Découvrir | To Discover

365 Photography: Weeks 3 - 4

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 07:00:00 +0000

16/365

17/365

18/365

19/365: Dinner by mom

20/365

21/365: The new spin studio that opened up on Whyte Avenue

22/365

23/365

24/365: Breakfast!

25/365: Loads and loads of studying going on...

26/365: The sunrise by my house.

28/365: Woke up especially early today just because I'm used to waking up early for school and was able to get this lovely shot of the city.

29/365: A morning well spent at Transcend Coffee in the Garneau area.

30/365

31/365: If you have never tried plain honey on toast, it is delicious.

January Web Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 05:47:00 +0000

1| Quiet Quality: Rules - Jessica Comingore Studios

I found this post through the blog Homeward, and I just found it extremely relatable especially considering that I am entering my first year of university the coming September.

2| Healthy Baking

Despite having only made her Soft, Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies (which were VERY soft and chewy) and the Clean Eating Cinnamon Rolls, I am absolutely in love with the recipes posted on Amy's blog. Most of them are healthier variations on some of my favourite treats and I really appreciate being able to eat them without the detriments of eating, like, a cup of sugar.

3| Homeward

I have to give credit to Jordan for her Mid-week updates that include different links - it was the inspiration behind these posts that I'm planning on posting every month! I always come across some articles that I'd love to share with more people, so I'll link my favourite web finds in monthly updates like this.

4| To Be Young, "Gifted" And Black

This was a very interesting and thought provoking article for me to read, especially since I face the very opposite "stereotype" described. As a Chinese girl, there have always been expectations placed on me, not even by my parents, but by relatives and everyone in the Chinese community. Recently, I've found it really hard to break out of these restrictions and expectations because I grew up with them, and they've sort of become a part of my own values as well.

A Day Well-Deserved

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 20:27:00 +0000

Freedom at last; all my mid-terms are finally done and over with! The last mid-terms of my high school career. Even though we had a turn around day - no school - my body and mind were still tense and decided it would be a great idea to wake up at 4:30. I've always had trouble going back to sleep so I was in and out of sleep for another hour and a half.

A few weeks ago, the spin studio YEG Cycle opened up on Whyte Avenue and my friend and I decided to go after exams, just to try something new. (New year, new me) Since we arrived an hour earlier, we walked around the river valley, waiting for the sun to rise.

The people at the studio were extremely friendly and welcoming; their energy was extremely positive and I didn't feel intimidated at all even though it was my first time there, and my first time spinning. The studio was extremely clean too - the entrance and changing rooms. Our motivator was Kara, and she was absolutely amazing. Even though I haven't had another motivator, she was just a great pairing for the encouragement that I needed. The class was definitely difficult, but I'm convinced that I can push myself even harder. As I'm sitting her right now, my hamstrings and calves are quite sore, but I'm already thinking of going back as soon as I can. If you are looking into trying something new, I would highly recommend trying spin!

After an extremely fun but tiring workout, we walked to Farrow Sandwiches (on our increasingly sore muscles) and tried their sandwiches for the first time. They were amazing.

The John Stamosa

The Grick Middle

Then to Block 1912, of course.

The Caramel Banana Chocolate Cake

There were a lot of things that went well that day, and it was just the sort of day I needed. If you're ever feeling stressed, my best advice to you would be to take a day off to yourself, or with friends. Explore your city and get to know it. Many people say that Edmonton is boring, but I'm currently at yet another cafe typing this blog post up.

Where I am currently sitting..

I have a feeling that this city has a lot to offer and of course, a lot of room for improvement and new businesses. Especially with the downturn in the economy, I encourage everyone to start investing in local businesses! There are a TON on Whyte Avenue - instead of going to Starbucks, check out Block 1912, Transcend Coffee etc. Edmonton has a lot to offer, you just have to look around!

365 Photography: Mid-January Snapshots

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 04:31:00 +0000

Last year, I remember sitting here, typing up resolutions for the new year. Rather than doing that, I just want to focus on my photography, reading, and on my own health, physically and mentally! I'm hoping to expand my blog in the sense that I'm probably going to be doing a bit of redecoration in order to fulfill my expectations! I hope you will stay, or join, me for a new year!

I recently got a new camera and decided that the new year was the perfect time to improve on my photography, as well as taking on the notorious Project 365. Most likely, I will revert to doing weekly updates, but seeing as I am currently swamped with studying and homework, a mid-month update shall take its place!

