Spain vs. Portugal #Euro2012

photocredit@nationalpost

That was the most stressful game I've watched in awhile. I was so tense the whole game and I hate penalty kicks. I'm so glad Spain pulled through and won. Portugal plays so dirty. I love the country and the people but the soccer team...ughhh I get so frustrated!! Hahaha the look on Ronaldo's face when they lost was priceless. He didn't even get to shoot :P bahaha yay Fabregas for shooting the winning goal :D so close to another Eurocup victory! I'm guessing Germany will win against Italy tomorrow. Another Spain vs. Germany showdown. It's gonna be exciting!

Success!

Yay!! These are my best macarons yet :D Green tea and Chocolate but this time with the meringue flavoured as well! The texture of it is probably the best out of the two other times I made it. It's soft and breaks easily on the outside (so vulnerable!) but it has that cookie-like texture when you bite into it. I was lazy and put the filling on with a knife rather than piping and meringue breaks so easily because of the pressure. Next time I will pipe the filling so that it's prettier too :P Regardless, I'm so happy I am finally able to perfect them :)))

K-W Multicultural Festival

Pashminas! This reminded me of Cox's Bazaar. I miss Bangladesh!

Shalwar Kameez! It was awesome seeing these everywhere!

Katie with her lemonade. I never realized how nice Victoria Park was!

Papusas. We didn't get to try them because they stopped taking orders but it looked good. It was a patty stuffed with cheese or beans. They have a place at the Kitchener's Farmers Market. Gotta check it out!

Awesome music. It was so fun and there was THE cutest baby ever.

I love looking at random objects I have no use for :P It reminded me of the random markets we would find when we were in Europe.

I had a lot of fun at the Multicultural Festival. There was so much stuff to see! There were booths where you could explore different cultures more and talk to individuals. There were a lot of  Different ethnic food vendors and a fashion show/dance type thing where people wore clothes from their country and performed. You could also buy things that are made in or unique to certain countries. It was pretty cool seeing the different cultural communities that are actually in Kitchener! I'm glad my friend dragged me out. I gotta stop hermit-ing :P

endorphins are such wonderful little things. i ran 2.5k today! yay :) i am slowly training myself back up. it feels so good to run at night. it's cool and there was a nice breeze today too. i stopped by the small park behind my house on the way back. i never realized how nice it was. there's a mini pond surrounded by trees with sleeping ducks. behind it you can still see cars driving past but it feels hidden away. in reality it really isn't. it's right along an open street with kids there all the time. the cars get loud too if it's during rush hour. funny how different things can feel at night or in the daytime :) anyhow, my goal is to get back in shape this summer! i keep saying that but i'm gonna aim at 5k by the end of july! :D and i gotta stop eating sweets. why do i have such a tongue for sweets?! haha oh well...the more i run means the more i can eat! hahahah

Chocolate and Matcha Green Tea Macarons! :D It tastes purdy good :) But they look kinda ugly haha. I didn't grind the almond flour this time and it really makes quite a difference! It's definately not as smooth looking as last time. I didn't have food colouring at home so only the filling is flavoured...although I thought about it afterwards and I should've added the cocoa and matcha to the batter anyway. Oh well, third times the charm right? I'll try it one more time and hopefully perfect it! I'm excited to have finally received my matcha powder though (after how many months?!) I can finally make some yummy matcha soy lattes! Even though it's so hot! haha i'll make iced ones :) I'm debating whether or not to bring my coffee/espresso machine down to Montreal. It's so big. But I would miss making my own coffee...maybe they'll have one. Anyway, I never want to pay more than $1 for macarons now. Not worth it...even if it's super pretty and yummy...but then it does take a lot of work to make. I also never want to buy smoothies out anymore. They overcharge so much! Stock up on fruits at the market (cheap at the end of the day), freeze them and make your own. So much yummier because you can make it however you want and also so much cheaper! 

Another thought, I am seriously going to open my own bakery cafe one day :)

such a good song.

Thoughts in my head at the moment

I finally got 15 stars at Starbucks = free drink! Yay!

