yellowrainbootz | Angela Jung

Guess the Flavour with ManCakes Bakery

2012-02-24T20:03:00.001-08:00

Dearest reader,

I dropped by the BC Place Home and Garden show to play "Guess the Flavour" with show go-ers. We tried Geoff Hamilton's specialty cupcakes. Watch to see exactly how special these cupcakes are.

Thanks for watching!

xox,
angela

Olympic Flashbacks

2012-02-22T23:48:00.003-08:00

Dearest reader,

I took a look at my YouTube vault and I stumbled upon my first ever blogger reel. For some reason, I found this to be very entertaining. I hope you do, too!

The good ol' days of the olympics.

xox,
angela

All-News Channel Interview

2012-01-17T11:08:00.002-08:00

Dearest reader,

I interviewed Ian Haysom, the News Director at Global TV, about the all-news channel launching this summer.

Check it out here:
All-News Channel Interview

xox,
angela

All-News Channel Interview by yellowrainbootz

Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge

2011-12-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

Dearest reader,

Nothing rings in the cheery season like the sights of holiday LIGHTS, LIGHTS, LIGHTS!

Last night I checked out Canyon Lights and it was beautifulllll. The only thing missing was hot apple cider and roasted chestnuts.

Canyon Lights is on until January 2nd.

Alright, folks, I'm off to L.A. tomorrow! Have a very Merry Christmas!

xox,
angela

Tommy Europe Interview

2011-11-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Dearest reader,

I went over to the Urban Fare today to catch up with former CFL Champion Tommy Europe. He shared his thoughts on the Grey Cup...but most importantly, he shared his favourite exercise move. Well, he made me do it.

Watch and see...

Thanks for helping me shoot, Jamil!
Photo credit: Jamil Rhajiak

xox,
angela

P.S. GO, LIONS, GO!

TEDxTerryTalks - Radio

2011-11-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

Dearest reader,

This is my first radio wraparound segment!

Check it out:

TedXTerryTalks by yellowrainbootz

xox,
angela

TEDxTerryTalks at UBC

2011-11-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Jamil Rhajiak

Dearest readers,

Last Saturday I attended TedxTerryTalks.

Here are some of the highlights:

xox,
angela

"Heeled" - Silent Feature

2011-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Check out the silent film my friends and I worked on for class. We acted, filmed and produced the video.

Props go out to Jamil Rhajiak for trusting us with his precious camera, and Jere for helping us film some of the downtown scenes.

So folks, how was my acting?

xox,
angela

Halloween Photo Diary

2011-10-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I dressed up as Black Swan for Halloween this year using Michelle Phan's makeup tutorial as my guide. I went to Dressew to grab some black feathers and I sewed that to my dress. And tadah! It was such an easy costume.

And it just wasn't Halloween without a visit to the Dunbar Haunted House -- except, it wasn't in Dunbar nor was it in a house. It was in an industrial warehouse by Oak Street and Southwest Marine Drive. Despite the long wait time and the cold temperature, I had a great experience. Not to mention, zombies, clowns and werewolves made frequent visits along the line to keep attendees entertained.

Lastly, I went to Mann Farms in Abbotsford for some flashlight corn maze fun!

Can't wait to hand out candy to 'em trick-or-treaters tomorrow night.

xox,
angela

Unplug for Africa

2011-10-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Tomorrow at 8am, I am officailly giving up technology to help raise funds for Red Cross relief in the Horn of Africa. Many North Americans see Internet just as important as food and water, so I'm giving it up for 5 days to raise money for those who don’t have even the essentials of life.

For more info & to join me in supporting this cause, visit Unplug for Africa.

Talk to you after the 21st!

xox,
angela

The Buzz Event - Key Takeaways

2011-10-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Dearest reader,

Here are some Key Takeaways from last month's The Buzz Event (the next event is a month away, by the way!):

Video credits go to Jamil Rhajiak.

More highlights from the event coming soon!

xox,

angela

Unplugged for Africa

2011-10-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

YWiB SFU Launch Party

2011-09-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

I had a fantastic time meeting the enthusiastic Young Women in Business (YWiB) members from the SFU Chapter last night. It was their launch party and I had a great time covering the event for them.

In 2011, it really isn't a party until there is a photobooth. The owners of Butter Photobooth are so funny and outgoing -- not to mention, they are ninjas at coming up with spontaneous poses.

Brandy and Chris.

Pita, my yellowrainbootz lifejacket.

