on the Northern China tour, there were two families from California that we met. They had children around my age and one family lives in the same city as us. The other lives in San Fran. We all got along and they were all nice (and all Chinese). I mention this because one of them sprayed mosquito repellent on them everyday. Yet, they were the ones that received the most mosquito bites! 

I did have fun climbing (walking) on the Great Wall of China. There was just so much to take in. But, it was fun and educational. I learned a lot on the trip and met relatives I've never met before. 

I hate to say this but I'm scared that as future generations come, there will be less connection the heritage and culture they came from. I hear that after the 4th or 5th generation, they are basically Americanized. In my heart, it's important to know your heritage and culture and to know where your roots are. 

I really don't know what else to say about the trip. It was just a wonderful experience and made realize how lucky I am and how lucky Americans are. You won't believe some of the living conditions I saw in China (I've only seen those conditions in documentaries until seeing it in China). Yes, there were some extraordinary conditions too, that were better than American standards. 

Here's the link the first post I wrote about my trip to China. From there, you'll be able to find the rest of my 5..6 posts I wrote. I apologize for my writing, spelling and grammar on those posts. I guess I felt a little jet lagged. My body also had to adjust to a new time zone.  

China Trip Part 1 (continue on from there to see other posts I wrote about my China trip)

Do you have any questions about my trip to China? Ask away. I'll be happy to answer your questions. 

Have you ever traveled out of the country? If so, how was it like?

Did your perspective on things change after traveling out of the country? If you haven't traveled out of the country, do you think your perspective on life will change if you do travel? 

Food Allergies: Be Aware

I just watched on the news that a local 13 year old girl died from her allergic reaction to peanuts. 

She was at camp with other children and it was snack time, though the room was dark. They passed out rice krispie treats. However, those treats turned out to be ones with chocolate and peanut butter in them. She was allergic to peanuts. She tasted it and spat it out right away. But still, it was enough to cause her to go into anaphylactic shock and cardiac arrest. She died in her father's arms. My condolences to her family. 

Here's the link to the video on yahoo. 

http://news.yahoo.com/video/teenager-dies-fathers-arms-camp-013900034.html

We all need to be aware of the food allergies that are out there. Food allergies can be life threatening. Peanut allergies has increased 3 fold the past decade and we need to be aware of that. Those suffering from food allergies should be cautious of what foods they are eating, making sure they know what ingredients are in them. 

1. Never accept food from others unless it's from people you know and trust. They should be aware of your food allergies. Family and close friends are the people who it would be safe to accept food from. 
2. Be sure to read the ingredients list on boxes. Companies are required to tell if there are any foods in their products that most people with food allergies are allergic too. 
3. If you know someone is allergic to any types of foods and you are preparing different types of foods, be sure to not cross-contaminate the utensils used when cooking/baking. Even a hint of the food can cause an allergic reaction. It's better to be safe than have something happen. 
4. If you are preparing food for a class or work place (whatever it may be), ask if there are any known food allergies in that class/company (don't ask for who, just be general). If there are, ask what food should be avoided when preparing it. 

Here are two websites about food allergies and regulations from the FDA and CDC, the US Food and Drug Administration as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAllergens/default.htm

http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAllergens/ucm079311.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/

This is very important. Be aware of food allergies out there. I say this because I remember one year, there was a senior prank and peanut butter was smothered all over the door handles of the doors to every entrance of the school (that was just part of the prank). There were at least two people who were severely allergic to peanuts and couldn't attend school that day. They couldn't risk getting a reaction. 

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The eight major food allergens identified by the law are:
Milk Eggs Fish  Crustacean shellfish  Tree nuts  Peanuts Wheat Soybeans

What I am trying to say is that please be aware of food allergies. If you know someone is allergic to foods, watch out for them. There is more that I want to say about this topic but I will just leave it at this for now.

Revolt With Reason

Are you in SoCal and love music? Then, come to the House of Blues!

