Aritzia, Urban Behaviour, Richmond Nightmarket ... oh my!

Wow, what a day! Yesterday, Kay and I went shopping after I dropped the car off at Bronco Glass to get the passenger window replaced. These guys are awesome, they make the claim for you with your insurance - GREAT! Less waiting time for me, plus a courtesy car and even tho the closing hour is 5pm, the owner of the shop told me he would wait for me until I arrived cos I wouldn't be able to make it til just after 5pm. Jas and I met up after work cos we were going to hit the Richmond nitemarket for the first time since it started. We were suppose to go with my friend, BQ a couple of weeks ago but due to my emergency, I had to cancel our plans :( After we picked up the car, we were trying to decide on where to eat for dinner, I wanted to have dessert at nitemarket not dinner :D Since we had to go over to Metrotown first cos yesterday, Kay had left her school books at Underground Clothing. She was so excited about buying her True Religions at the sale price that she didn't even realize she left the store without them! Once at UG, I showed her the 7 of all Mankind white super skinnies on sale in the store, Kay didn't like them on me yesterday said it made me look like I had sausage legs but Jas thought they looked really good! I didn't think they looked that bad either so I ended up buying them!! Half off and even cheaper than buying them in the states!! Since we were already at Metro, we decided to have dinner at The Boss cos we haven't been in there in ages!! After dinner, we stayed in the mall for the air conditioning and ended up in Aritzia cos Jas wanted to look at the sales again! I ended up buying a cute light blue lace tanky for only $24! I'm done with Aritzia, gawsh, I've picked up so many items from the sale! As we walked around the mall, we talked about what was going on in our lives and by the time we were done, it was time for the nitemarket. The first place we headed was to the food section cos there is always so many yummy things to eat! Jas picked up a icy drink and a deep fried cheesecake (Me - YUCK, Her - Oh not so bad!) and I ended up with a fresh mango tapioca coconut milk drink, mmmmmm so yummy! We walked around the entire nitemarket and gawsh I ended up with a lot of stuff which was unexpected cos for the past few years, I haven't been able to find anything useful at the market. I ended up with a huge Hello Kitty blanket (a very soft and comfy blanket), 8 pairs of tights (from Taiwan and Korea), and a Lotuswear short sleeve hoodie for only $20!! I think Lotuswear is closing their doors and all their items were marked 70% off, the hoodie was originally $50!! It was a great nite and an awesome way to end a long work week!

Surprise!

My bebe is the bestest! She is so thoughtful and picked up this mini Hello Kitty for me cos she knew I would just love it! And cos she's a sweetie and loves her mama :) Now my tanned Hello Kitty has a friend! Hehehe

Cool Tshirts

Kay and I ordered a t-shirt each from Karmaloop cos the t-shirt she has been eyeing is finally on sale and there were only 3 left in her size. She somehow convinced me (not too hard when it comes to Hello Kitty) to let her use my credit card to order this t-shirt but I wasn't going to order it unless I could find something for myself. She directed me to the tokidoki for Hello Kitty t-shirts and I found the CUTEST t-shirt! We ordered it on Tuesday night and it arrived this afternoon! Wow so fast, thanks Karmaloop and DHL!!

Day trip to Bellingham

"Healthier" Double Down Sandwich (Grilled)