Thanks for watching!

xox,
angela

Hapa-palooza 2011 Interviews

2011-09-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

I interviewed the attendees during Day 1 of Hapa-palooza's four-day Festival about what it means to be hapa and their thoughts on the festival.

Hapa-palooza is on until Saturday, September 11 so be sure to check out the festival while you can because there are lots to see and do!

Big thanks goes out to Jamil Rhajiak for helping me film the interviews despite his 12-hour work day at UBC's Imagine Day. He's my hero!

Tomorrow I am going to check out Sir James Douglas Mix-A-Lot Cabaret event, so hopefully I will see you there!

xox,
angela

Interview with Fred Wah

2011-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Last night I caught up with Canadian writer Fred Wah at the first-ever Hapa-palooza Festival.

Check out the interview here:

As I mentioned in a previous post that the next time you see my Diamond Grill it would be signed by the author himself, well, here it is:

Major kudos goes out to the very talented Jamil Rhajiak for the camera work with this video. Thanks, Jamil!

More Hapa-palooza is coming up! Check back soon :)

xox,
angela

Back to School Do

2011-09-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

It's that time of the year again...BACK TO SCHOOL! Whoop! Since I'm going to a brand new school, BCIT, I wanted a new do, something that makes me look my age (take that, baby face).

Having lived in Japan for a year, I love getting my hair cuts at Japanese salons because of the exceptional service and the stylists are more accustomed to Oriental hair, but I find that they're pricey for my student budget. When I heard about Tokyo Allure Hair Studio, I was excited that they have the quality of other Japanese salons but at an affordable rate because they are a new mom and pop business.

Check out what Ako's magical hands did to my hair...

So here are some of the things that we discussed prior to my shampoo and cut:
-because of my face isn't very angular, short hair might make me look younger
-fringe will also make me look younger

That's why we decided to stick with my look but enhance it with more layers because in my previous do, my hair would be very bottom heavy, especially when it was in curls.

Here are some before and afters:

So after Ako had basically finished blowdrying my hair, I decided that I wanted an even more drastic change and dye my virgin hair! I was super apprehensive and I couldn't decide on how much I wanted dyed, so I stuck with lowlights beneath the top quarter of my hair. She randomly added the lowlights in back and side sections of my hair.

I chose chocolate brown dye...but since I have black hair, the new change isn't completely noticable unless I'm in the sun. Maybe next time when I return I will be more brave.

What do you think? Should I dye my hair more drastically?

Overall, I had a great experience at Tokyo Allure Hair Studio and I will definitely come back. Ako was so patient and she was super fun to talk to. She shows a lot of spunk, but above all, I learned that she has worked in high-end Japanese salons. In fact, that's where she met her partners. So this Japanese team has over 10 years of experience but decided to start something new -- voilà: Tokyo Allure Hair Studio.

Ako also mentioned that they specialize in perms and they import a specific formula from Japan, which has great results with very little chemicals. So maybe when I want to try something new for the Winter season, I will come back to get some beautiful curls locked in. Thoughts?

xox,
angela

TaiwanFest 2011

2011-09-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

It was a weekend of champions. Champion Beef Noodles and Survey Says Champions.

Got beef? Then cook it...like this:

Champion Beef Noodles

Chef Hung, the mastermind behind the Champion Beef Noodles

There is a reason why these beef noodle bowls needed their own separate tent from all the other food stands. If I had the choice, I would have chosen the bowl with tripe, tendon and brisket but it was all sold out by the time I got there. So my beef bowl only had beef shank. Even though I had to settle for their only option, Champion Beef Noodles, it was very delicious! I like it more than Vietnamese pho. The noodles are soft and chewy and the broth is very flavourful.

But I did more than just eat, I also played Survey Says, the modest version of the famous game show Family Feud.

I've always been a huge fan family shows and Family Feud was one of my favourite ones to watch. That's why I knew that I HAD TO play Survey Says at festival. In this version of the game, the topics all revolved about stereotypes: stereotypes that newcomers have of Canadians and vice versa. Some of our questions included "What type of jobs do new immigrant teenagers have when they come to Canada?" and "What food items are difficult to pick up with chopsticks?"

Here we are playing Survey Says

Peggy, the host, was super energetic and fun

Champions! (With our Telus beach chair swags.)

Shout out to Theo and Duff for being the best team mates!

Okay, now back to the food.

TaiwanFest boasts as being one of the first street banquets, so here are some snaps of all the goods on the street:

Stinky tofu! It needed to be more stinky :P

Major applause goes to all the Green Volunteers at TaiwanFest for being so diligent and making sure that all the garbage gets sorted properly. Every half a block I spot a garbage sorting tent. The volunteers were super knowledgable about which piece of garbage goes into which bin. Nothing is left unsorted. Thanks for keeping our city streets so clean!

