It's finally over.
Right at this moment, I might be the most grateful girl in the world.
My co-worker (who, BTW, is the most awesome person I have ever met) went with me to Claudette's during her lunch break. When we first arrived, Claudette was not there. Eventually, she did come back and started to lecture me and my co-worker. I felt so scared. There were multiple times when I thought that I should just forget it and give up. But my co-worker kept reassuring me that it was okay. Claudette spoke for such a long time that I thought we would never get my $50 back.
Toward the end of her long lecture, she was saying, "You are her mother...you should understand how young girls are like. I know, because I am a mother too. They are always changing their minds! I cannot run a business this way."
My co-worker fired back, "I understand. But don't you think $50 is a big price to pay so she could learn her lesson? $50 is a lot of money for her."
Because my co-worker didn't give up, they were able to eventually reach a compromise and Claudette gave me $25 back!!!
She said, "In all of my 29 years of doing business, I have never broken my policy. This is the first time I am doing this and I am only doing this for you."
Although it was not the full $50, it was better than trying to exchange it for some accessories and I was simply happy to get anything back at all. I guess Claudette will keep the extra $25 for the time wasted.
It was a lesson that I learned and I will try to keep my head strong and not give in to peer pressure. I am normally a very careful spender, but this incident will definitely keep me aware of how I am using my money.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Update on Prom Dress
I bought a prom dress today!
But it is not the one from Claudette's - it is from BCBG Max Azria! XD I bought it for $220 with 20% off! Even if I lose the $50 deposit I made at Claudette's, it would still be $30 cheaper than if I bought the dress at Claudette's. :) I tried on five dresses at the store and four out of five of them fit me perfectly so no alterations are necessary! XD I am so happy that there were actually my sizes in the store (I didn't see any size 0's at Chinatown and Ala Moana).
I bought a XXS navy blue ruched bodice strapless long gown. I've always wanted a dress with a ruched design (I don't know why, but I'm really attracted to the fabric gathering!) The dress is also not backless with a V-cut, so I won't feel as cold and self-conscious. It was also the first time I picked something out myself because every time I went prom dress shopping, it was always my friends or my sister pulling dresses out for me. There is no beading on this gown, which means I can go all out on the accessories (bling, bling, baby!) ^o^
Tomorrow, I will be heading down to Claudette's to tell her that I do not want the dress anymore (I wonder if she will try to offer me a bigger discount then?) I doubt that she will let me have my $50 back (she was pretty adamant about that last time) but my friend says it doesn't hurt to try. =/
(If I do get it back, I will cry big tears of relief and happiness.)
Well, wish me luck guys!
But it is not the one from Claudette's - it is from BCBG Max Azria! XD I bought it for $220 with 20% off! Even if I lose the $50 deposit I made at Claudette's, it would still be $30 cheaper than if I bought the dress at Claudette's. :) I tried on five dresses at the store and four out of five of them fit me perfectly so no alterations are necessary! XD I am so happy that there were actually my sizes in the store (I didn't see any size 0's at Chinatown and Ala Moana).
I bought a XXS navy blue ruched bodice strapless long gown. I've always wanted a dress with a ruched design (I don't know why, but I'm really attracted to the fabric gathering!) The dress is also not backless with a V-cut, so I won't feel as cold and self-conscious. It was also the first time I picked something out myself because every time I went prom dress shopping, it was always my friends or my sister pulling dresses out for me. There is no beading on this gown, which means I can go all out on the accessories (bling, bling, baby!) ^o^
Tomorrow, I will be heading down to Claudette's to tell her that I do not want the dress anymore (I wonder if she will try to offer me a bigger discount then?) I doubt that she will let me have my $50 back (she was pretty adamant about that last time) but my friend says it doesn't hurt to try. =/
(If I do get it back, I will cry big tears of relief and happiness.)