Original Double Down Sandwich

Hello Kitty NERD t-shirt

Tropical Hello Kitty

Today, HonHon and I took a mini road trip to Bellingham, WA cos we needed to pick up his package of K9 discs for his dog that I ordered for him last week and he wanted to eat the Double Down sandwich at KFC. We picked up his package before heading over to Bellis Fair to find the KFC but there is no KFC in the food fair! We walked around the mall a bit before hitting the road to find a KFC. I checked for 7 for all Mankinds at Macy's but this one does not carry the 7s. As we walked pass the Build A Bear, they were featuring a Tropical Hello Kitty which means she's tanned not white! OMG, so cute and I had to have one! There was also one Special Anniversary Hello Kitty left but HonHon would not let me buy that one :(, she looks exactly like my HK but came with a LE necklace, bow and heart patch on her body. I should have bought it and given it to Rhoda or Kay :( Oh well, I have so many Hello Kitty items! After BAB, we walked over to Target to see if they had any HK items cos I know they stock tons of HK stuff but nothing for me :( After that, we decided it was time to look for the closest KFC so he could have his DD sandwich as this was part of the reason we did the road trip. As we walked back to where the car was parked, we passed a store that sold all sorts of t-shirts and body jewelery and it was shocking to see a Hello Kitty stand in the middle of this store! Hello Kitty against body piercing and rock / goth items! Def caught my eye and I ended up with a Hello Kitty NERD shirt, omg, she is so cute! Two HK items in a span of 30 minutes, woohoo! Lucky me :) Since there was no KFC in Bellis Fair, we used my Poynt application on my Crackberry to locate the closest KFC which ended up taking us to a residential area past downtown Bellingham. The KFC was no longer there but it def looked like it once was one as the business that took over the building didn't get rid of the drive thru window! All was not lost, another 20 minutes away was the next KFC and it was pretty neat driving thru downtown Bellingham as I have never been. HonHon was so excited to see the KFC and it was interesting how KFC and A&W were connected! We ordered 2 DD, mine was the "healthier version" a grill DD and a side of A&W onion rings! But the onion rings are not as good as the ones in Vancouver. After our meal, we decided to call it day since I had to head back to Burnaby so I could help Rhoda move the wardrobe from downstairs into the new bedroom upstairs. It was a fun and entertaining day but I don't have any pics cos I didn't bring my camera :( Just the pics of my Crackberry :)

Hello Kitty and HonHon!

HonHon arrived today! Yeah!! And he brought back a whole bunch of Hello Kitty goodies for me :) Out of all the gifts, two of the gifts he brought back are so cool!! One is a limited edition sparkly hello kitty plushie and the other, a travelling bath essential kit from the Grand Hi Lai Hotel, this hotel are known for their Hello Kitty rooms! Love it and even tho he didn't get everything, it must have been hard for him to pick up so much Hello Kitty stuff, carrying those pink bags out of the Sanrio store!! Hehehe :) He also brought back chocolates from Germany, the ones I asked for :) so happy and gonna get FAT but so worth it :) PLUS it is so nice to have him here for the holidays esp Xmas and part of NY, he hasn't been here for Xmas in the past 4 years!

Fun filled Sunday!

For most of the morning and afternoon I was playing around with my new BlackBerry Bold. Rhoda and I had a msn video conference so she could help me me set up the basics for the phone and figure out why my Wifi or mobile internet was on or off. I had called Fido in the morning to set up the data plan, for $25 extra dollars a month, I get 500MB of data or for an extra $5, I could get double that but I doubt I will use 1GB of data for the month so I opted with the $25 plan. It could take up to 2 hours before it started working and boy did it seem longer than that! Another reason I didn't go with the 1GB is cos I have Wifi at home and work so I'll def set it up for an automatic selection to Wifi and save the network/passcodes in there. MSN video conference is pretty cool even tho I don't like how I look on the webcam, webcams are not very flattering, it was simple, easy and quick to use. I def have to start learning how to use it more often cos if and when Rhoda moves to HK, we will be doing a lot of msn video conferencing! We were on msn for a bit and once everything was done, I realized that it was getting late in the afternoon and I still had a couple of errands to run. I hadn't even noticed that Kay was no longer in the house, altho I do remember she mentioned she was heading out and I am pretty sure she gave me a kiss and said good bye :S By the time, I was ready to head out, it was close to 4pm and I messaged Rhoda to see if she wanted to get out of the house for a bit cos I was heading in that direction. I like shopping at the Coquitlam IKEA cos it's so much bigger and there is plenty of stock in their very large warehouse, much bigger than Richmond IKEA :) We picked up a few things for the home and I am happy we got out of the house a bit so we could enjoy the sunshine altho it was super freezing cold! On our way home, we decided to make a pit stop at Lougheed Centre so we could pick up a Starbucks to warm up and we walked around the mall for a bit cos I hadn't been to Lougheed Centre in ages! After our quick stroll through the mall, my brother PIN'd me and asked when I would be coming home cos we had plans to eat dinner with my mom and grams, we headed back over to Rhoda's place and she downloaded the coolest BB theme for me, it's pink Hello Kitty and Louis Vuitton wallpaper, the two of my most fave things! :) Thanks Rhoda!!! I am so excited to use this......