1/365: The fireworks at downtown Edmonton!

3/365: Yellow!

6/365

8/365

9/365: My current motto.

11/365

12/365: Peanut butter and jam sandwich - with homemade cranberry chia seed jam!

13/365: An afternoon spent studying...

14/365: My first, and hopefully not my last, book of 2016! Here is my review.

15/365: I love putting together colourful salads.

Why I Am "Quitting" Piano

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Written earlier this year:

If you know me well, you'd know that I play piano and have been playing piano for the past 12 years of my life. By no means am I a prodigy of any kind, I'm actually just an average piano player who has been learning for a long time! The January of 2013, I took my practical exam for Performer's ARCT and I passed. Not by much, but still, I passed. This was the first time I encountered the predicament of whether I wanted to continue with my lessons or quit, as I had already attained the certificate required to teach others. When it became clear to my piano teacher that I was slightly hesitant to continue, it most likely became a dinner table conversation at her house because the next week I went to her studio, her husband approached me on the topic. In the end, I decided that I would continue with piano thinking: "I've been learning for so long, why stop now? There's only LRCM left and I'm so close, why would I give up now and waste all the years I've spent up until now?"

A few weeks ago, under a ton of stress from school and other personal problems, I finally broke down. My piano teacher was scheduling me for a bunch of classes during weekdays because I had an Advanced Harmony exam coming up, and it was just putting so much stress on me. For the past few months, I have just felt like my entire life is being constricted into time slots that I have to follow to avoid a complete landslide of... everything. It began as a casual conversation with my mom before I started realizing how stressed out I was and I could NOT stop crying.

Present Day Thoughts:

I've held out on posting this because I just couldn't find the right words to say; I didn't know how to explain myself. I was scared that people would criticize me for wasting my parents money, but I know that that is far from the truth. They have given me a gift that is extremely valuable: music.

On Sunday, October 25, 2015, my family and I drove down to Calgary and arrived at the Taylor Centre of Performing Arts at Mount Royal University. It was a beautiful building with floor to ceiling windows and wooden panelled walls. I was there to receive my certificate for ARCT after having successfully completed my Counterpoint and History exams over the summer. It was such a surreal moment receiving my diploma because I had never planned on coming this far, but there I was, on stage, shaking hands with the President and CEO of The Royal Conservatory of Music.

However, at the same moment, there was a feeling of closure - a perfect ending of sorts. Music has, and always will be a big part of my life, but the time to quit my lessons has arrived. In my opinion, everything will always come to an end, which isn't a bad thing! Sitting in the audience with the rest of the graduates and Regional Gold Award winners brought me to the realization of how extremely fortunate I am to have received a musical education. But, it is time for an "ending".

I have achieved far more than what I expected from myself. By no means am I quitting piano for good, I'm just no longer attending lessons. It has gotten to the point where playing piano is stressing me out, and I need a break from it. Maybe I'll continue lessons later, maybe not. This decision wasn't just made on a whim; as you can see, it took several months. But I am sure that this is the right decision.

Throughout my 12 years of piano lessons, I've learned more than piano. I learned what it means to be committed to something; I learned to teach theory to others; I learned to persevere and keep practicing even when it seems like it's going nowhere. The list is endless, and for that, I thank The Royal Conservatory of Music, my parents, and of course, my piano teacher, Thank you so much.

Book Review: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Published by Hyperion on September 11, 2012

As I started reading this book, I didn't know what to expect since I hadn't read any reviews or heard any comments from friends. Despite this, or maybe because of this, I enjoyed the book for its laughable moments and underlying inspiring message.

From this perspective, I was pleasantly surprised by the type of humour that was maintained throughout the book. Although I wasn't guffawing or crying from laughter, I definitely chuckled here and there. One of the most noticeable traits about this book is the emotional detachment with which the author writes in regards to various... questionable, events. If we were to be more in depth about this, I think Jonasson purposely writes from a third-person limited objective point of view to further contribute to the emotional detachment and emphasize the humour of the book.

It can also be interpreted as an attempt to characterize Allan's twisted optimism due to his upbringing as a child. One of my favourite things about this book was the fluidity with which Allan's past and present were weaved together and finally brought into a perfect knot at the end. As I was finishing the book, I got extremely excited with how seamless his past and present were weaved together.

