The Help

I finished this book before the movie comes out (August 10th).  I seriously couldn't put it down.  I laughed and cried with the characters and it was definitely an eye opener.  I feel a bit ignorant admitting that I didn't know that things were to this extreme in Jackson, Mississippi back in the 1960's.

 

 The Help

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.  I am so surprised that this is the author (Kathryn Stockett)'s first novel.  It was beautifully and well written, I thought she had at least 10 novels under her belt!

Anyway, go pick it up and read it. It will make you appreciate the days that we live in now and our living situations.  

Now, I can't wait to see the movie.  Of course, I know it will not be as good as the book (it never is), but it will be good to see.

The Help Movie

Want to see a trailer too?  Okay fine!

Lebanese Food, Ice Cream, Movie... ahhh!

The other night, I went out to dinner with some of the girls.  This just doesn't happen enough, I tell you!  We went to Sunnin Lebanese Cafe.  It was my first time having Lebanese food and I must tell you... I kinda like it!

Spicy Potatoes

Shish Tawook

Beef Shawarma

I think we stayed there so long that the waitress was just waiting for us to finally leave.  We couldn't help it... we had lots to catch up on, okay?  We figured the night is still young and we wanted to still do more.  Its been awhile since we had all seen a movie, so we wanted to check out what all the hype about The Social Network was.

Before that though, we had to stop by Rite Aid to pick up some Thrifty Ice cream! 

What's your flavor?

We each chose a flavor that we would share... can you guess who chose what?  Or... can you guess which one is mine?  The manly hands totally gave it away, huh? HAHA!  Oh... and I had to pick up a 30 ounce bag of Sour Patch Kids, of course!  Why would I pay twice as much for 1/10th as much at a movie theater?  DUH!  Thank goodness I decided to bring one of my big purses that night.  The other girls still insisted on some sour belts at the candy store next to the theater, which was totally fine... and I got to ask the owner of the store if he wanted to buy my bag of Sour Patch Kids for his store.  HAHA!  I mean... I payed $5.99 for my 30 ounce bag and he was selling his candies for practically $9.95 a pound.  I had nearly 2 pounds in my bag!  He ended up asking me where I bought my candy and I told him.  He laughed and said that we were silly kids.  Uhmmm... Sir, I am about to turn 26.  He didn't believe me and when I showed him my I.D., he seemed shocked.  Of course, he was probably only pretending to boost my ego.  I gotta tell you though... it worked!  LOL

I liked the movie, The Social Network, but dude... it was so long!  My butt was starting to hurt!  It was a total reminder of why I would rather wait for movies to come out on DVD and watch it at the comfort of my own home.  Heck... with RedBox nowadays, its a dollar to rent a new movie that I can watch as many times as I want before 9pm the following day with as many people as I want.  Whereas going to the theaters costs about $11 bucks to watch the movie once... per person... and it comes with a butt and back ache on the side... no extra charge!  Ugh!

Next time, I will just host a movie night at my place... popcorn on yours truly!

Dear John...

I finally got to see Dear John a couple of nights ago. I had never wanted to see a movie so badly in my life. My anticipation for Twilight and Sex and the City didn't even come close to my desperate desire for Dear John. I had read the book about a year or two ago and I couldn't put it down because I couldn't get the tears to stop and I couldn't sleep without finishing it. So seeing the preview for it for the first time when I went to go see New Moon, I nearly fainted in my seat from happiness and excitement.

As expected though, the movie was not as good as the book. Everything in the movie was what I saw in my mind when I read the book... with half the passion. :( Yes, Channing Tatum is good looking, but for some reason, I wasn't too attracted to him in the movie.

Although the story didn't exactly have a fairytale happy ending, it was a touching and heart warming ending. I loved the story... a true love story that reminds you that love doesn't come easy and not to take it for granted.

Needless to say, I cried throughout most of the movie. In fact, I cried before the actual sad parts because I already knew that the sad parts were coming. In some ways, reading the book first ruined it for me.

If you are looking for a fast paced, full of action, and not lovey dovey movie, then this is not for you. Personally, I loved the movie for the story behind it... but it could have been portrayed a lot better. Just my opinion.

Okay... that was a long post considering I am posting from my phone. And yes, I am proud! :)

Avatar Day... highly anticipated and so worth it!

Yesterday was one of those days that I truly enjoy. Just a nice day of relaxing and being in good company. The great food we had played a major role in it too, of course!