Coolest Gift EVER

What a surprise! This morning, I got the coolest gift ever. A huge Hello Kitty PEZ dispenser! It's been a long running joke that one day, one of the managers will bring one back and I can't believe he actually bought one and carried it throughout the airport for me!!! So funny! He brought it in the office in a white plastic shopping bag cos the one from the shop was clear and he was quite embarrassed lugging it around with him. The Hello Kitty PEZ dispenser is soooo cool.

Richmond Centre

Tonite, Kay and I headed over to Richmond cos we needed to pick up dad's meds (to be couriered to HK) and my brother was suppose to pick up some shoes for our cousin, A'Choo. After a quick dinner of organic & local kale, onions, carrots, garlic stir-fried with pasta, mmmmm... delicious! We headed over to my dad's to pick up my brother then over to the pharmacy and to Richmond Centre for the shoes. My brother ended up doing a bit of shopping, Kay ended up with a dress from Plenty that she has been eyeing for some time cos I had a 25% discount card so I picked it up for her AND I ended up with a Hello Kitty mimobot from J2! An anniversary edition for Hello Kitty's 35th birthday! After shopping, my brother was getting hungry so we headed over to Dinesty cos he hasn't been there yet and wanted to try it out. We ordered 3 dishes, a couple of sides and lots leftover cos Kay and I only had a little bit, it was so delicious! We ended up taking the stewed pork with tofu home cos my brother insisted :) It was a fun nite and good seeing my brother!

Hello Kitty Apartment

Ohmy! How I would love to see this place in person! More photos at Three Apples Apartment.

Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary Hoodie

Kay and I went down to Super Bored to check out the Hello Kitty LE hoodie and it was so cute that I had to have it! I felt bad that she didn't have any money to purchase a cap so I bought her a SuperBored cap as well but she's paying for half which I will be docking off her allowance. My hoodie came with a free phone strap also LE and celebrating Hello Kitty's 35th anniversary! After SuperBored, we headed over to Granville Street so I could pick up a body butter for my eczema at Rocky Mountain Soap cos the body butter works awesome and with the drier air and the office heating, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a lot of body butter! Once we finished, we headed home cos tonite is out Thanksgiving Dinner! Mmmm....turkey, mama's stuffing and spaghetti, butter corn, purple mash potatoes and so much more!

Vancity Arrival

HonHon finally arrived in Vancity on Sat nite, right before my mom's dinner. Thankfully, the flight was 45 mins early so I didn't have to leave in the middle of dinner to pick him up. For this visit, I did not ask for any Hello Kitty items except for a couple of HK laptop sleeves for my laptop and the netbook. But these are on back order and he will courier them to me once they arrive. Yet, he did not come empty handed, he brought me a couple of HK Avon gifts (free with purchase) cos his secretary purchases items from Avon and she knows that I'm a Hello Kitty fan so she always ends up giving him the gifts. I really do appreciate it cos these items are only available with Avon and in Taiwan, not available in North America (happy to discover a new Hello Kitty store in Aberdeen, lots of great stuff from Japan!). The new HK apron is so cute and perfect for baking! The slicer is cute but not sure if I will use it but it doesn't matter cos I collect HK items :) Thanks Ariel!

Happy Birthday Mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!

Tonite, we celebrated my mom's birthday and she doesn't look a day over 40! We made reservations at Boston Steakhouse in Richmond cos my mom wanted to have steak on her birthday. At first, mom wanted to go to Stone Grill (under the Granville Street bridge) but she knew my brother and I were going to pay for dinner so she decided against it cos she didn't want us to spend that much money. We told her the next time she wants to eat steak, we are going to take her to The Keg instead cos they actually cook the steak for you! Mom, grams, my brother ordered from the stone grill menu (its a set meal that comes with a drink, sides and dessert - fresh mango "from the Philippines" cake) while Kay, HonHon and I choose from the regular menu ordering a fried noodle and Korean ribs hot plate. Before dinner, Kay and I headed over to Richmond first cos we had to pick up the fresh mango birthday cake from Regent bakery (yes that is how good it is!) and since we had some time, we shopped a bit in Aberdeen Centre but more on that later. After the meals, I had asked the waitress to bring the "cakes" which meant the birthday cake as well but she didn't get it and only brought over the 3 slices of mango cake with the stone grill meal. After 5 minutes, another waiter brought over the birthday cake with a candle and mom was pretty shocked by it! I told her, now she's got a whole mango cake to herself (well no not really, I'm pretty sure we are gonna finish it in a day or so!) but there is a lot of mango cake leftover. Once we were all stuffed with cake, mom opened her b'day gift, we had bought her a Kensignton laptop mouse cos hers broke and she couldn't justify paying that amount of money for it cos she got hers at a really great price! I didn't wait for the sale and decided if that mouse would make it easier and happier then it's worth the price. She of course loved it and I told her ENJOY IT. Hahaha, this family are so geeky! After dinner, we all went our separate ways (brother going out to party, mom and grams in their own car) but before we headed home, Kay wanted to stop over to Welltea so she could get a passion fruit slushie with pearls. I'm pretty sure she's gonna have a problem sleeping cos she has already had 2 large glasses of ice HK milk tea! Oh well, she's a teenager, she can handle it. Hopefully, my mom had a great time and she enjoyed herself even tho the dinner wasn't that great!