One of my only criticisms would be in regards to the humour as well, contrary to my point above. There were some times where I felt a bit bored with the humour (vodka, vodka.... and more vodka) almost as if it were a bit too forced. Other than that, I loved the combination of historical events with Allan's story line and also the variety of characters. The story was so ridiculous that I enjoyed it!

Book Review: Us by David Nicholls

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Published by Harper on January 1, 2014

First of all, the setting! I thoroughly enjoyed being brought into the European atmosphere; I loved how it felt like I was back in Venice eating gelato, walking around for hours, and being shouted at by vendors selling fake bags. Finishing the book, my desires to backpack around Europe, or at least travel as much of Europe as I can, have become undeniable.

The story was extremely touching, an intricately woven narrative that flashes back between Douglas' present and past. It deals with an issue that many people struggle with: letting go. Throughout the book, we see as Douglas attempts to "fix" his family because to let that fall apart would seem like he has failed. I found myself somehow relating extremely well to Douglas' thoughts and feelings throughout the book while still being irritated and somewhat embarrassed at how much he tried to crack those Dad jokes. At the same time, I also found his son an extremely relatable character: an artsy son who just is tired of taking typical tourist pictures of his parents.

It has given me so much to think about despite the clear age gap between myself and the characters in this book. I feel as if the message of learning when to let go of something and not feel as if you have failed does not pertain only to marriages, but also to any other people or things we love and are passionate about.

Why Autumn is My Favourite Season

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 06:00:00 +0000

I love everything about this season even though it's one of the shortest seasons, lasting only about a month before the snow comes. The transition from summer to winter is absolutely beautiful; the golden leaves, the slightly colder, but not freezing, weather, the crunch of leaves under my feet, everything. Although everything is dying, it is making way for the blooming of flowers once again in spring. It just so happens that my birthday also falls around the time that the leaves begin to change their colour. Here are a few photos that I took, my photos will also always be posted to my Flickr.

The High Level Railway Streetcar

Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 06:00:00 +0000

It has been AGES since I've written a book review, purely by choice. However, this book is truly worth writing a review about because it was unique and different from what I usually read. Wild was one of the first non-fiction books I read and it was a thoroughly rewarding and intriguing book. It is told by a woman who hiked over eleven hundred miles through all sorts of terrain. Not only is it a physical journey, the book takes us through her mental journey as she finds herself in situations that she was not prepared for.

I found myself forgetting that it was even non-fiction, the beauty and descriptiveness of the language unraveled in such a way that sometimes it seemed just like another fiction book. This just reinforced the difficulty that Cheryl Strayed faced in her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail; that I would take stories of her adventures as fiction. Another amazing asset of the book was the honesty to which the author told the stories of her past before hiking the PCT. Of course, there are probably certain things that were left out, however, it was extremely brave to admit to situations that, although were vital in leading to her decision to hike the trail, were slightly astounding.

As I journeyed through this book myself, I found myself questioning my early commitment to doing a long hike myself in the future. Not that I feel discouraged, but reading this has made me realize how much preparation is needed before embarking on a trek like the one Cheryl did. I can't imagine being alone without my friends and families for about 3 months, let alone HIKING alone. Certainly, she did meet people along the way, but personally, I feel attached to so many people here at home. Not only would there need to be preparations in terms of provisions, but I would also need to mentally prepare myself for such a trip.

Wild was a story filled with lessons of pushing through all the hardships, whether that be a loss of a family member, a friend or the pain of blisters. Its message extends to inspire its readers to maybe embark on a physical challenge such as a hike, or maybe just through a difficult period of time.

Cooking With My Mom: Radish Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Recipe is at bottom, you can use these photos for reference though!!

