miami, we meet again.

ahh, miami..  in 2 days i will be laying on your pristine beaches (ok, maybe it's not that pristine but pretty darn close - it's no atlantis in nassau, though), soaking up your rays of sunshine, and sipping on some south-beach-infused cocktails. mmhmmm!! (be jealous, y'all! lol i kid! i kid!)

this will be my 4th consecutive summer in miami and i plan on continuing this tradition.  i love the 305 for all of its splendor - beautiful beaches, delicious foods, scantily-clad people, (oh-la-la) and unique architect (art deco all day!).

my very first time in miami, i played the role as a tourist and went all over the area, taking in the sights with my camera.  i did a bus-tour of the city, crafted a masterpiece in coconut grove (aka painted a figurine.. lol), visited the alligators at the everglades, toured star island, boozed on a party cruise on the bay, played with the monkeys and other animals at monkey jungle (where we humans are actually the ones who are caged in), learned about the sea life at miami seaquarium, and partied all over south beach.  the following years, i put my tourist gloves away and just enjoyed the sun and fun.

this summer, i have the fine company of my parents, 3 brothers, and their girlfriends, which should make for an entertaining and fun summer getaway.  I ♥ GROUP VACATIONS!

on a side note, last night, the residents of the LE household held a liquor clean up night.  we played tien len (13 cards) for shots.  4th place - 2 shots, 3rd/2nd place - 1 shot, and the winner got to laugh at the losers while they grimaced after throwing back their shots.  good company,  good conversations, good fun, and good drinks (not really).

a compilation of my miami moments after the jump!

northwest love: seattle, washington.

seattle.. the emerald city.. full of character, culture, and.. lush evergreens (thus being dubbed "the emerald city").  and you can also add rain to the list as well.  for those of you who have not yet been to this major northwest hub, i would suggest you make at least one trip out there.  seattle offers both the modernity and luxuries of a city and the sweet ambience of nature.

in april, and again in may, i hopped on a plane heading west to seattle to check out the scene (just in case i wanted to relocate there for work) and boy, there is much to see and do!

downtown seattle:  the downtown area is home to seattle's busy business district, full of bars, clubs, shopping, and of course, the beautiful skyline.  during my very first trip, i stayed at the hyatt olive 8 (love this hotel) for convenience sake, allowing me to walk to many of the popular sections of the city.  throughout my two visits to seattle, i probably trekked through the entire downtown area at least 5 times - yes, my feet and legs hated me every single day while i was there, but then again, it was good exercise.

one place i would recommend is von's grand city cafe and martini bar.  the bartenders here can whip up some pretty mean martinis, including the "purple haze", "pomegranate martini", and the "blueberry lemon drop" - all guaranteed to have your tastebuds dancing!  not only does von's deliver delicious drinks, this roasthouse also serves great food for those growling tummies! nomnomnom

i love sushi.  so if you love sushi, too, i would suggest you go to "imo" and ask for chris (the dude is hilarious and super fun!).   imo offers amazing sushi, yummy drinks, karaoke, and a dance floor with a DJ on the weekends (primarily an asian scene).

the glistening waters of the pacific alongside seattle certainly draws even more beauty to this city - oh how i love cities with a waterfront.  here, there are plenty of restaurants with great seafood, souvenir shops, and a little park area where you can lay on the grass and people watch or have a picnic.  the pike place market is also close to the waterfront, boasting fresh seafood, florist vendors, restaurants, cafes, and other unique stands sure to catch your interest.

capitol hill:  i absolutely love capitol hill ♥.  this trendy residential neighborhood is located east of the downtown area and is home to much of seattle's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community and also houses multi-million dollar mansions.  coffeehouses and bars/taverns are very prominent in capitol hill, especially on broadway and along the pike-pine corrider. 

unicorn, located on pike street, is a bar/restaurant that serves up some of the most unhealthy foods  (but delicious, or so i've heard.. i dared not try anything in risk of having a heart attack).  they are well known for their "unicorn-dog," a monster corndog, fried with chili and cheese on top.  the menu includes other "junk food" such as fried twinkies and "unicorn-balls" (fried balls of pork).   this place is decked out almost like a circus or carnival with vibrant colors (teal, pink, white, and black stripes.. if i can remember correctly) and is a nice place to just sit down and grab a bite to eat and something to drink. 