My friend, Tyler's band, Revolt With Reason, will be playing this Thursday, August 1st, at the famous House of Blues in Hollywood. This just so happens to be during the opening night of the Sunset Strip Music Festival!

The whole show starts at 7:00pm in the Voodoo Lounge stage. 
Revolt With Reason goes on at 10:20 PM. 

The address is:  8430 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, California 90069

I'm so happy for them. It's a big step for them in their music career. Congrats! You guys are making it big, Tyler, Kevin, Alex, Matt and Andy. 

What's more awesome is that Kevin, the bassist, will be backing Richard Rauda on his set at 8pm. You don't want to miss it! 

They're going to rock the house. =)  

Be sure to check out their facebook page! 

https://www.facebook.com/RevoltWithReason

And here's a video of their performance at Davis! 

http://helenssugarsweetrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/07/revolt-with-reason-at-davis.html

Tip of the Week and my weekend

Remember I said that I was going to change the Tip of the Day to Tip of the Week? Well, it's finally starting! From now on, I will be posting a tip of the week every Monday along with whatever I want to talk about (mainly my weekend).

So, what is this weeks tip?

Try fitting in exercise whenever you can! If you're watching TV, challenge yourself to do push-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, mountain climbers or any other exercise during commercials. What's even better is if you create a circuit with all of the exercises while watching TV! It's a great way to get exercise in and you'll lose the time since you're watching your favorite TV show.


Now, my weekend time.

This weekend was actually pretty relaxing. I did some food prep and I ran 10 miles yesterday. Yes, I ran 10 miles yesterday and my legs are sore today. I hope that doing yoga today will help relieve some of the soreness. I ran 10 miles in 1 hr 35 min. If I keep up that pace, then I can run a half marathon in 2 hrs and 5 minutes (well, around that time). I'm so excited! The first couple miles were like torture but then after that, I suddenly had the energy to run. My knees started giving up on me a little bit around 8 miles but I pushed it through.

That's really it! I'll talk to you guys next time.

How do you fit workouts in?
What's your favorite TV show? (Mines are Switched at Birth, Life Unexpected. House, and Full House)

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies (gluten free and flourless)

You must try these cookies. Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies, that is. I made them and they taste so good!

What I really like about these cookies (besides it being delicious!) is that it uses simple ingredients. You won't believe it. Almond butter, eggs, honey, dark chocolate (if you want to add it) and baking powder. The baking powder part is not necessary, but I like how it makes the cookies expand more. 

I was really surprised that they solidified after baking. They have no flour in them. But they turned out pretty good. You can't tell it's flourless and the texture is very similar to a regular cookie. They are chewy. 

I guess I should give you guys the recipe now. Here it is. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter (I used the freshly ground one from the store)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• chopped pieces of dark chocolate (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (except the chocolate) until it's smooth and creamy. 
3. Fold in the chocolate. 
4. Drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. This made 12 cookies. 
5. Take out, let them cool and enjoy! 

I hope you guys enjoy these cookies.

In non-food related news, I still have a bruise from getting my blood drawn on Wednesday. It's always so hard to find the vein. They sometimes have to poke me a few times until they find one. I could go into more detail on that but I'll save you guys from the details.

Adios!

Have you made flourless cookies before?
What's your experience getting your blood drawn?

Banana Oatless Oatmeal (Paleo!)

Hey hey everyone. How are you guys doing today? I'm doing fine, thank you very much. My summer classes are over now and summer has finally started for me.
School doesn't start until late next month so, I have time to relax, hang out, and do whatever I want to do. Singing, blogging, hanging out with friends, training for my half-marathon.  By the way, I ran 8 miles yesterday. I'm so proud of myself for running that far (without stopping). It was at a little slower pace than the 7 mile run but I have time to improve.
Anyway, I decided to make oatless oatmeal. I've been hearing about this from other bloggers and I've finally decided to make it. It's suppose to be a paleo version of regular oats. I have to say, this oatless oatmeal tastes really interesting. It's not in a bad way, but the texture is a bit different.
I guess it's because egg whites are used in this.This basically only has 3 ingredients altogether. It's simple and nutritious. I topped it off with some almond butter I bought the other day. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 banana, mashed
• almond butter (or whatever you want to top it off with)

Directions:

1. Mix together the egg whites and bananas together in a pot or sauce pan. 
2. Place over medium heat and gradually stir until the eggs are cooked. 
3. Pour it into a bowl and top it off with some almond butter (or whatever you want to eat it with). Enjoy! 