Radish Cake

A Chinese dish that is often made for Chinese Lunar New Year but can be eaten year round at dim sum restaurants. This recipe may differ from restaurants, but my mom and I use whatever ingredients we have on hand and vary the recipe from there.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 80 minutes
Ingredients

1 package (16oz) glutinous rice flour
4 cups water
1 large radish, shredded
1/2 cup Chinese sausage, finely diced
1/2 cup conpoy (dried scallops), soaked
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp oil
1/2 block rock brown sugar
dash white pepper
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Cooking Directions

Combine 4 cups of water and the package of glutinous rice flour, mix thoroughly.
Heat oil over medium-high heat, add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Add the Chinese sausage, stir, saute until browned on the outside. Add the convoy, stir.
Add the shredded radish, and mix everything together. Then add the block of rock brown sugar and cook, covered, until the sugar has melted. About 5-7 minutes, you can uncover and stir the mixture around towards the end. You'll also want to cover the sugar under the shredded radish to get it to melt a bit quicker.
Uncover, shake in a dash of white pepper, to taste. Add the sesame oil. Stir the mixture.
Reduce to medium heat. Using a ladle, slowly add the glutinous rice flour mixture into the radish mixture. Continue stirring until the mixture has thickened up.
Remove from heat and add INTO the glutinous rice flour mixture, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. Stir and mix until everything is thoroughly combined and dispersed throughout.
Pour into any sort of circular pan with high sides. The one in the pictures is a 10" pan. Steam, covered, for 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

What I Cook for Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Recently, I have had to begin cooking for myself and I've had quite an amazing time throwing recipes together. It's quite a challenge as my mom always cooks dinner for us, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Here are just a few things that I've made so far...

The CUTEST Socks!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks I accidentally became obsessed with everything Bath & Body Works, and also with socks. So my mom and I went on a spree and now I have way too many candles (just kidding, can you ever have too much?) and I also bought the CUTEST socks. They are so soft and I love walking around the house in them. If there are any other places you know I could get cute socks, please let me know! :)

Breakfast for One! + New Year's Resolution

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 19:02:00 +0000

For most of my Christmas Break, my parents usually went to work before I woke up (at 10, since I slept really late), therefore I've been making my breakfast more often now. This probably isn't the MOST healthy I can be, but I just really wanted that cookie in the bottom right hand corner. Anyway, it's as simple as it looks, I just toasted some bread and sliced 1/2 an avocado and topped it all off with a sunny-side up egg.

As I'm writing this I realize how close I am to returning to school again and I can't help but moan about it. This break has been the only time that I've relaxed since school started and I seriously don't want to go back especially since I already know about the 5 tests and huge essay I have coming up. Not to mention having to study for my midterms that start in about two weeks. Time to go back to my coffee addiction...

Anyway, I went back to my old post from last year and saw this:

My New Year's Resolutions:
1. Maintain this blog for as long as I can humanly do
2. Try and comment more on other blogs
3. Volunteer more
4. Get a freaking job
5. Get my Learners'
6. Just keep on keepin' on........

You must be wondering(or not) whether or not I completed any of those resolutions. I think I've done a mediocre job at maintaining this blog, and I'm quite satisfied with my own revamping of it as well. Towards the end of the year however, I realized that it isn't as fun to review books any more, and so TODAY, I just want to put it out there that the book reviews will most likely stop. HOWEVER, that does not mean that I won't rave about a good book when I come across one. Furthermore, I'm trying to start cooking my own meals more often, so there will most likely be a lot more updates as I'm mastering the culinary arts (kidding).

Although I definitely failed on my second resolution, my third resolution has been expertly resolve, if I do say so myself. First of all, I volunteered at the Ice on Whyte Festival in January, then at the Silver Skate Festival in February, the Mother's Day Walk & Run in May, and The Underwear Affair in June. In the summer, I volunteered at a church day camp for a week with preschool students and taught the arts and crafts class (the most chaotic class, so it was pretty challenging but also really fun) ! Starting in April, I also began volunteering as a teacher's assistant for my piano teacher's theory classes, and in September, as a teacher's assistant at a weekend Chinese school. Then to top it all off to make it a great year, I volunteered at a family resource house on the morning of Christmas Eve making breakfast for people in the community. I've been able to seriously connect with my community this year and I've had a lot of fun volunteering at these events.

I also finally got my Learners' so this is a perfect leeway into this year's resolutions. Even though exercise and healthy eating were NOT in my resolutions last year (because I never thought it was possible for me to exercise regularly) I actually ended up getting into all that hoopla and it feels amazing(there will most likely be a blog post coming up on that). So it goes without saying that it's on my list of resolutions this year:

Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Continuing volunteering and giving back to the community
Get licensed
Rejuvenate my love for photography and conquer the 365 Days Challenge
Hang out with my friends more
Save money (I've overspent on a bunch of stuff last year, whoops)
Be more positive and believe in myself

Sorry for such a long post, to be honest, it could have been much longer but I decided not to elaborate too much on each of my resolutions. So this year with all of those resolutions, I just want to focus on being happy and finding ways to relax even if it means procrastinating once in a while. As for keepin' on, there have been several times last year where I seriously had regrets about a few things, but thanks to my friends, I was able to persevere.