I'm sitting dressed and ready to go for a run but just can't seem to motivate myself... :/

I need to finish my fundraising letter for tonight

Maybe I should do a photo walk instead of a run :D

I'm going to attempt at flavored macarons

Spain must beat France tmr...Germany is too good

Rainy Days

I like having the house to myself. I enjoy being at home alone watching a movie, baking or reading a book. I used to hate rain and thunderstorms because it scared me but now I find it somewhat soothing. As long as it's not dark outside and I have some lights on, I don't mind being home alone in a thunderstorm :) It'll be interesting living in a house with 5 strangers in the fall. I'm so used to doing my own thing or being home alone, I wonder what that'll be like. I really am introverted hahaha

I love the Farmer's Market!

Stratford!

 

My friend came down from Toronto to visit on Monday and we spontaneously decided to go to Stratford. I miss driving down there, it was always so relaxing. It's the perfect distance (not too long so that you get tired) and driving along the countryside is so fresh :P We hit up Sputnik's which is one of my favourite cafes there. It was the first cafe I went to when I worked in Stratford. It's small but really cute inside. I got a mocha which was really good but it was so hot outside I started melting...not quite sure why I didn't get something cold hahaha It was nice revisiting shops and walking along the main road. There really isn't much to do there haha We walked along the lake but the swans were hiding today. We only saw 2! They must've been hiding in the shade too.

We ended off with Ken's french fries, which, in my opinion are the best french fries I've ever had! It was disappointing then when we order and the fries weren't fresh. They were soggy and tasted like they've been there for awhile. The guy also didn't do a very good job of mixing the vinegar and salt. That made me pretty sad. It only means I have to go down again and hope it's better! I still have to go to Boomers and Scoops. I was way too full to have anymore food! I have to find a day where it's not as hot and bring around my camera to do a photo shoot :) they have some nice locations!

What a week it's been!! I met my intern team, convocated and emcee'd my friend's wedding! It was all so much fun! 

This is my intern team :) From the Left is Gary, Shu-Yin, Leah, Emily, Cherilyn and then me! :) We'll all be living together in September except for Shu-Yin who is our intern director. She's living with her family. I'm excited and scared at the same time. Training helped me realize how real this is (it's actually happening!! O_O haha) but it also encouraged me a lot :) It was good being in the presence of a community of individuals whose hearts are all on fire for God. We are all scared, uncertain of what's next but by faith, we are following God and we expect amazing things to happen :) 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deut 31:6

It felt so good to walk across the stage and receive my diploma :) I'm done!!! It's finally official! :P four long but good years :) I am so blessed to have had all these people by my side throughout the years. I've been blessed with so many friendships, a wonderful community and my always supporting family. It really is a bittersweet time as we all go our different places or even stay in Waterloo to finish more schooling. No matter where our future takes us though, I am thankful for the time I got to spend with each of these people. The memories we made are gifts and I know only more good things will be in store for us :) We have to share our love.

Congrats to Tiff and Ricky! :) It was such a beautiful wedding at the Casa Loma! I was nervous about emcee-ing but I think it went alright! Hahaha the games didn't play out as we had planned but people still had fun. I know I did :) We did a Charlie Chaplin type skit at the beginning of the reception which was mostly improv but that worked out really well! The food was yummy, although by the time I got around to eating it, it was cold already :P There was an open bar and the DJ's were really good! We danced and had a ton of fun celebrating! It was a gooood night!

Downtown Kitchener

 

I walked around a bit in Kitchener today and realized there is a lot of stuff here! There are a lot of restaurants and cafes I would like to try. There's Caribbean food, African food, Turkish food, Mexican food, Vegan...and it goes on. I would like to try all of them :D There are a lot of vintage, thrift shops here too. I was carrying too much stuff and am too broke to go into any of them. Later in the summer when I have made some money I shall explore them :) I also found lots of second hand bookstores. I love that. I need to come downtown with only my camera next time and explore. There are a lot of old buildings here too. They're very worn down but I love buildings that have character. Having lived in K-W for 18 years, it's sad I haven't explored Kitchener much. This summer will make up for that :)

Macarons!

I know macarons have been popular for awhile but I  never really had much interest in it before. People were always saying how they were such delectable treats but it never tempted me much. This past weekend, as some friends and I were preparing a graduation gift (a box full of treats and goodies) for our friend, I tried my first macaron! It was a chocolate one from Loblaws. It did not taste like what i'd expected it to be. I always thought macarons were hard cookie sandwiches with a cream center. I like my cookies crunchy but chewy, kinda like it's not fully cooked but it is and when the chocolate is gooey...oooh yummyyy!!