Before Dinner: Kay and I were at Aberdeen Centre to walk around a bit cos we had a bit of time left before going to the airport to pick up HonHon. We went over to Daiso and I picked up a few items for the house like a mini garbage can for the washroom, a file folder with many pockets for my recipes, and a remote control caddy for all our remotes. We also discovered a new Hello Kitty store on the 3rd floor called Memory Collection, omg, so many cute Hello Kitty items and all from Japan! I have not seen so many cool Hello Kitty items, I ended up buying a eye mask, new chopsticks and a cute Hello Kitty charm for my coin purse and she is tanned!! This is Hello Kitty from Hawaii! So cute! I must go back to the store, we didn't have much time left so I quickly picked a few items but def going back again to buy a cellphone charm, there was just too much to choose from and I couldn't decide on which one to get!!!

Nite out with Dad

Today, I spent the day with my family, both parents (separate times), brother and daughter. I spent the afternoon with my mom and helped her with her errands. We went into Chinatown to pick up a box (60 little boxes) of shrimp chips for Auntie Cece. This would be the second time we went into this warehouse to buy shrimp chips for her (in one week!), the warehouse guy is really nice and assisted with putting the box into the trunk. After the warehouse, we headed over to a cafe to have a tea and snack, we also stopped in the Dollar Store to pick up some dollar items (I needed a birthday card). Once we were done with our errands, I headed home to pick up Kay cos I promised I would drive her to Super-Bored on West 4th so she could pick up a Doraemon t-shirt by WrongWroks (a local designer) and I could not help but pick up this limited edition Hello Kitty shirt by StayReal (Tawianese designers, Ashin & NO2GOOD), they have some really cool shirts like this bunny shirt. Kay actually went in for a Sponge Bob t-shirt but we didn't really like it, it was way too yellow and she tried on a Doraemon black/white mini polka dots t-shirt but didn't like the way it felt (I didn't like the way it looked). I choose the above t-shirt for her cos I thought it looked way cuter than the other two she picked and she ended up purchasing this one. She can thank her dad for it, he sent her school clothes money and this is one of the items she used her money for. The girls in the boutique were really helpful and altho the store front was small, they had all the sizes in the back plus the manager threw in a couple of Hello Kitty soft key chains cos she found out what a HK addict I was! Once we were done, we headed off to Richmond to see my dad as we won't see him until 2011 cos there is an emergency in Hong Kong. Our uncle died suddenly from blood loss caused by a major stroke. I'm saddened as I have not seen this uncle in many many years and my father is losing his brothers, one by one. My dad is not in the best shape to be traveling or taking care of his other younger brother who has had 2 mini strokes and is confined in a wheelchair. But my father is insisting he needs to stay in HK longer (considers not coming back until my other uncle passes) even tho my father has his own health issues. I understand that he needs to be with his family and he is the eldest brother but it still worries me. Who's going to look after him? We (minus the lady and her son) headed over to Green Lemongrass restaurant on Westminster for some dinner and to discuss what needs to be taken care of while my father is away. The viet food here is pretty good and the menu has a variety of options, a nice, clean and friendly environment. After dinner, we headed over to London Drugs cos my dad needed to pick up a mouth mask for his plane ride to HK, being cautious of the H1N1. He will be on the plane for 12 hours and with the air being circulated for that long without any fresh air, it is a bit worrisome. While in LD, I bumped into Cho and Susanna whom I haven't seen since Jes & B's wedding in August and even then, I really didn't get to catch up with them much. We chatted for a bit and as always, said let's get together, arrange a lunch or dinner with everyone. It's funny how we all say that but in reality it is so hard to get together cos everyone is so busy. It was nice seeing them and they are good peeps. After LD, we headed back over to dad's place to help him pack and spent a little more time with him. He seemed really drained and emotional about this trip and I think my uncle's death has taken quite a toll on him. He and his brother were very close, probably the closest ones in all the siblings. Before Kay and I headed home, we stopped at Well Tea to pick up BBT cos I really wanted to try it and Kay really deserved it. She and my brother both canceled their plans to spend my dad's last nite in Vancouver. I hope my dad will be alright, I feel like one of us (either myself or my brother) should go with him on this trip.