Blissful Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 17:48:00 +0000

These are just a few pictures that I took 2 months ago when I woke up earlier to go volunteering. I'm not the biggest morning person but my body has actually adapted to waking up early for school, so now I can't sleep in even if I wanted to. I also wanted to mention that it was probably around 0 degrees Celsius that day and I was afraid to miss this beautiful sunset so I ran out of the house in slippers and a light jacket. Enjoy! :)

Played around with the settings a little bit to get a different look.

Thoughts On... Just One Year by Gayle Forman

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 06:00:00 +0000

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed! To be honest, I think I went into the book expecting for Willem to meet Allyson/Lulu much earlier in the book and then being able to experience their romance again.

Much of this book is about Willem's journey to find this girl whose name he can no longer recall, but remembers that he had an extremely special day with. For me, that almost became a sub-plot because it no longer mattered in my mind. I became much more interested in his unconscious journey of his self discovery through trying to find Lulu.

I loved that this book took us as readers to so many different places in the world, and allowed us to experience the different cultures. Gayle Forman wrote in such a descriptive way such that sometimes I could picture the ruins around me, the smells, the street markets, the beautiful river and canals... There was something unique and distinct about each city we arrived at.

There's nothing else I have to say about this book! It was quite the adventure for sure with moments of reflection, humour, and obviously, sadness. However, it fell short of my expectations and did not really compare to the strong tug on my heart that I felt when reading Just One Day.

Thoughts On... Raging Star by Moira Young

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 06:00:00 +0000

This series is one that immediately caught my attention through the unique dialect and style of writing. But having read the last book over a year ago, I had to read the spoiler filled summaries of both Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart beforehand.

Previously, if I remember correctly, the books were written from the first-person POV of Saba. However, a different anonymous first-person POV, as well as Emmi's POV was introduced in this book to add a further element of mystery.

The pace of Raging Star was a bit slow, lacking the action that was prevalent in the previous books. Because of this, the final instalment of the Dustlands series was not as captivating, and had I not been reading this on the way to school as a way of avoiding my habit of falling asleep, it would have taken me so much longer to finish. The book started becoming more captivating about halfway through though, I was in such a trance that I nearly missed my bus stop. Nearly.

However, I still really liked the ending. Quite a few surprising twists that were thrown at me, and not the kind of story that ends with a cute little bow on top. Albeit most books do come with traumatizing events along the way, I have to say that halfway through this book, I no longer anticipated the happy ending we get so often.

There were so many final lessons to be learned that were beautifully interwoven along with the plot and characters. Moira Young has written such a beautifully crafted story about a girl who is extremely stubborn, head strong and sometimes selfish in a selfless way. This story was full of contradictions, and a beautiful satire of wrongfully carrying out a common desire.

A Night Out

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 17:37:00 +0000

This week, by far, has been one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I had 2 exams, labs and a French project that are due next week, and more exams next week. Although I had a long weekend because of Thanksgiving, it wasn't really a break as I was basically working my butt off the entire weekend. All of that is just to explain my absence from the blog for the past little while, and probably for the next few weeks or months as well.

In light of all of that, yesterday night, my family and I went out for dinner at Earl's and this is what I wore. :)

Book Review: Fire and Ash by Jonathan Maberry

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

I was extremely excited for the final book of the Benny Imura series. The past 3 books were fairly entertaining and enjoyable to read, but I was anxious and curious as to how all of this would end.

Starting off the book, I found it hard to remember everything that had happened before, and that Fire & Ash did not recall enough from the previous books to remind readers what happened. I'm not sure if there was an intent behind it, because it seems to put us in the same position as the characters who want to suppress certain memories.

To be honest, Benny seriously irked me throughout the whole series, but it's understandable that he's a 15 year old who was thrown into situations too early. It always felt like he was a bit petulant. Although I liked that his character did evolve by the end of the book, it all seemed really sudden. It was supported by the fact that everything he went through supported the sudden realization of who he truly was, but it took only a chapter for him to become a different person.