Anyway, I'm off topic. I thought macarons were mini cookies that were too hard for my liking and with some sort of cream in the middle. Ignorant I know. But boy was I wrong. The meringue took me by surprise. It was so light and delicate. The buttercream center was delicious too. I went back home and decided I needed to attempt at making one. I would say it was somewhat successful??? hahaha making them is certainly very delicate. Everything needs to be perfect. You can't over stir your mixture otherwise the meringue won't rise but you need to stir enough so that everything is incorporated together. You can't over cook it, otherwise it'll burn but if you undercook it, the meringue will fall in on itself. The buttercream center is tricky too. You have to cook the egg and milk until it almost looks like a pudding, not long enough will mean the buttercream is too runny but if you cook it for too long, it'll start to curdle. Complicated indeed but overall I think my first attempt was a success. It's a bit sweet and I had a batch of meringue where I cooked it a little too long and it started to crack but now I know for next time. Next, I will attempt at making different flavours! I can't wait for my matcha to arrive. Green tea macarons! :)

Grace

It's funny how God always knows the things you need to hear or see or read. Today I came across a much needed reminder of how our God is the only one who can satisfy. We create lies and build up idols in our lives to give us comfort from the things we fear the most. Whenever there is something going on in my life and I don't know how to deal with it, my first instinct/coping mechanism is to run away from it. Instead of turning to God and trusting that He is in full control and authority, I seek ways in which I can solve it. When it becomes too overwhelming, I ignore it completely until it slowly creeps back up to haunt me.

I've been running away from dealing with this whole internship for awhile now. At first Europe was an excuse to not have to think about it, to rest and enjoy myself. But then I came back home and the reality of it hit even harder. I was so afraid, still am so scared and I hate the doubts that are floating around inside of me. What happened to my unshakable faith when I first made this decision? Now all I ask myself is, what did I get myself into? I think it's about time I stop running and face my reality. What do I have to be afraid of when I have our almighty God behind me every step of the way? Every challenge, struggle, trial and toil, I know God will help me make it through.

Our God is so gracious. He never gives up on us even when we may have given up on ourselves. 

ESP vs. ITA

I got on my Spain jersey today to cheer on my team. Truthfully, I was a bit disappointed. They did not play well. If they were playing against Germany, they definately would've lost. There were so many times where the Italian striker got past the defence and was one-on-one with Casillas. They also started with 6 midfielders aka no strikers! There was hardly any attack coming from the Spanish side. Torres had an opportunity to score right when he substituted on but he waited too long. If they want to take the cup this year, they're gonna have to work a lot harder and have a better game plan. Makes me a little sad, Spain can do so much better than this. Good news is Fabregas scored the equalizing goal hehehe I should've worn my Fabregas Barca jersey instead :P

La Furia Roja

EURO CUP 2008 CHAMPIONS!

WORLD CUP 2010 CHAMPIONS!

This year, Spain is missing two of their star players. The absences of striker David Villa and defender Carles Puyol is going to be significant. Many of the Spanish players are below desired fitness from injuries this year and they're getting old :( This makes me so sad. Obviously I'm still cheering for Spain. They still have the talent and skill but i'm afraid Germany just might get past them this time around. But I will not lose hope. I have faith! hahahha GO ESPANA!!

Cala Salada, Eivissa

i have a new love (or obsession rather) with rubber stamps. why didn't i realize how wonderful they were before? i've been stamping everything! making cards, notebooks, letters, tags, everything with stamps. i don't have many though so many of my things are getting repetitive. i wanna buy a box set of alphabet stamps for scrapbooking as well as stamps with random objects and words on it. it's too bad we don't have cute, large stationary stores in canada. i'd totally stock up like crazy if i were in asia :)

It's been awhile since I've chilled at a cafe to blog, journal or do work. I've been such a homebug, staying home everyday. Also because I'm broke so I don't wanna go out hahaha. I've quite perfected making soy lattes and smoothies :) I'm waiting for my matcha green tea powder to come so I can make lattes with that too. I need to restock my tea stash though. Gotta get some yummy flavours to make iced tea with!