eBay Addiction, HSG, Nite Market

Wow, what a great day! I received my Oliepops laptop bag, it is so pretty and fits my 17" perfectly and my Prada backpack which I have been eyeing to buy for some time. After work, I met Jas and we stopped by the Louis Vuitton boutique before meeting up with Ben for dinner cos I wanted to purchase my make up bag which I had on hold. I decided I do not want to spend $240 CDN for a hot pink Prada make up bag cos it only costs $170 at Holt Renfrew (altho the pink is no longer available) and to get one, I will need to order it thru Saks Fifth Avenue which will cost $50 more. I decided to forget the Prada and pick up a Damier Azur Mini Pochette Accessories priced at $250 instead cos I had a $50 gift card which means I paid a total of $230 which meas it's cheaper than the Prada! =) After LV, we headed over to Hamilton Street Grill with Ben to have a meal under $20. It's nice to see options for meals under $20 and we had a coupon for 1 dinner free so it ended up coming up to $20 each including dessert and tip. Once the food settled in, we decided to drive over to the Richmond nite market for dragon beard candy plus Ben and I hadn't done the nitemarket once this summer and it's our tradition to go and get dragon beard candy. I did pretty good and did not buy anything (esp junk) except for 2 Hello Kitty folders which are just too cute to pass up. An hour later and with the crowd becoming larger, we decided to call it a nite. It was a fun evening and good to catch up with Ben, we will do it again real soon (hopefully) on the next HSG special!

HK PJ's & Undies

OMGosh, these are the cutest PJ's and undies!! I love Winners, I picked up the PJ's for under $15 each and under $3 for the undies!

Dinner and Dessert

Tonite, I headed out for authentic japanese on Main street with Shel and Kitty. Ohmygosh, it was really good and they have the most unique rolls I've seen in a long time! Zipang Sushi on Main street, the cross street is 21st - it's super busy and super small but you can make reservations which I highly suggest. Must take HonHon there, he would def enjoy the fresh and authentic sushi. At dinner, we caught up on life and I can't believe how generous these 2 are! Shel and Kitty bought a birthday gift for Kay and they ended up paying for the entire meal! These 2 are such good peeps! I also got the updates for their next holiday in September and wow, Asia for 3 weeks - how nice! Vancouver to Tokyo (omg, there is a Sanrio Land in Tokyo!) 7 days to Taipei 7 days to Hong Kong 5 days and back to Vancouver. Cost of all flights? Just under $1500! Wow what an awesome deal! Plus they are going to Priceline for hotels and hoping to get some sweet deals there. Wish Jas and I had considered looking for our San Fran hotel on priceline! Oh well, next time, now I know :) I am very interested in going to Sanrio Land in Tokyo and thinking about cancelling my stay at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung where they have Hello Kitty rooms - ohmy what is wrong with me? Nah, I can do both! Hahaha... apparently a nite stay is $300 CDN, damn, didn't know that so now I might have to cancel this stay! After dinner, we had an hour before meeting up with Jimmy and his girlfriend at True Confections for dessert. I have known Jimmy since I was 14 and even tho we've lost touch thru out some of those years, we have a few common friends and ended up chatting again. For the last 7 years, he's been working in Taipei and coming back every year to visit. Since, Shel and I drove our own cars to Zipang, he and Kitty headed over to Future Shop while I drove into Kerrisdale to pick up Kay and Tash. After dropping Tash home, we headed over to True Confections on Broadway and Alma. Mmmm... I have been thinking about the Devil's Food Cake with Marshmallow icing since Shel mentioned True Confections earlier in the week. After an hour and half of chatting and catching up, it was time to say good bye cos I had to wake up early the next day. It was really nice to catch up with Jimmy and always a pleasure spending time with Shel and Kitty - they are really great people!