Hip-hip-hooray to the Green Volunteers!

And this concludes my TaiwanFest 2011 adventures.

See you next year! Zai Ken!

xox,
angela

AMS Shinerama Campaign

2011-09-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Have you seen this poster on the bus before? I have.

Every year Shinerama aims to help those who are suffering from cystic fibrosis. When the campagin first started in 1964, people who this disease did not live past kindergarden. Now, they are living into their 40's because of fundraising efforts like this one. But that's still too young.

Let's help Shinerama break last year's record and fundraise $36,000!

Come to Global Village Day: Benefit for Cystic Fibrosis on Sunday, September 11 from 1-9PM.

All-day ticket passes are only $10, and you will have access to over 14 amazing performers, including: west coast First Nations dancers, African drumming, Japanese Noh theatre and some prominent local indie bands and singers.

Check out the full event schedule here.

Every penny will go towards UBC Shinerama Students Fighting Cystic Fibrosis.

By the way, this is Lee, she's one of the new UBC Events Host :)

So what are you doing this coming Sunday? Let's make it a date!

xox,
angela

Hapa-palooza 2011

2011-08-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Halfers, halfies, hapas, mixed-heritage roots or whatever you choose to call your mixed-race pal, there is one thing that is certain: Vancouver hasn't had a festival that showcases their work and talent, or even strived to answer what it means to be mixed.

Hapa-palooza Festival is going to change all of this. For the very first time, mixed-hertiage artists in film, dance, music, visual and literary arts are going to gather for four days, September 7-11, to create dialogue that has never been (or just rarely) touched on.

We have so many gorgeous halfers in Vancouver, oui?

I'm feeling like a halfer myself. I'm half anxious and half excited!

If you've seen the full schedule of the 4-day event (3 of the events are FREE) -- see schedule on their site -- you may have noticed that Fred Wah is one of the speakers! Alpha Lam, one of the festival's organizers, has kindly arranged my interview with the Canadian author. So definitely check back for that.

Hopefully the next time you see this book, it will have been signed by Mr. Fred Wah himself!

In my Date with my grandma, I mentioned how my grandparents used to own a diner in Vancouver. This is why I felt a connection with Fred Wah and the Diamond Grill. Now I will meet the him in a week!

So, dearest halfie or non-halfie friend, will I be seeing you at Hapa-palooza?

xox,
angela

Kristie Yung, She's Got Music in Her Soul

2011-08-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

It's no secret that Kristie and I are great friends...and we met through Twitter! Back at the Buzz Event in June I sat down with her and guitarist Saba to learn what being an entrepreneur means for musicians and tips for networking.

Notice how I pretended like I didn't know Kristie...bwhahaha. She smiles and half-laughs when I ask for her name and what she does. She's Kristie Yung, and she's a singer and song-writer, no durr!

I'm really hyper as I write this post because I am drinking a large vanilla iced coffee from McDonald's...only a $1 all summer!

Have a great weekend!

xox,
angela

Date with My Grandma

2011-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

I'm very lucky because my four grandparents are still alive and very healthy. I can't believe how lucky I am. But sometimes I get so caught up in my own life that I don't make the effort to visit my grandparents. School, projects, papers, work. And when I do get a break, I want to spend my time with friends and go out. Dates, dancing, drinks, movies, shopping. I know that I should take some time to visit my grandparents because I know how lonely they may get. Now that they’re not helping my parents babysit my siblings and I, and most of my cousins are teenagers or adults, my grandma (poh poh), especially, finds herself home alone. (My grandpa (yahh yahh) likes to go to Chinatown and play mah jong in one of the Chinese Benevolent Associations -- I call them Chinese club houses.)

My poh poh used to walk me to my elementary school and pick me up everyday. As I grew older and went to high school, my yeh yeh used to drive me every morning. And now I would seldom see them. They’d come over for dinner a few times a month, but that’s about it. So I promised myself that I would bring my poh poh to the Capilano Suspension Bridge before the end of summer, because I love it there I (read my other Capilano visit here)

We spent some time sitting and walking in silence. I blame it on the generational gap. So I started asking her questions. Questions about why and when she came to Canada, questions about our family history. Questions you’d think I’d have answers to by now.
So here’s what I learned about my grandparents:
-my poh poh came to Canada when she was 17
-her father, my great-grandfather, sponsored her because he was working in a Chinese restaurant in Vancouver
-my great-great-grandfather first worked in the lumber industry in Canada...I was trying to ask if he worked in the mines or worked on the railway, but I don’t think my poh poh really knew
-when my poh poh first came to Canada, she was placed in a grade 4 class, but she gave up after half a year and didn’t want to pursue school