It's that simple. I hope you guys enjoy it. It's a great post-run meal, I think. You can call this an egg scramble, if you want. 

Have you tried oatless oats before?

What's your favorite go-to breakfast?

20 Random Facts

I thought I'd do a fun post so that you guys can get to know me a little better. It's fun thinking of random facts about myself to share. You guys can share some random facts on the comments below too!

1. I love baking (well, of course you guys can see that!). The fun fact is that I didn't start baking until my freshman year of high school. My family aren't bakers but I decided to take up baking. The first thing I baked were chocolate chip cookies from scratch. 
   
2. I used to do ballet. Really. I was around 6 or 7 years old when I took ballet lessons. I hated it and never went back (I wasn't as flexible as the other students). Now, I wish I had continued it. 
3. Funny thing was that when I was in preschool, I wanted to be a ballerina. During the graduation ceremony, my teacher asked every student what they wanted to be. I said ballerina. It's funny how things turn out later in life. 
4. I secretly want to become a singer (besides being a Registered Dietitian). I love singing! Everyone that knows me knows that I've been singing since I don't know when (it's been that long!). 
5. I was always that quiet kid in class. I still am but that's changing now. 
6. People were surprised when I sang at my high school's 5 de mayo assembly, two years in a row. They didn't think I had the guts to do it (they weren't expecting it either, since I was usually quiet in class. I'm shy!). 
7. I tried learning to play the saxophone once in high school. I quit after a month. It took me forever to learn to play just the B minor scale. I guess I'm more of a string player. Cello, violin, bass, viola. You get what I mean. I've been playing the cello since I was 9 years old, violin when I was 7 and bass and viola for fun when I was 13. 
8. Running is my therapy. Nothing is better than going out for a run. It helps me relieve some stress. After my run, I do yoga, which does that and helps me stretch after my run. My running tends to be better when I am in such a GOOD mood (I hope you get the hint of sarcasm here). 
9. Before, I didn't like peanut butter. It wasn't until high school that I started liking it. 
   
10. My Spanish is better than my Mandarin. But, my Taishanese is the best out of the three. Taishanese is the language my parents speak. You can call it the "hill-billy" of Cantonese. People that speak Taishanese also know how to speak Cantonese. 
11. I don't know if having a blog defies this statement, but, for the most part, I'm a pretty reserved person. 
12. I have a cousin who was born a day before me and another cousin with the same birthday as me (just different year). How strange is that? 
13. I want to study abroad for a semester in Spain. I love the Spanish culture. 
14. Visiting the motherland (China) was an eye-opening experience for me. Seeing where my parents grew up and comparing it to now, we really are lucky. Yea, things have improved but it's not like the USA.
    
15. I'm a morning person. I wake up as early as 5 am and then get a good run and yoga session in. 
16. My favorite old time TV show is Full House! "You got it dude." "No way Jose." "How rude!"  "Have mercy!" Oh, my favorite lines. =) Uncle Jesse was my favorite! ;) 
17. I was born and raised here in California, USA. I say this because many people ask me, "when did you move here to America?" I don't think I have an accent when I speak English, or do I?
18. Chocolate is yummy. 
19. Sometimes when I get really stressed, I start to relax. It's a hard feeling to explain. 
20. I think I've ran out of random facts to say about myself. But, hey. This is number 20 on the list. 

Now, it's your turn. Name at least 5 random facts about yourself! =)