Well, wish me luck guys!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Shopping for Prom Dresses
Spring break officially starts tomorrow, but I've already found a prom dress! I did not expect to find one because I thought I would buy one at Waikele, where the dresses were much cheaper. But we did hit six stores! :)
We started out in Chinatown with Downtown Fashion, Do's Formal, and Local Design Formal Wear. Then we headed toward Ala Moana and went into Princess Brides, Party Dress by Claudette, and Masako Formals.
I found my dress in the store that I've always wanted to go inside, which was Party Dress by Claudette. Their dresses were more expensive, but they sell designer dresses that are of higher quality (this is especially evident when you compare the dresses to the ones being sold in Chinatown.)
I didn't actually find the dress myself - it was more like Joyce and my sister found it. They both insisted that I try it on because the back of the dress was so beautiful - there's a tail!
It is a black satin chiffon dress, designed by Niki Livas from the Niki collection. Niki Livas is also known for her Zum Zum collection, but I think her Niki collection is more sophisticated. My sister and Joyce were really enthusiastic about the dress, saying that it looked stunning on me. I was still a little confused because it broke all of the rules that my sister had previously set:
1) Never wear black to senior prom.
2) Don't wear anything with V-cuts because they don't flatter your body.
3) You only look nice in pastel colors.
I also broke one of my own rules because my budget was originally $200 and the dress cost approximately $300. However, my sister was only too eager to buy it for me because she thought it looked so beautiful on me. Honestly, as of right now, my sister and Joyce are more crazy about the dress than me. Other people's opinions easily influence me, and I've been under my sister's influence and thought for a very long time. I still feel strange that I'm breaking all the rules for this dress...is it really that special? It contradicted everything that I was supposed to be looking for in a dress! Maybe it is the kind of dress that I will start to like more and more over time.
I was overwhelmed by my sister and Joyce's enthusiasm and before I knew it, had set a deposit of $50 on the dress. I regret doing this - I should have been more firm (my biggest wish is to become less vulnerable against aggressive salespeople) because the dress is very pricey for such a simple design. I should have asked for a discount because almost every place we went to offered us discounts. I looked up the dress online and found three different stores that sold it for approximately $178! I spoke my concerns about the price more than once, but my sister reassured me that she would pay for it. That was beside the point - money is still money and I don't feel right using hers. Her eagerness made it simply too easy to fall for the trap. Would it be too late to ask for a discount?
After Claudette's, we stopped at Yu Chun, a Korean restaurant, for lunch. I was tempted by the thought of having jajamyun. I was made a mistake though - the restaurant served naengmyeon - black noodles made from kudzu root and not black bean sauce noodles. The food was good, but very pricey. We also a had an unpleasant experience with paying because the waitress made a big fuss and insisted on a 15% tip (when we were going to pay them tips anyway, but her attitude!) She busted out her calculator and calculated our bill down to the last penny. Even with the calculator, she gave one of my friends the wrong change. Communication was also not very good because we didn't understand what she was trying to tell us. A $20 meal for me and my sister became a $25 meal. I suggest that they let us know that the restaurant charges a 15% tip on the menu so that customers would know beforehand. I had the exact same experience at Little Village Noodle House, an upscale restaurant at Chinatown, because they made us pay for the bill, and then gave it back because we also needed to add the required extra 15% tip. How were we supposed to know that we had to pay it if they didn't have it written down somewhere? And why not include it in the bill in the first place? It is all very frustrating. We thought the food at Yu Chun was good, so there was a possibility of us coming back - but not anymore. Yu Chun Restaurant just lost five customers. And if anyone still plans to go, I suggest you bring a calculator with you.
We walked over to Masako's after lunch, where Wai Chu and Yuen Ni found their dress. I love many of the dresses Wai Chu tried on - the green one at Downtown Fashion, and the magenta one at Masako Formals. The magenta one was lovely- silky and smooth satin chiffon with a beautiful shade of pink (in fact, this is my favorite color!) with an elegant tulip twist in the front and a mermaid-like finish. The dress was also 50% off from $165!!! I am very happy for her, but also very envious at the same time.