-my yeh yeh came to Canada when he was 18
-he went to Britannia High school, I suspect most Chinese children went to school in the Strathcona and Britannia area
-he was placed and competed grade 10, but stopped in order to help his parents with their diner, which he later took over
-he became the owner of Sunnyside Cafe, and can you guess it? It was on the corner of Main St and Keefer...Chinatown!
-my dad and my aunts and uncle used to work and help out there
-obviously the restaurant no longer exists! that's how i didn't really know too much about it until now

My date with my grandma was fun, even though it was short because she didn’t really like walking around. My grandma is 77 but doesn’t she look terrific! I hope I’ve inherited her genes and will age as gracefully as she did.

Last year I went to my great-aunt’s funeral -- the first and only funeral I’ve ever attended.

My grandparents aren’t going to stay forever, and I will make an effort to go out with them and bring them to different places so they can experience as much as possible. I know it isn’t my responsibility, but it’s almost my duty as their grandchild because they helped raise me.

If your grandparents are still alive, give them hug and take them out!

xox,
angela

How to Make CAKE POPS

2011-08-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

You may have noticed that cake pops are the latest baked goods trend. They're super cute, bite size cake on a stick. I've never revealed my domestic side, which is why this is my first recipe blog post. But by the end of this post, you will find out exactly how undomestic I actually am. So this is really a How-To and What-Not-To-Do blog post. Enjoy!

Winnie & I getting excited to make cake pops!

Ingredients:

1. What you will need: cake (one cake makes about 14-16 balls), frosting, lollipop sticks, styrofoam/cardboard box, chocolate melts, sprinkles/icing pipes, food colour (optional).
2. We used angel food cake because we didn't have time to make a cake from scratch. We also wanted a chocolate cake pops so we used two jumbo chocolate muffins to substitute for chocolate cake. Two jumbo muffins make 12-14 balls.
3. SPRINKLES
4. We didn't buy lollipop sticks because they're so hard to find! (I hear you can buy them from Michael's.) Instead, we bought skewer sticks and we cut them into the right size.
5. We used kitchen scissors to cut the sticks.

How to make Cake Pops:

1. Take your cake and crumble it into bits. Make sure they are really fine and all the bits are about the same size.
2. Depending on the density of the cake and how much cake you've used, add frosting until you are able to mould and shape the cake into round balls.
3. Place all the cake balls onto a tray. You can put it on baking sheets, but I just didn't have any with me so I used saran wrap.
4. Place the batch into the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. Once you've put the "pop" in "cake pop," place the batch back into the freezer. This time, let it sit for 45 minutes. When the cakes are cold and firm, it makes it much easier to decorate.
6. Use a double boiler and melt the chocolate melts. You can find chocolate melts from Michael's. We used chocolate chips and a bit of milk. The trick is finding the right balance between chocolate and milk. You don't want it to be too runny or too thick.
7. HAVE FUN! Decorate and tadah!

Tips:

Making the cake pops were easy. Decorating them, however, was the tricky part.
-Frosting: Several of my cake pops actually PLOOPED down from the stick because it was either too heavy, or not it wasn't held firmly. I probably should have added more frosting or made the balls smaller.
-Covering it with chocolate: Chocolate melts may have made the job easier. But even with chocolate melts, there could still be the same problem with finding the balance between runny or thick chocolate. If the cake pop is in the extreme of being too runny or too thick, the chocolate will start to melt down the stick...

-Food colouring: If you do buy chocolate melts, don't expect to be able to add food colouring to it. You'd have to buy coloured melts. Luckily, we didn't use melts and as you know, we used chocolate chips. Unlucky for us, we are Food Colouring Un-Experts.
Winnie was trying to make teal, but it just resulted in "Radioactive Green." Look, it even bubbles.

The unglamorous side of making cake pops is that several will turn out, while others will be complete disasters -- especially if it is your first time. Be prepared if the cake pops don't turn out. But for the ones that do turn out, well, you may spend 15 minutes staring and admiring them because gosh darnit, they were so hard to perfect! But perfection is so beautiful.

I'm holding onto my two favourite ones. Two beautiful ones out of a batch of 27.