moebar is definitely the kind of nightlife scene i'm into.. great atmosphere, large, cozy couches, nice bartenders, and good music (but i guess that depends on the DJ).  chris, from imo's, had actually invited me out to moebar since he had the night off and his friend was DJing, and i'm glad he did!  the alcohol was flowing, the music was bumping, and i was all over the dance floor!  i had a fun night and met some cool people, though i didn't remember much. 

belltown:  belltown is another residential area that is also dotted with many restaurants, bars, and clubs, especially along 2nd avenue.  during the weekends, the streets are jam-packed with clubgoers, probably even busier than olde city in philadelphia!  it was a fun experience, but the night that i went out, there was a shooting that occurred, that resulted in the death of a 21 year-old cambodian guy.  RIP steven sok.

i was also in seattle during cinco de mayo and really wanted some authentic and delicious mexican food to help start off the celebration.  the concierge at the hyatt recommended "mama mia," a family-run mexican restaurant at the corner of 2nd and bell.  i never did get a chance to eat there because it was so busy, but rumors are, it is delicioso!  i'm making it a point to chow down there next time. 

another hot spot i enjoyed was del rey - a restaurant/bar that transforms into a nightclub after hours.  the bartenders are uber friendly and the DJ was pretty good.  the front room offers plenty of tables for those of you who want to relax and soak in the scene with a drink, and the backroom is where all the bumpin' and grindin' action occurs.  i miss it there!

seattle center:  the seattle center is base to the space needle.  i really didn't venture out anywhere around here.. i didn't even go up the space needle, which apparently is a must-do if you're in seattle!  :(  i guess i must put that on my to-do list next time i'm out there.  i had the perfect view of the space needle from the hyatt place on my second trip to the 206.  beautiful!

international district/chinatown:  the chinatown in seattle is like any other chinatown in the major US cities - lots of restaurants, boba cafes, and little markets.  uwajimaya village , apparently the largest asian market in the pacific northwest, hosts a large food court with all sorts of asian cuisine (and i believe they also have a restaurant that serves hamburgers and fries for those individuals not daring enough to try delicious asian food.. lol) and also includes a large asian supermarket where you could find almost anything.

stadiums:  the qwest and safeco field are located near the international district.  the seahawks (football) and sounders (soccer) battle off with opposing teams at qwest field, while safeco field is home to the mariners (baseball).  both times in seattle, i attended the mariner's game, which was pretty fun.  i even got a mariner's fleece (mainly because it was really cold the one night i went).  and, by the way, i had no idea that asian ladies were so obsessed with ichiro! lol


i miss seattle and hope to visit again soon.. anyone interested in accompanying me?

 

hot rollers.. a faster and less damaging alternative to a curling iron.

hot rollers have been around for ages.  they have helped marilyn monroe set iconic hairstyle trends throughout her career, from soft curls to deep glamorous waves and gave valerie harper her signature hair flip on "the mary tyler moore show."  hot rollers are a versatile and useful way of creating a variety of different hairstyles for each of your individual personas, from glamor-girl to play-girl.

i, personally, am new to the hot roller scene.  my mother uses her rollers every morning and gets quick, bouncy curls. i've been meaning to test them out, but i guess i was too much of a noob (or maybe lazy would be a better word choice) to even bother learning the art of "hair rolling."

i have always resorted to using a curling iron when i wanted to dress my hair up, but the amount of heat together with all the product just seems so damaging - weakening, burning, and drying out otherwise healthy hair.  and yes, i do realize there are benefits and drawbacks of both methods. 

hot rollers are a great alternative to a curling iron.  many of them are made of ceramic, allowing for maximum heat transfer from the roller to your hair.  usually, there is a soft velvet lining that is wrapped along the ceramic roller to protect you from burning your fingers.  these should also come with pins or clips that are used to hold the rollers in place on your head in order to set your curls.  while waiting for your curls to cool down, you can do your make-up, watch tv, eat, or anything else you desire that doesn't require a lot of moving around.  this really helps to save you time, especially in the morning, when those extra few minutes of sleep really count. 