(Ho, ho, I just realized that Wai Chu strayed from what she was going to buy - a green gown because green was her favorite color. I guess you can never say anything about the dress you'll have because the one you end up buying may be completely different!)
Yuen Ni looked very cute and stunning in a short pink gown (made "long" because she is sooo petite) but because it was a bridesmaid dress and not a prom dress, there was no discount offered for the $195 price tag. She did not buy it. :( Although senior prom is a formal event that requires all seniors to wear a long gown, Yuen Ni was able to look at both short and long dresses because of her height! (Short dresses would fit her perfectly while long dresses needed to be altered - or she would have to wear six inch heels.) In the end, she placed a hold for a similar dress that is a burgundy color for $165.
We started out in Chinatown with Downtown Fashion, Do's Formal, and Local Design Formal Wear. Then we headed toward Ala Moana and went into Princess Brides, Party Dress by Claudette, and Masako Formals.
I found my dress in the store that I've always wanted to go inside, which was Party Dress by Claudette. Their dresses were more expensive, but they sell designer dresses that are of higher quality (this is especially evident when you compare the dresses to the ones being sold in Chinatown.)
I didn't actually find the dress myself - it was more like Joyce and my sister found it. They both insisted that I try it on because the back of the dress was so beautiful - there's a tail!
It is a black satin chiffon dress, designed by Niki Livas from the Niki collection. Niki Livas is also known for her Zum Zum collection, but I think her Niki collection is more sophisticated. My sister and Joyce were really enthusiastic about the dress, saying that it looked stunning on me. I was still a little confused because it broke all of the rules that my sister had previously set:
1) Never wear black to senior prom.
2) Don't wear anything with V-cuts because they don't flatter your body.
3) You only look nice in pastel colors.
I also broke one of my own rules because my budget was originally $200 and the dress cost approximately $300. However, my sister was only too eager to buy it for me because she thought it looked so beautiful on me. Honestly, as of right now, my sister and Joyce are more crazy about the dress than me. Other people's opinions easily influence me, and I've been under my sister's influence and thought for a very long time. I still feel strange that I'm breaking all the rules for this dress...is it really that special? It contradicted everything that I was supposed to be looking for in a dress! Maybe it is the kind of dress that I will start to like more and more over time.
I was overwhelmed by my sister and Joyce's enthusiasm and before I knew it, had set a deposit of $50 on the dress. I regret doing this - I should have been more firm (my biggest wish is to become less vulnerable against aggressive salespeople) because the dress is very pricey for such a simple design. I should have asked for a discount because almost every place we went to offered us discounts. I looked up the dress online and found three different stores that sold it for approximately $178! I spoke my concerns about the price more than once, but my sister reassured me that she would pay for it. That was beside the point - money is still money and I don't feel right using hers. Her eagerness made it simply too easy to fall for the trap. Would it be too late to ask for a discount?
After Claudette's, we stopped at Yu Chun, a Korean restaurant, for lunch. I was tempted by the thought of having jajamyun. I was made a mistake though - the restaurant served naengmyeon - black noodles made from kudzu root and not black bean sauce noodles. The food was good, but very pricey. We also a had an unpleasant experience with paying because the waitress made a big fuss and insisted on a 15% tip (when we were going to pay them tips anyway, but her attitude!) She busted out her calculator and calculated our bill down to the last penny. Even with the calculator, she gave one of my friends the wrong change. Communication was also not very good because we didn't understand what she was trying to tell us. A $20 meal for me and my sister became a $25 meal. I suggest that they let us know that the restaurant charges a 15% tip on the menu so that customers would know beforehand. I had the exact same experience at Little Village Noodle House, an upscale restaurant at Chinatown, because they made us pay for the bill, and then gave it back because we also needed to add the required extra 15% tip. How were we supposed to know that we had to pay it if they didn't have it written down somewhere? And why not include it in the bill in the first place? It is all very frustrating. We thought the food at Yu Chun was good, so there was a possibility of us coming back - but not anymore. Yu Chun Restaurant just lost five customers. And if anyone still plans to go, I suggest you bring a calculator with you.