Sun Filled Shopping Afternoon on Main Street

This afternoon, after a tummy filled brunch, I decided I needed to walk off some of the eggs, potatoes and lobster! I had planned to walk over Commercial drive to do some grocery shopping or window shopping but before heading out, I checked my Yahoo account and received an email from Voltage Land stating some of the Tokidoki for Hello Kitty items were 50% off! I decided I would do some walking along Main Street instead so before I left, I called VL to confirm the sale price and if there was stock in the store for this particular item. VL put one on hold for me and I told them I would be coming down shortly to pick it up. I asked Kay if she wanted to come but she had plans to hit the beach with a couple of friends. It was def a nice day to walk along Main Street as the sun was out and it wasn't too cold. My first stop was Voltage Land to pick up my cute Kitten Kitty Keitei for $50 (reg $100) and I put enough coins in the parking meter to allow myself to walk for an hour along Main. It was a nice walk and there are some new stores / restaurants along Main Street. I made a quick stop at Shaktea for a green fruit tea to go and I stopped into quite a few boutiques but believe it or not, did not find much on the rack or on sale. I was a bit surprised that I found a dress at Narcissist Design Co. as I normally do not pick up anything in that boutique. I do love their dresses but I cannot spend that amount of money on a dress even though they are beautifully designed and made! I always try to wait for a sale but when the sale is here, I can never find anything in my size. Lucky for me, these dresses just got marked down again and the price was within my budget! Reg $235, sale $118 and down to $49. The dress is made up of 52% silk and 48% cotton, it is going to be the perfect summer dress! Also another local designer and a fave of mine, JY opened up a boutique called Two of Hearts a couple months ago and I hadn't had the chance to check out it out, to my surprise there wasn't anything in her line that caught my eye. Maybe her entire spring/summer line is not out yet? I will check back in a few weeks and maybe there will be something .... I just love her designs, they are so pretty and flirty! It was a great day and I'm happy to have gotten out as the weather is forecasted for rain on Monday.

Contact Case Holder

How cute is this? My HK contact case holder :) has finally arrived! So much cuter in person than the photo!

Sanrio

Hello Kitty Soft Contact Lens Case: Pink

Item #13064 BEST SELLER
$16.00

This adorable pink Hello Kitty contact case is fun-tastic! Perfect for overnights, or even those emergencies where you have to take them out when you are on the road. One lens for Kitty, and one for Bear. Easy to keep track of, and there's even a cute little mirror inside!

Weekend in San Francisco

What a weekend we had in San Francisco! It was so nice to get away for the weekend and spend time with good friends. I wish we had a bit more time though cos it went by so fast! I will def have to go back and visit plus the plane ride wasn't too long, only 2 hours there and 2 hours and 20 back. There was so much but I'll just write the highlights of each day!

Friday

Arrived around 8ish and went straight towards the shuttles to catch a ride directly to our hotel. By the time we arrived and checked into the hotel, Hotel Metropolis (cheapest rate in downtown SF Union Square at CDN $120/night), I was craving for a cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory! I wish we had one in Vancouver but then I would not be able to control myself and would have to eat cheesecake every weekend. That is not good cos these cheesecakes are HUGE and full of fat and sugar and probably a zillion calories! Gosh, the restaurant was super busy and packed, we didn't want to wait so we ordered a cheesecake to go. It was a long night and although we wanted to explore Union Square (super busy kind of like Robson street in Vancouver), we were both really tired and decided to call it a night.