i have hopped on the bandwagon (is there a bandwagon for hot rollers? if not, i'm starting one! haha) for the use of hot rollers and now have my own personal roller kit - conair ceramic ionic multi-sized flocked rollers with heated clips (CHV26H) [image to the right].  the kit include 20 claw clips and 20 rollers of 3 different size - 8 jumbo, 6 large, and 6 medium.  i personally think these are a bit small, but then again, i haven't used them yet to see the end result.  this was purchased from walmart for less than $30 (affordable, i'd say), but can be found at many other retailers.  a lot of reviews say the clips do not hold the rollers in place so well, so i'm a bit hesitant of keeping it.  i'm testing it out later today and will update on that. 

so, because i think the pink rollers are a bit too small (i mostly want to achieve the big, loose, bouncy curls, and not so much the tight curls), i have been looking into another set of rollers (just in case i didn't like the final look these pink rollers gave me).  i found another conair alternative - the conair CHV14J instant heat jumbo and super jumbo hot rollers [image to the left].  this can also be found at many different retailers.  i did not see this kit when i made my trip out to the walmart around my way (thus picking up the multi-size kit), but walmart.com does have it for sale at $23.  this kit include 12 rollers and pins for setting the hair.  the 12 rollers come in 2 different sizes - 4 super jumbo and 8 jumbo, perfect for creating volume with the big, loose curls. 

hopefully i can do a tutorial video one  of these days demonstrating how to use these hot rollers.  pics will do for now after i try them out. :)

EDIT: i'm back from testing out the conair ceramic ionic multi-sized flocked rollers with heated clips (CHV26H).  i heated the kit, which didn't take long at all (about 75 seconds or when the indicator on one of the jumbo rollers changes colors - pretty fast!), and started rolling away.  it took me longer than it normally should, considering it was my first time using any kind of rollers.  they weren't too hot when handling them, but you still have to be careful.  i left the rollers in my hair to cool for about 30 minutes - the longer you leave them in, the tighter the curl.  the clips included in this kit are not that great - i had a hard time securing the jumbo rollers and everything seemed a bit loose (but then again.. maybe it's just my noobieness).  i ended up using about 15-16 of the 20 rollers, but what i don't like about this kit is that there are 3 different sizes, thus 3 different "tightness" of curls, which i thought made it look funky (and let me reiterate, it's just my first time, so it may be my lack of skill or knowledge on the how-to).   next time, i'll try to divvy out my hair in order to use all of them and see how that turns out. 

i took some pictures for y'all to check out the curls produced by this kit. it may look a little funky being that i'm was a virgin at this. :)  ENJOY!

i would also like to add that i did not use any product on my hair before applying the rollers.  by prepping your hair with a curling mousse or gel before using the rollers, your hair may be curlier and will retain that curl for a longer duration of time.  again, i like that these rollers work on my hair, i just dislike the size variation.  i had to go back with a curling iron to make the curls more even.  i think i'll go ahead and look for the conair CHV14J instant heat jumbo and super jumbo hot rollers. :) 

without risk, there is no success.

although i should already consider myself an adult, it hadn't really dawned on me until i graduated from college.  the job-hunting, apartment-searching, and the need to develop true independence has really forced me to come to this realization.. not that it's a bad phase of life or anything.

i had a phone interview today for two nuclear pharmacist positions (same company, different locations - memphis, TN and jupiter, FL) and i think it went pretty well.  i should expect to hear back from them within two weeks, so let's keep our fingers crossed for me. :)  would definitely prefer jupiter, fl being that it is so close to the beach, but hey.. a job is a job.. i'll take any location for a nuclear pharmacist position.. well.. not ANY..

i also had a walgreens in las vegas take interest in my resume and wanted to discuss employment opportunities with me.. but las vegas..?  i like vegas as a vacation spot; i wouldn't want to call it home.

although i could have decided to stay locally, whether it be in philadelphia or around carlisle, i felt if i was open to relocation, i would be able to find the kind of job i want more easily.  moving away from family and friends and all that you know is risky, but without risk, there is no success.

initially, i had contemplated on moving to the seattle area.  i had an offer from a hospital and had an apartment picked out.  i was pretty much all set.  i went out there twice, not knowing anyone, but opened myself to making friends with strangers.  although it was a bit difficult, i made it happen, thus the reason i think i am capable of moving to a place where i know no one.  yes, it will be lonely for the first couple of months, but friendships will develop gradually. 