We walked over to Masako's after lunch, where Wai Chu and Yuen Ni found their dress. I love many of the dresses Wai Chu tried on - the green one at Downtown Fashion, and the magenta one at Masako Formals. The magenta one was lovely- silky and smooth satin chiffon with a beautiful shade of pink (in fact, this is my favorite color!) with an elegant tulip twist in the front and a mermaid-like finish. The dress was also 50% off from $165!!! I am very happy for her, but also very envious at the same time.
(Ho, ho, I just realized that Wai Chu strayed from what she was going to buy - a green gown because green was her favorite color. I guess you can never say anything about the dress you'll have because the one you end up buying may be completely different!)
Yuen Ni looked very cute and stunning in a short pink gown (made "long" because she is sooo petite) but because it was a bridesmaid dress and not a prom dress, there was no discount offered for the $195 price tag. She did not buy it. :( Although senior prom is a formal event that requires all seniors to wear a long gown, Yuen Ni was able to look at both short and long dresses because of her height! (Short dresses would fit her perfectly while long dresses needed to be altered - or she would have to wear six inch heels.) In the end, she placed a hold for a similar dress that is a burgundy color for $165.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy News
I won first place in the Teen Tech Week Photography Contest! :D I actually submitted one of my older pictures since I didn't have time to take new ones (plus, my brain was lacking inspiration!) It features a plane's engine:
The photo was taken during my trip to the Hickam Air Force Base two years ago (Wow! I did not realize that it was this long ago...)
My prize is a Domo-kun USB flash drive (1GB).
I told my friend that if I won first place, I would give it to her, but now I'm having second thoughts because...
I bought a pink Dell laptop and it came today!
I've been using my sister's computer all this time and saving my things there, but now I'll definitely need a USB to store my files.
The laptop still in its cardboard packaging so I didn't use it yet, but I just know it'll be fantastic! :)
The photo was taken during my trip to the Hickam Air Force Base two years ago (Wow! I did not realize that it was this long ago...)
My prize is a Domo-kun USB flash drive (1GB).
I told my friend that if I won first place, I would give it to her, but now I'm having second thoughts because...
I bought a pink Dell laptop and it came today!
I've been using my sister's computer all this time and saving my things there, but now I'll definitely need a USB to store my files.
The laptop still in its cardboard packaging so I didn't use it yet, but I just know it'll be fantastic! :)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
15th Annual Honolulu Festival 2009
Although the Honolulu Festival was held on both Saturday and Sunday, I only got to check it out on Sunday since I was at Dole Plantation on Saturday. I've never been to the Honolulu Festival before. I did participate in the grand parade two years ago, but that was about it. I didn't get to watch any performances and I didn't get to go to the craft fair.
I went to the Hawaii Convention Center with Chunnie. Attracted by the sound of the upbeat drums and music, we checked out the performances first. I love Tahitian dancing (I wish I could be a dancer myself, ha!) Watching the girls perform reminded me greatly of the movie, "Hula Girls." It's a great movie so if you didn't watch it yet, GO SEE IT! :)
After watching them perform, we hit the first booth, which featured wedding bouquets created by some very talented women in Japan! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures because I was afraid they weren't allowed (especially in cases like these, when it is someone's work and they don't want people to steal) but even if I did take pictures, I can imagine that the pictures wouldn't do justice to just how crazy-beautiful they were in real life. They literally took my breath away. The Japanese woman at the booth was also very beautiful, and I loved her swishy red skirt (とても可愛い!!!) She handed Chunnie and me clipboards and asked us to vote for our top three favorite. It was very difficult to choose the three favorites because they were all so beautiful made. In fact, they remind me of how George Koizumi (from Ai Yazawa's Paradise Kiss)'s handiwork might have been if he was not a character in a manga but an actual person. There was even a bouquet with blue roses (which happened to be both my favorite and Chunnie's favorite)!