As for the other characters, even Benny, I enjoyed seeing them fight and solve all their problems. One of the main topics in this books was discovering their inner selves and overcoming inner demons. A quote was repeated a few times: "When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you." - Friedrich Nietzsche. So many of the characters have stared into the abyss due to their common traumatic background.

This may be one of my favourite books because it calls into the extent of how much humans can harm the earth and the destructive nature of the religion that believed their god wanted to kill everyone (aka sinners) on earth. It was a thought provoking book so if you've read it, please comment your thoughts below, even if they're spoilers! :)

Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

I started reading this series about 5 years ago, and I completely fell in love with it. But because I felt the last two books had gone downhill, I had low expectations for the final installment of The Mortal Instruments, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking it.

Even though we already know the characters quite well, there were still a few more little things that were revealed in this book. I felt that Cassandra Clare did a good job at including all the characters, and having them play an important role in the story. The characters continuously grow with each other, along with their love; I really enjoyed watching them gradually become closer and more trusting of each other. I also enjoyed the way that the characters from The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices were included to sort of tie the whole world of Shadowhunters together. I think the only thing missing for me was seeing Clary full on in action, which we got a glimpse of in City of Lost Souls.

Although I did tear up a bit, I wasn't completely in tears as I was in Clockwork Princess. I felt that the climax sort of just HIT me then was gone really, really quickly and left me thinking "Wait, what?". Although I enjoyed getting more from the characters, I still feel, and will always feel, that the series should have ended with City of Glass.

It was a decent ending that was written to give readers hope in our mind about the future and wrapped nearly everything up. I'm not completely sure if I want to read Lady Midnight; as intriguing as the world of Shadowhunters is, I think this might be where I'm stopping! However, I might just wait for others to read it and see whether or not they enjoyed it.

Other Reviews:

Recovering Potter Addict

My Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

My sweet 16th was just a little over a week ago and it honestly wasn't that big of a deal to me. It was my TOM and I had the worst day on the 9th, the day before my birthday. All I wanted to do (and I told my parents this) was go out for hot pot because I was seriously craving it. Upon arriving at school on Wednesday, I was showered with "Happy Birthdays" and my closest friends had actually left some gifts in my locker for me. I thought I would take this post to show the things they got me, not to show off, but because I am truly so grateful to have these wonderful people in my life who care about me.

This is such a cute book and I love it because it has tons of healthy recipes that encourages people to use locally grown food.

Also very very cute, I can't wait to use this!!

White Barn Warm Caramel Cider Candle!

White Barn Marshmallow Fireside Candle P.S. I just burned this one, and the melting wax is brown and it all looks like a roasted marshmallow! SO CUTE :)

A bath bomb and hand soap from Lush! These are the first things I've ever had from Lush :)

My mom got me this little bag and it's actually extremely practical to use.

After I got home, we went to Asian Express Hot Pot in Edmonton (you should go) and ate a lot. My mom also got a cake that was half cheesecake, half cake, with jello that looked like clear glass on top.

There are times where I think that my life is so hard, but I know that there are people out there who have it even worse. I constantly forget that my birthday is National Suicide Awareness Day, so hopefully I remember next year and will be able to do something related to that topic!

Book Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Because I've been so busy with exams and summer school, it pretty much took me 2 months to read this book. To be honest, it was quite difficult to get through it and I found myself constantly struggling to pay attention to every little detail. However, I highly enjoy anything related to crime and, like Robin, I was intrigued by the career of a private detective, therefore I continued to read.

A few months ago, I began reading a few Sherlock Holmes stories and I loved it. The Cuckoo's Calling had Robin playing the part of Watson and Strike as Sherlock Holmes. Often, I would laugh at Robin's preparedness, how she always seemed to have a notepad and pen in hand, and also her being a quick thinker. Strike was also an interesting character with a diverse history that is slowly revealed throughout the book. I love J.K.'s ability to write characters with such depth and realism.

The story itself was mildly interesting, and I enjoyed the twists and turns that Galbraith took us through. Like I said, the book was quite slow and I had trouble paying attention (I actually fell asleep a few times while reading it) This mystery is about finding the murderer of Lula Landry, and every time I thought to myself "IT'S GOT TO BE HIM, IT HAS TO BE", there was a new piece of evidence that threw me off.