Saturday

In the morning, we woke up super early (not on purpose) cos we could not sleep! Our hotel is on the border of expensive downtown and Hastings Street, Vancouver which meant we had some loud and crazy neighbors. It was so noisy throughout the nite and really strange how different it was in front of our hotel. Walking out the front entrance, you must go left cos left is the high end shopping district and right is Hastings Street. Since we were up early, we decided to do a bit of exploring in our neighborhood, we were thinking about taking the trolley to Fisherman's Wharf but the cost is $5 and we didn't think the walk would be too bad. Gosh, did we ever do a lot of walking! We walked from Union Square, Market street to check out a couple of stores and then up the hill towards Fisherman's Wharf. Not realizing how far and wide downtown SF is, we ended up walking through Chinatown which was pretty cool and the architecture in the city is amazing. So much to see but our goal was to get ourselves to Fisherman's Wharf. It seems that we were walking thru Chinatown for a long time but we finally got directions towards Fisherman's Wharf. But instead, we ended up walking thru another neighborhood, Italy town where we saw more amazing buildings, restaurants and cute little boutiques. Again, we asked for direction and we were close! We ended up walking thru another neighborhood filled with really beautiful homes, heritage homes and we could feel and smell the ocean and knew we were close. The buildings were beautiful, a mix of modern and vintage, keeping the city's heritage. Finally, we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf and it wasn't too busy cos it was still early but the the crowds of tourists were forming. We walked through Pier 39 (Fisherman's Wharf) to check out all the shops and restaurants, we wanted to eat lunch there so we needed to see what suited our tastebuds and within our budget! We ended up a restaurant called Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, yes like the movie, Forrest Gump. Mostly known for shrimp, other items are served as well. We split a shrimp platter - which was amazing and both of us ordered a side, Jas ordered a side of veggies while I opted to go with a seafood chowder. After lunch, we decided to figure our way back to Union Square and do some shopping! We managed to figure out a route back to union square by taking a street car back downtown for $1.50 instead of spending $5 on the trolley. Our driver was like a mini tour guide, he gave us a bit of history or story to every stop we took. It was really cool! Once we reached our stop, we got off at Virgin Records cos VR is closing down (all the North American VRs are!) and a 30% off everything sale was going on in the entire store. We did some more shopping and wandering around Union Square ending up at Westfield, a huge shopping mall! Lots of stores and gosh all the damage that could be done! Lucky for us, we did so much walking and not that much shopping, I only ended up picking some souvenirs, gifts for the girls, Pumas for myself and a Hollister top on SALE - woot woot! Hollister in Vancouver had NADA on sale :( After a very long day, we decided it was time to head back to the hotel to rest up before the reception at Freeman's place in Oakland. We figured out how to take the BART to Freeman's place and it wasn't that bad nor too far of a walk but it seems that no one in Oakland walks from the station. We could see why, it wasn't particularly the safest or nicest neighborhood and there was NO ONE out walking! Once we arrived in their neighborhood, we found Freeman's loft and it was amazing! The loft is a huge corner unit with a private roof deck which had some amazing views and there was so much space up there, they even purchased a heat lamp for this occasion. Thank goodness for that cos it can get pretty chilly in the evening. We had a lovely time and meeting all of Freeman's close friends and family. It was a small and intimate gathering and we felt so honoured to be there and be part of this beautiful event.

Sunday

Again, we woke up early to beautiful sunny weather in SF while Vancouver was cold and wet! Atho it was early, we decided to wait until lunch before hitting Jack in the Box for a sourdough jack and curly fries! Last nite, we made lunch plans with Free but in the morning plans had changed, it was decided that we would meet Tanya and friend for brunch and Free would meet us after at their Boba tea house, Tapioca Express in Berkeley. After JB, we headed over to Westfield to exchange the Hollister top (picked out the wrong size!!) and raced back to the hotel cos Tanya had rang us on Jas's cell, she was waiting at the hotel. Once in the car, we were not quite sure where to go cos Tanya and Gene wanted brunch but they also wanted to show us around the Marina. The drive to the Marina was really nice and San Fran is quite a beautiful city, once at the Marina, we noticed how similar it is to the OC or Yaletown with beautiful and snotty people and lots of cute boutiques. Gene found a place for brunch and it was super packed! Good brunch and great company, once we finished our meal, we decided to go for a walk and walk down to the ocean. I took some great scenic photos of the Golden Gate bridge and after the walk, which again was a lot of walking, we decided to head over to Berkeley for Boba tea. At Tapioca Express, we ordered some boba tea and appy's like fried chicken, mmm delish! Free had to drop off his cousins at the SF airport so he left first and we made plans to meet him for dinner. Tanya had a bit of work to do before leaving the tea house so Jas and I wandered down the street to this quaint little bookstore and I picked up a bibliography of Christian Dior by Marie France Pochna for only $10 USD. We decided to head back to Free and Tanya's loft to rest and relax on their couch. We girls chatted and talked and tried to decide where to have dinner, Lake (Free's wife) wanted asian and Tanya was craving hamburgers, we decided to Thai food. Gene had to catch a plane back to Los Angeles so he did not end up joining us for dinner and Free got back late (due to traffic coming back from SFO) so we snacked on nuts while Free took a quick power nap. The Thai restaurant we went to was quite yummy and the dishes were pretty interesting, a good mix of flavours but def not authentic thai, more asian fusion thai but still very yummy. After dinner, Free & Lake insisted on driving us back to the hotel and we got a scenic ride back, stopping by Treasure Island for some beautiful shots of the Oakland Bay bridge. It was really really cold but I did get one good shot! It was a great Sunday and it was so awesome spending it with such great people!