The next one displayed brush work and it made me miss writing calligraphy very much. I want to start teaching myself how to paint pictures very soon. One of the women by the booth noticed us staring and immediately started speaking rapidly in Japanese. I couldn't say anything in response, but I understood that she was telling us to wait if we wanted to give it a try.
We moved to the next one, which featured oshibana art (I will definitely google this when I have more time). "Oshibana" means pressed flower in Japanese. My sister taught me how to press flowers when I was little, but it was NOTHING compared to the extent these artists went through. It was unbelievable. I met Tomoko Iwahashi, who pointed out some of her artwork (they happen to be my favorite out of the bunch). I tried telling her with my lame Japanese that I thought her work was beautiful.
"きれい!!!"
"すごいです!!!"
LOL.
By then, it was getting close to twelve, when the Doraemon movie was due to start. As we walked over, a maid from the Maid Cafe approached us to hand us some flyers. This was the second (or third?) one since there were maids standing by the entrance who gave Chunnie some flyers already. I made a mental note to check them out after the movie was over.
We ended up watching the movie with a bunch of little kids and their parents (only a few people our age). Doraemon himself made an appearance before and after the movie. We had to call his name and shout silly things like, "Doraeemonn! Doraemon!! Come on out! Come on out!" Hehe. Not much people joined in on the shouting but I cried out! I didn't care that people looked at me~ it feels good to be a kid again. :) The movie was pretty good~ I enjoyed it. ^^ We even got to take pictures with him, which really made my day!!!
By the time the movie ended, it was 2 so I was crazy hungry. Chunnie and I went to AAA Local BBQ by Don Quijote and ate a plate of grilled garlic chicken before heading back to the center. But when we got back, we discovered that many people were leaving and learned that it closed at 3! :( I was a bit upset that I didn't get to look at all the booths, especially since I enjoyed all of the ones I did see. They really exceeded my expectations and unlike many craft fairs, were interactive and involved the visitors. And the maid cafe! Noo!
To cheer myself up, I think of standing next to Doraemon. :)
I went to the Hawaii Convention Center with Chunnie. Attracted by the sound of the upbeat drums and music, we checked out the performances first. I love Tahitian dancing (I wish I could be a dancer myself, ha!) Watching the girls perform reminded me greatly of the movie, "Hula Girls." It's a great movie so if you didn't watch it yet, GO SEE IT! :)
After watching them perform, we hit the first booth, which featured wedding bouquets created by some very talented women in Japan! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures because I was afraid they weren't allowed (especially in cases like these, when it is someone's work and they don't want people to steal) but even if I did take pictures, I can imagine that the pictures wouldn't do justice to just how crazy-beautiful they were in real life. They literally took my breath away. The Japanese woman at the booth was also very beautiful, and I loved her swishy red skirt (とても可愛い!!!) She handed Chunnie and me clipboards and asked us to vote for our top three favorite. It was very difficult to choose the three favorites because they were all so beautiful made. In fact, they remind me of how George Koizumi (from Ai Yazawa's Paradise Kiss)'s handiwork might have been if he was not a character in a manga but an actual person. There was even a bouquet with blue roses (which happened to be both my favorite and Chunnie's favorite)!
The next one displayed brush work and it made me miss writing calligraphy very much. I want to start teaching myself how to paint pictures very soon. One of the women by the booth noticed us staring and immediately started speaking rapidly in Japanese. I couldn't say anything in response, but I understood that she was telling us to wait if we wanted to give it a try.
We moved to the next one, which featured oshibana art (I will definitely google this when I have more time). "Oshibana" means pressed flower in Japanese. My sister taught me how to press flowers when I was little, but it was NOTHING compared to the extent these artists went through. It was unbelievable. I met Tomoko Iwahashi, who pointed out some of her artwork (they happen to be my favorite out of the bunch). I tried telling her with my lame Japanese that I thought her work was beautiful.
"きれい!!!"
"すごいです!!!"
LOL.