As I finished the book, I felt like I learned quite a few things besides the process of investigations. Integrated brilliantly into the story was the theme of social inequalities shown through the different backgrounds of the characters, their race, their jobs, the way they live. I honestly think the book is worth reading because of all the little details, metaphors, and themes that are so creatively woven into the story to make it such a great book!

Other Reviews:

Aylee at Recover Potter Addict
The Broke and the Bookish

Product Review: Organic Gluten Free Black Bean Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Image taken off of website

Organic Black Bean Spaghetti

$10

Explore Asian Cuisine (Purchased at Costco)

Disclaimer: I am in no way being sponsored by the parties mentioned below. All statements made are purely my own judgement and opinion.

In May, I decided to start living a healthier lifestyle. In other words, I gave up a lot of the junk food and also grains that was part of my daily diet; imagine my parents' reactions when I told them I wouldn't eat white rice. As I was out grocery shopping at Costco, I saw another customer purchasing this and thought it was really interesting, I never thought that there would be an alternative for pasta like there was for rice. It's also gluten free!! :)

The first time cooking this, I was surprised at how brittle it was when dry, but when it was cooked, the texture was really similar to normal spaghetti, just thinner. Don't let the colour throw you off! The taste is not peculiar, and if I were blindfolded, they would taste exactly the same as normal noodles.

I usually mix this some corn and tomatoes, then add some Mrs. Dash on top for flavouring. There are obviously many more recipes and I will be trying them soon as well. If you have any other suggestions, please leave them down in the comments! :)

This is what I usually make! It's pretty tasty but you can add other seasonings of your choice!

This is just some home made tomato sauce over the spaghetti that I made.

Product Review: Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream (50mL)

$20

The Body Shop

Disclaimer: I am in no way being sponsored by the parties mentioned below. All statements made are purely my own judgement and opinion.

Why did I start using this? When I returned from Italy my skin was extremely dry. No matter how much moisturiser I used, my face was dry, uncomfortable and bloated for the entire school day. Then my mom pulled this out and told me to try it, and I'm pretty sure it saved my skin. In less than a week, I had used up half of this, that's how many times I had to reapply it throughout the day!

I would seriously recommend using this only if you have dry skin because it is an intense moisture cream. The scent of it isn't great because there are no added fragrances. Furthermore, I like buying products from The Body Shop because they are a cruelty free company.

Road Trip: Granville Island and SUSHI {Day 6}

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 06:00:00 +0000

On our last day, we went to Granville Island and explored the Farmer's Market they had there. There were so many people and it was an extremely fun place to be! We then ended the day by going to get sushi and it was just so delicious.

SCHOOL IS APPROACHING...

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Yang) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:49:00 +0000

I can't believe the month is already half over, that went by way to quickly.

Thanks to a fellow Edmontonian Book Blogger, my friends and I were able to get an advanced screening of If I Stay on August 13. Even though I swore that I wouldn't watch any of the movie adaptations (i.e. City of Bones, TFIOS, Divergent) I went out to watch this one because, yenno, free tickets. It was surprisingly quite a good movie and followed the book quite well. There were definitely tear-jerking moments, and the ending made my friends (who has not read the book) go like "wtf?", and everyone who had read the book just chuckle.

Last week, I had the opportunity to volunteer at my piano teacher's church for the Summer Day Camp they were holding. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had so far; instead of waiting for my elders to tell me what to do, I had to take the initiative to talk to the children and get to know them. The past week gave me more confidence in speaking to others and made me feel like a responsible person! At the same time that I was teaching the kids, I also learned from them to just take life a little less seriously.

School is coming up, and I don't know if taking life a little less seriously will be for the better or for the worse. I go to an academic school where everyone is pretty uptight about their marks, and I admit, I am too. However, over the last few weeks of summer vacation that I've gotten, I've really just let loose for a while and have been reminded of all the little things. Taking life a little less seriously, to me, means to not let my marks affect me too much. There's seriously a lot to this, but this year, as much as I want to focus on school, I still want to try and make time for all my other commitments.

Looking at my schedule and what the grade 11's before me went through, I can tell that this is going to be a pretty hectic year. Most likely, I won't be able to update the blog as much, or make as many videos, but I'll try my best!

So whether you're heading back to school, work, or maybe you're one of those lucky people who just get to stay at home, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and best of luck to whatever you do! :)