Monday

We checked out of the hotel a bit early (11ish) and decided to have a hearty American breakfast at a 50's dinner close to the hotel. Gosh, was it ever greasy but so good and oh so much food! We didn't have any plans so we just did a bit more wandering around Union Square, Free was suppose to meet us earlier but he didn't have a car and realize he had to meet the plumber which meant he wouldn't make it out until after 2pm. He really wanted to see us before we left so he made every effort to meet with us. We decided on having an early dinner so we could catch each other before we left for Vancouver. Our plane was due to leave at 7.55pm and we planned on taking the BART to the airport cos it would only cost us $4 where taking a taxi (at least $45) or a shuttle ($20) was a bit too much. Jas and I walked around Union Square a bit more and explored more shops, we didn't realize how many stores there were! We didn't buy anything of course cos most of these stores are high end designer stores. After shopping and walking, we decided to head over to Macy's and work our way up to the Cheesecake Factory located on the rooftop. I had to have one last cheesecake before we left SF cos we don't have cheesecake THIS GOOD in Vancouver. Free finally called us to say he was heading down by BART to meet up with us, we told him we were at the CF and he could join us there. Thank goodness, we decided to eat a bit before we left even tho we weren't that hungry, I did not realize how late it was going to be by the time we reached home! Of course, I had a cheesecake before we left but the portions (even lunch size) were humongous so thank goodness Free finished my pizza and I took the last 1/3 of my cheesecake to go. I figured I could enjoy it while I was waiting for our flight but I ended up throwing it out before checking in! Oh well, it was probably a good idea not to finish it! It was a lovely weekend and def not long enough! I am very excited for Free and Lake and wish them all the luck, happiness, prosperity and love in the world, I'm so glad he found someone so perfect for him cos he is awesome!!! Will def need to go back and spend more time in San Fran, maybe a family vacation :) Lots of photos but haven't edited them, will try to post them soon!

Welcome Home!!

HonHon's plane arrived a bit later than expected and since I was earlier than expected, I ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for him!! Once I looked up from my ipod (watching a movie), I almost didn't recognize him cos he gained a little bit of weight. He says only about 5 pounds but I think he gained just a bit more than that! Which means there is just a bit more of him to love :) Of course, he never comes back empty handed and we got lots of great gifts! Kay got this awesome stuffie from Dubai, it's a huge camel with hair, so cute and I of course got my Hello Kitty items, not that I asked for a lot of HK stuff this time cos I had gotten so many in the past! But he did bring this one item back that is so cute and I didn't even ask for it :)

We decided to head back to my place since Kay would be excited to see her dad and when we got home, I noticed the vinyl in our bathroom / hallway was ripped out! I hope they were replacing it soon cos it's a bit of an inconvenience! The insurance people had come through the house earlier this week to look over the water damage from the leak and gosh, I didn't realize how badly the water damage was! The second floor, guest bedroom's ceiling had been opened up (due to the water sitting in the ceiling) so it could be aired dry, the second floor hallway was completely wet (large and LOUD fan dryers were sitting there blowing air towards the carpet), my gram's bedroom, bathroom and the common hallway was also soaked so there were 2 huge blowers up there. The house sounded like a factory cos there were so many blowers!! One leak could cause this much damage is insane. Once HonHon arrived, Kay and him were goofing around and I was getting super tired due to my sleepless night and very early morning wake up. After a few hours, it was time for HonHon to head back to Burnaby to his parent's condo cos I wasn't taking Thursday off, my vacation starts on Friday. It will be nice to have a week or so off to be a family :)