By then, it was getting close to twelve, when the Doraemon movie was due to start. As we walked over, a maid from the Maid Cafe approached us to hand us some flyers. This was the second (or third?) one since there were maids standing by the entrance who gave Chunnie some flyers already. I made a mental note to check them out after the movie was over.
We ended up watching the movie with a bunch of little kids and their parents (only a few people our age). Doraemon himself made an appearance before and after the movie. We had to call his name and shout silly things like, "Doraeemonn! Doraemon!! Come on out! Come on out!" Hehe. Not much people joined in on the shouting but I cried out! I didn't care that people looked at me~ it feels good to be a kid again. :) The movie was pretty good~ I enjoyed it. ^^ We even got to take pictures with him, which really made my day!!!
By the time the movie ended, it was 2 so I was crazy hungry. Chunnie and I went to AAA Local BBQ by Don Quijote and ate a plate of grilled garlic chicken before heading back to the center. But when we got back, we discovered that many people were leaving and learned that it closed at 3! :( I was a bit upset that I didn't get to look at all the booths, especially since I enjoyed all of the ones I did see. They really exceeded my expectations and unlike many craft fairs, were interactive and involved the visitors. And the maid cafe! Noo!
To cheer myself up, I think of standing next to Doraemon. :)
Dole Plantation
Saturday. Rainy morning. Members of the Japanese Club are sitting on a 52 Wahiawa Circle Isle, armed with their iPod nanos and touches, and DS games to keep themselves occupied during the one-hour long journey to Dole Plantation. While we were on the bus, the rain poured harder and harder. It made me feel sad because I was hoping the weather would get better. What fun is it to walk through the Pineapple Maze when it is raining?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Pineapple maze is the world's largest maze. I found it surprising that the largest maze would be found on the tiny island of Oahu! :) The maze was a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be and I relied on Wai Chu to find our way in and out of the maze (thank you dear, you're my hero!) I seriously would not have been able to get out without her!
The above picture shows Wai Chu marking our route on the little map the ticket lady gave us. I thought that it would be easy with the map, but everything is still very confusing! Since it was raining (on and off, little drizzles) when we were in the maze, we had to walk through wet mud and large puddles. Sometimes, there would be some small openings between the bushes, which made me feel very...happy (and excited?) for some reason. Wai Chu pointed out that it was like in the movie, "My Neighbor Totoro." I realized that that must be it. :)
We finished the maze in about an hour half and ate afterward. For lunch, I had Sara's delicious musubi, a chocolate-covered pineapple stick that I bought for $2.50, my bento, and some of sensei's chili cheese fries. I was so full~! XD
We went on the Pineapple Express, a fully narrated twenty-minute train ride tour that took us around the plantation (two miles!) I didn't pay too much attention to the audio explaining the history of pineapples because the scenery and rain distracted me. The one thing I did catch was that the dirt is red because it is filled with iron and other kinds of nutrients that help the pineapples grow.
I put together a collection of the photos I snapped on the train ride:
After the train ride, we took a closer look at some of the pineapples that were growing by the fish pond. There were different breeds of pineapples from all over the world! You can see my snapshots here. I regret not jotting down notes on each snapshot so that I could remember where each pineapple came from. I only took note of the pineapples from Vietnam and Hawaii. Sensei eventually left us, while we stayed behind to look at the shops. Well, it was one shop in particular that I got really excited about. It was a stand that sold beautiful Swarovski crystal and other beaded jewelry. The owner, a Korean woman, explained that many of the jewelry are her own original creations so you can't find them anywhere else. :) Not only do I love her work, I really respect people who make things by hand (my sister and I do it too and understand all the time and work that goes into making something!) The prices are also very decent! I surprised myself by talking to her because I usually shy away from people, especially salespeople. But I was even bold enough to speak a little Korean!
She immediately asked, "Where are you from?"
I replied, "Here." XD
I couldn't stop myself from staring at all of the jewelry and I had a difficult time deciding what to buy. I only brought $40 with me and if I wanted to buy a lot, it meant I had to buy the somewhat cheaper items.