I hope you have fun on your cake pop makin' adventure!

xox,
angela

Capilano SUSPENSE-ion Bridge

2011-08-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

I have neglected to show you what is attractive in Vancouver for these last couple of months. There's no excuse. But please forgive me because here is a new "Vancouver is Attractive" post!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's Capilano Suspension Bridge. I'm "ahhh-ing" because I'm in awe, and for those who are afraid of heights, this suspension bridge is a scary deal.

Photo from Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park website.

Walking across the bridge isn't the only thing offered at this park. There's also Treetops Adventures, boardwalk, and spots where you can learn about birds, water conservation, salmons, and everything related to nature in British Columbia!

I went to Capilano Suspension Bridge in May, and after a couple of months, I finally went back again to see the newly installed Cliffwalk, which was opened to the public in June 3, 2011.

Photo from Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park website.

There are several neat spots where I can stop to enjoy the view and see how far down the drop would be -- hold your breath. Of course, the entire Cliffwalk is well-constructured and very sturdy. Unlike the suspension bridge that sways from heavy traffic of people walking on opposite directions, this attraction is a one-way street that promises not to budge.

More photos on my Flickr.

Did you know...
If you are a BC resident, if you purchase an admission ticket, you will receive a pass for unlimited access to Capilano Bridge and Park for the entire year!

At $32.95 a ticket, that's how I was able to afford to check out the bridge in May and return again in August. Since it was so close to Grouse Mountain, it was an enjoyable walk around the park after I finished doing the Grouse Grind.

Attractiveness Factor: 8

The park is truly beautiful. It's very well-maintained and clean. In the summer, there are lots of flower pots on the ground and on the hangers, which beautifies the park even more. All the workers at the park are dressed in late 1800s clothing and they host park tours throughout the day. There are so many benches for families, friends and couples to sit and enjoy the view and snack on some treats. It's a great deal for BC residents because of the membership, but it's also a treat for tourists to see the lovely park. I would have to think twice if I were a tourist though because Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is a 15 minute drive away, and it's free to visit that park and cross the suspension bridge. BUT the Capilano Suspension Bridge is 8X more lengthy, and I think it has a much better view.

Thanks for reading! More Vancouver is Attractive posts here.

xox,
angela

And They Called It Puppy Love

2011-08-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Last night, I took my cousins to the park and the witnessed the most adorable thing ever. One of my cousins, Ali, is super outgoing and loves to make friends with boys around her own age. As we were walking towards the park she spotted a young boy and his brother from across the street. She shouted "Hi, frand! Hi!" He just stared at her and did not say a word back. She turns to me and tells me "Datsh may frand, datsh may frand!" (She's only three.) Except, they didn't even know each other. A couple minutes later, we see the two brothers at the same park. And of course, she goes up to him.

Now this is the part that will melt your heart.

Ali goes up to the older brother, completely ignoring the other boy, and introduces herself to him. They agree that they are friends. And the boy's grandmother coaxed him to give my cousin the flower he was holding. How perfect was it that he was holding onto a flower? He gave it to her: Hurr frand. His name is Jordan.

They took each others hands and ran off into the jungle gym. That's when I grabbed my phone and tried to snap a photo. But you can't really tell that they're holding hands, but trust me, they were.

1. Jordan gives Ali the flower. Notice how the little brother is ignored by both parties?
2. Running off into the playground
3. They're looking at a nearby dog as Ali fixes her Crocs.

Ali ran back to me and told me that the boy gave me the flower. That little rascal, didn't want to hold onto the flower herself.

Within the first five minutes of meeting each other, Ali's hand was constantly rubbing his back and arm and grabbing him for a hug. Well, sadly, it all died down. Pretty soon she ignored him and went down the slide without him. I'm pretty sure they don't even remember each other's names.

At the end of the night, we part ways at the same time. After 100 metres, Ali turned around and said: Bai! Bai, frand. But he was too far away, and I'm pretty sure he didn't hear her farewell.

If only they were on Facebook.

xox,
angela

AXIS 2011

2011-08-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Over the long weekend I went to Axis 2011, a concert featuring Vancouver Talents and YouTube Sensations, which was hosted by Pen and Paper Apparel. Apart from seeing all these singers from the YouTube screen to real life, one of the main treats for me was seeing my dearest friend, Kristie Yung, perform!

Lookin' amazing in red, this hot mama rocked the shaker, and of course, her guitar.

And at the meet & greet, I got chummy with many of the performers, including: Passion X Leejay, Summerbreeze, Emmalyn Estrada, and my boyfriend -- although he doesn't know it -- Victor Kim.

All photos courtesy of Rick Chung. Thanks, mister! Check out more of his photos & blog post here.

xox,
angela