i am excited for this next phase in my life.. wherever it may take me.  although physically away from friends and family, they are only a telephone call away.. or an instant message away. lol :)

the beginnings of a blog.

so i've finally hopped on the bandwagon and have created a blog to write about.. anything and everything!  why did i want to start a blog?  i figured this would be the best way to put my life in writing.. whether it be about how i forgot my wallet at home and could only afford to pump $2.00 worth of gas into my empty tank (true story - thank god for change laying around the car) or a transition from philadelphia to another city for my career (possibly happening soon!).  although made public, this blog is meant to be my online journal.. with coverage of good times, hard times, and of course, embarrassing times (i have plenty of those).  so if you're reading this.. either you want to live vicariously through me or you just think i'm so uber awesome.. regardless.. ENJOY!

i guess it's only appropriate to introduce myself with some details of my likes and dislikes (this will come to good use just in case i develop amnesia one day.. but hopefully not - knock on wood)

my name is trang (i am vietnamese) also known as wang or trangsta ("trangsta" on urbandictionary: true gangsta - look it up.. lol).. for such a "gangsta" nickname, i am quite the contrary. 

i was born (october 2, 1985.. you do the math) and raised in carlisle, pa, attended carlisle high school, and then went off to college in philadelphia, pa, at university of the sciences in philadelphia aka philadelphia college of pharmacy.  i recently just graduated from pharmacy school with a pharm.d (yes, i hold a doctorate.. but having a doctorate doesn't mean shit.. it's what you do with that doctorate that matters).  i am currently job hunting and have a couple prospects.  as a matter of fact, i have a phone interview tomorrow for a nuclear pharmacist (my current position of choice) located in memphis, TN.  other potentials include las vegas, NV at a walgreens and a hospital staff pharmacist position in philadelphia.

i have three brothers.. i'm surprised i'm not more of a tomboy (i was one growing up).  they all attend or have attended drexel university and we all live together in the same household.  a lot of people ask me "how is living with your siblings and being around them 24/7?" i honestly don't mind it at all.  if anything, i actually enjoy it.  it never gets lonely.  my parents are still in carlisle and own a business (nail salon.. yes.. sticking with the stereotype!). 

likes: dancing, shopping (hello? what girl doesn't like to shop?), fashion, louis vuitton, traveling, colored contacts, reading, drawing, being crafty, going to the beach, piercings, cuddling and snuggling, cleverly worded jokes (a clever play on words is the key to my heart.. lol), laughing, smiling, sunshine, movies (a walk to remember, the notebook, prime, la bamba, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, memento, fracture, butterfly effect, sex and the city, identity, public enemies, secret window [basically anything with johnny depp], etc.), music (my itunes library has a very wide variety of genres ranging from trey songz to michael buble to quietdrive), romance (i'm a sucker for romance), dogs, singing in the shower and car, ice cream (chocolate!), photography, good food, wine, and writing (if i didn't like it, i wouldn't be blogging.. ha).

dislikes: arrogant people (especially those who don't have a reason to be cocky), working (you know you dislike working as well), rain, clumped-up grass clippings, insects (ew!), cats, potholes, drivers who don't obey "keep right, pass left" (one way i developed road rage), long fingernails on guys, insomnia, weight gain, incorrect grammar (i'm a grammar nazi), people with no motivation.

i'm single and currently accepting applications.. just kidding.. about the applications part anyway.. lol.  what do i look for in a guy?  he must be educated, intelligent, funny and humorous (i love to laugh), charming (but not a bullshitter), handsome, motivated to continually strive for success (whatever his definition of success is), romantic, passionate (whether it be about me or his career/hobbies), kind-hearted,  if you possess all of these characteristics, hollatchagirl! lol again.. just kidding.

so, i think that's a pretty good introduction of myself so far.  it's 4 AM EDT (yes, i'm an insomniac), and i think it's about time that i try to fall asleep because i have that phone interview to prep for at 2 PM.

welcome to my labyrinth.. have fun finding your way through the twists and turns of my life. :) and remember to live. laugh. love. it makes life less stressful.

PEACE OUT!