Here's what I picked out:
I like how pretty these earrings ($9) are and I bought them with my sister in mind, who said that she wanted pretty stud earrings. (There is no harm in getting them in case she isn't crazy about them because I am!)
I had to buy this ring ($12) for Jenni, who was supposed to be there with us that day but couldn't make it because she was sick (for a whole week!) :( I really missed her there~ and a gift should cheer her up. I get sick very easily (at least once a year) so I know how horrible it feels. Brown is her favorite color and the design of the ring is so lovely I wanted to buy a pair for myself (BUT NO! MUST RESIST!) And I did because I didn't have enough money anyway. XP If Jenni wore a brown dress to prom, wouldn't the ring look lovely with it?
I was jealous that my sister owned so many pretty necklaces so I wanted to get one for myself (especially one that is a Swarovski crystal. :) Since I didn't know the color of my prom dress (and I might just wear this to prom), I chose a clear octagon shaped crystal (that turns blue against black) necklace ($10). <3
Before we left, I exclaimed, "I can so easily spend $300 here!" and the Korean lady laughed,"Yes, I'll bet you would." She also said that she could tell, among all of my friends, that I was the "shopper." >__<
The really beautiful and intricately designed ones were $45. People might gasp at the price tag, but high-quality beads are expensive and many places don't sell them cheaper. I've tried beading before, and failed miserably. I wonder how long she takes on one project. She showed me some of her current projects and explained that she wanted to go back to Korea to take some classes and learn new beading techniques. "Many of the women in Korea do handmade jewelry like this and it is very beautiful."
One of my friends, who tried on an expensive choker, didn't have enough money with her and really wanted to come back to buy a necklace for prom.
I asked, "You want to take an hour bus ride all the way out to Wahiawa just to buy jewelry?"
"YES!!!"
Honestly, I would like to do that too and preferably when I have a prom dress already. But it feels a bit silly to visit a pineapple plantation, not for the pineapples, but for...
Well, girls will be girls and I like pretty things. So maybe. :)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Senior Luau
The senior luau was yesterday! I spent most of mid-morning and noon getting ready. Chunnie called me and I invited myself over her place so that we can go together. But something really scary happened while I was on my way! A man driving in the opposite direction of where I was headed had his arm draped outside the car window. With his other arm, he beckoned me to come over. I continued to walk forward, but when I looked back, I saw that he was leaning his head back and still staring at me! The next thing I knew, he had his car turned around and was driving next to me.
"Need a ride?"
I replied, "No," and to my relief, he drove away. I was so scared because he was pretty persistent. 恐い!!!
Chunnie and I met with Tracy and eventually arrived at school (safely!) The luau event started with a tour of Waikiki on the trolley (a great privilege made possible by events like these because trolleys are normally reserved for tourists). Tracy boarded trolley 3 with Chunnie and me even though she was supposed to ride trolley 2. Our trolley had its share of quiet people, so she made it fun. During the trolley ride, we were not allowed to shout profanity or sexist/racist comments of any sort...but showing our school pride was encouraged. Much of the screaming was done by her...with the exception of the occasional cry of "WAYMOND!!! WAYMOND!!!" (by Waymond's...boyfriend?) since Waymond moved to trolley 2 (mix-up between him and Tracy?) I did some screaming, but only when I wasn't too preoccupied with laughing at Tracy, who was so hilarious and cute (she screamed extra loud when she spotted good-looking half-naked blond boys). Since the other four trolleys were close by (all going down the same way), I could hear everyone making a lot of racket. Some people in the streets looked at us with a bewildered look on their faces, but others smiled and joined in on the fun by waving in response or throwing a shaka.
On our way to Treetops, the restaurant the luau was held at, we saw chickens! And it flew! I didn't know chickens could fly! (Chunnie explained that they could to a certain extent.)