It's also been awhile since I've come to DVLB. I stopped coming here because people were always here. I don't like whisky but I wanna see what their whisky bar at night is like.

Anyway, I came in today and they commissioned someone to paint their logo of the Jackrabbit on the wall. It's a mythical creature, half deer and half rabbit. It looks pretty nice, lots of little detailing. The guy is still working on it. It is a painting in progress! I wish I took art in high school. I miss doing art. I don't know how to paint properly, creating shadows and depth and whatnot. Something i'd like to learn. I'm gonna get some paint accessories and do abstract art ;) hahaha I wish they had a Tiger in Canada. We discovered it in Madrid and they have such nice and good canvases, sketchbooks and art supplies for such good prices too!

DIY #2

I attempted at making lanterns to use as decoration for my friend's birthday. It's actually quite easy to make. You just need paper cups, glue, string and paint.

The first few I made were pretty ghetto looking but I got better along the way! :P I still haven't seen what it looks like with the candles lit up inside yet. I think it should look pretty cool though. Especially at night.

I wanna decorate my backyard with lanterns. Make it pretty, fix it up and maybe plant some flowers. Our backyard is in pretty bad shape though. Hahaha it would take a lot of work. I
have this picture in my mind from a commercial I saw. It looked really good with all the bokeh lights and people having a barbeque during dusk. I want my backyard to look like that! When I have my own house it shall...for now, our backyard is good enough :)

Yesterday I bought a bottle of pinot noir and watched HP with my sister. I still haven't found where Librario Lello is. On to HP4 tonight....maybe tomorrow hahaha

Few things I wanna say about HP. One, I love George and Fred. Two, Harry is so annoying. Three, I want to go to New Zealand and four, JK Rowling is a freaking genius. Rewatching these so closely together has made me realize how everything, and I mean everythingg (!!) ties together and has something to do with something. SO genius.

The wine we had was alright. I want to find the wine I had at Catarina's house in Lido. That was the best red wine i'd ever had. So smooth and bold and with a tint of sweetness to it. She said it was the pinot noir but this one just doesn't taste quite the same. Guess I'll be experimenting around :P 

I had a rather nice Sunday today :) It was a really good sermon at church. A good reminder that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead exists inside of us today. We just need to choose to believe.

We had pho for lunch (which I've been craving ever since I returned!) The soup was perfect. Extra hot and the perfect amount of bean sprouts, lime juice and hot sauce! For dessert we went to Marble Slab to use up some coupons that were expiring today. I had mocha with cookie dough. YUM! :D

Tonight's dinner consisted of a fusion of Portuguese ( I tried making Rissoles...not quite sure I succeeded), Spanish, Vietnamese and Thai accompanied with Sencha Pear iced tea from DavidsTea :)

Spanish Tapa, Rissoles, Rice Paper Wraps, Peanut Chicken Stirfry :)

I watched Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone afterwards. I am determined to find out where they filmed in the Liberio Lello in the series. It's not in the first one. My dear friend bought me the full Harry Potter collection as my late birthday gift (^^) and so now I am going to watch all eight of them again. PUahhahaha

YAY! Thanks Claire <3

I was looking for books to read during the summer and I finished one yesterday. It's by Sophie Kinsella called I Got Your Number. It's a no-brainer, don't have to think kind of book. I finished it in a day. It was alright haha. Now I feel like I should've just decided to re-read all the Harry Potter books. It's a challenge I'm debating whether or not I want to accept. At the moment I have Left Neglected and Still Alice by Lisa Genova on my list of books to read. I also ordered Forgotten God by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt online and it came in today! :D I'm enjoying these moments where I can read non-school related stuff (even though I won't be reading those anymore anyway :P ) I haven't been able to read for a long time!

I do need to start focusing on fundraising and my impending future though. Can't and shouldn't run away from it.

Last thought: I want these.

Sperry's Topsiders. These are J. Crew exclusive I think. But they are also for Men. I like the dark wood colour. The Ladies browns are either a dark brown or a tan. No in between. Too bad. I need to save. Puhahaha.

I'm going to attempt at 5 DIY projects this summer :) Here is project number 1.

I am almost done making my first notebook! I'm experimenting with different ways of binding. We'll see what works best. I want to buy stamps to decorate too :P