When we arrived, we played games - Hawaiian themed charades and trivia. I made a mistake during the buffet by putting on too much cold food on my plate because I didn't know that there would be a lot of hot food toward the end of the line. My favorite was the barbecue chicken and the thick slippery glass noodles (it tasted super Chinese and was extremely good!) I ended up eating two large plates because it is against my nature to waste. We took pictures after dinner, announced the senior luau court, and played limbo before the dancing started.
It was my first time so I felt really awkward, but I learned to just move around. Everyone's body heat warmed the place up, so I stayed in the crowd to prevent myself from getting cold. I only wished they played better music (I didn't know most of the songs and many of them were so obnoxious-sounding!) I would be happy to dance to A.R. Rahman, haha!
This was the backdrop I painted so that everyone could have a little bit of fun. ^.~ I've never really painted before and it was the first time I've painted something on such a large scale! :)
When the music stopped playing, my throat was really sore and everyone's ears were ringing (the aftermath of insanely loud music). Erica described the sensation as having your ears stuffed with marshmallows - quite true! Overall, I had lots of fun. ^^
The night ended with screams of "WAYMOND!!! WAYMOND!!!" (again) on the trolley ride back to school. Tracy was too tired by this point to yell (and wake up the entire neighborhood). We sat and watched the city lights flash before our eyes, huddling together for what warmth our bodies gave against the cold.
"Need a ride?"
I replied, "No," and to my relief, he drove away. I was so scared because he was pretty persistent. 恐い!!!
Chunnie and I met with Tracy and eventually arrived at school (safely!) The luau event started with a tour of Waikiki on the trolley (a great privilege made possible by events like these because trolleys are normally reserved for tourists). Tracy boarded trolley 3 with Chunnie and me even though she was supposed to ride trolley 2. Our trolley had its share of quiet people, so she made it fun. During the trolley ride, we were not allowed to shout profanity or sexist/racist comments of any sort...but showing our school pride was encouraged. Much of the screaming was done by her...with the exception of the occasional cry of "WAYMOND!!! WAYMOND!!!" (by Waymond's...boyfriend?) since Waymond moved to trolley 2 (mix-up between him and Tracy?) I did some screaming, but only when I wasn't too preoccupied with laughing at Tracy, who was so hilarious and cute (she screamed extra loud when she spotted good-looking half-naked blond boys). Since the other four trolleys were close by (all going down the same way), I could hear everyone making a lot of racket. Some people in the streets looked at us with a bewildered look on their faces, but others smiled and joined in on the fun by waving in response or throwing a shaka.
On our way to Treetops, the restaurant the luau was held at, we saw chickens! And it flew! I didn't know chickens could fly! (Chunnie explained that they could to a certain extent.)
When we arrived, we played games - Hawaiian themed charades and trivia. I made a mistake during the buffet by putting on too much cold food on my plate because I didn't know that there would be a lot of hot food toward the end of the line. My favorite was the barbecue chicken and the thick slippery glass noodles (it tasted super Chinese and was extremely good!) I ended up eating two large plates because it is against my nature to waste. We took pictures after dinner, announced the senior luau court, and played limbo before the dancing started.
It was my first time so I felt really awkward, but I learned to just move around. Everyone's body heat warmed the place up, so I stayed in the crowd to prevent myself from getting cold. I only wished they played better music (I didn't know most of the songs and many of them were so obnoxious-sounding!) I would be happy to dance to A.R. Rahman, haha!
This was the backdrop I painted so that everyone could have a little bit of fun. ^.~ I've never really painted before and it was the first time I've painted something on such a large scale! :)
When the music stopped playing, my throat was really sore and everyone's ears were ringing (the aftermath of insanely loud music). Erica described the sensation as having your ears stuffed with marshmallows - quite true! Overall, I had lots of fun. ^^
The night ended with screams of "WAYMOND!!! WAYMOND!!!" (again) on the trolley ride back to school. Tracy was too tired by this point to yell (and wake up the entire neighborhood). We sat and watched the city lights flash before our eyes, huddling together for what warmth our bodies gave against the cold.
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