Sam had been making a really big deal over the movie Avatar. To be honest, I had NO idea what it was nor did I even want to bother with it. I actually suggested that he goes see it while I go see Precious because it is more my type of movie. He actually got pretty upset and was probably irritated by the idea that I didn't even want to give it a try. I heard good things about it, but I had no idea what it was about. All I really heard was that it was about blue people... and it was somewhat of a cartoon. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi type films and almost always fall asleep in them. But fine... I'll give it a try!

I heard that tickets were sold out almost instantly, but we figured that it couldn't be THAT bad two weeks after it hit theatres. We planned on meeting up with the Lok's and the Long's around noon to purchase tickets for the 3pm show. Got a call from Durand at 10 something saying that those tickets are already sold out. WTF! We wanted to make sure we see it in 3D and on IMAX and we weren't going to settle for less. So... the next showing was at 7pm, and by 10, it was halfway sold already! Alright... no more risks... we got the tickets! We met up for some Korean BBQ at 12:30pm and I am proud to say that Sam and I were NOT the last ones there! YAY us!! The food was pretty good but I admit that I wasn't full to the point I had to readjust my belt like I usually do going to a Korean BBQ, but I was satisfied!! We had a few hours to kill afterwards, so they picked up some King Crabs in Santa Ana and brought it over for them to hang out in the sink while we planned on taking a nap on our comfy couch. I think all 6 of us were too excited to even fall asleep so time flew by and we left our place since 5pm! We got our Starbucks and waited in line without sitting down from then until 7pm because there was already a long line to get in the theatre by that time. People are crazy and love their movies, I guess! Anyway... I won't spoil the movie but all I can say is that it was a GREAT movie and I would have been so mad at myself if I really did miss it. A little longer than I had liked, but I barely noticed because I was so into the movie. You MUST see it in 3D... there is just no other way. The graphics and animation is just amazing and I can see why it took so long and cost so much money to make. Worth it though... especially since they already made their money back within the first couple of days, I heard. Amazing! Go see it... please!

I was worried that the crabs that were hanging out in our sink found their ways back to the ocean since it was only two blocks away. Luckily, they were still in the sink ready to be our dinner. I know it sounds cruel, but those suckers were tasty and Sam made a really good dipping sauce for it. OMG... I'm salivating at the thought of it! We killed almost all 6 of the huge crabs... I can't wait to have it again. Hopefully soon? Ended the night in food coma and ice cream. Had to save the brownies for another time. Too bad Sam had to work early this morning so everyone left around 12:30am. We should have partied longer! JK!

See... a nice and relaxing Sunday with good company. It doesn't get any better! :) Can't wait to have more relaxing and fun days like that again.

Dear John...

I have never looked forward to a movie so much in my life. I read this book last year, and I cried and my heart ached throughout most of the book. I felt like I was Savannah, the character in the book. Part of it has to do with the romance being a long distance relationship for most of the story, something that I can relate to.

Last night, as we were waiting for 'New Moon' to show, this preview came on and I nearly cried tears of joy because I had no idea there was a movie being made based on one of my favorite books. Ahhh... here it is:



February 5th, 2010... I cannot wait!

(Just look at Channing Tatum!! Even if this was a silent film, I knew I would enjoy it regardless!)

Oh the festivities!!

First thing's first... thanks to whomever voted on the poll I posted last week. According to my research (LOL), it looks like Lauren has the best style of all the MTV reality series' actresses. (Yes, I called them actresses) Eh... I guess thats true... she has a mix of everything. For awhile, I thought Whitney had it best, but then she went too extreme for me to be different. Olivia always has a clean and polished look, but it could be a bit much. Audrina's grungy style is cute too, but only to an extent. Okay... Lauren it is! LOVE her!

So on Friday, somehow, I convinced 15 people to come with me to The Reef! It was so last minute, but I'm so glad they all came. Dinner and getting ready at my place first and then we headed out. My costume cost about $3 while Sam's cost $12. What can I say? We're cheap people! I was a lame ol' butterfly... Reading Rainbow's butterfly, to be exact! Sam was... the Joker... WHY SO SERIOUS? Hahaha... he was so ugly, I loved it! FUN times with good friends... what more can I ask for? Oh... the party at The Reef was fun, but it smelled so bad (with the exception of the top deck). I understand that the costumes can make you sweat, but damnnnnn!!!

(Sam got a wig, but it was gross so he didn't wear it and colored his hair instead)

Saturday morning, we decided to go over to Mikal and Paline's place for their annual Halloween party. Then... I learned that I could get Clippers' tickets for $1 each, and so I did! I know that the Clippers aren't the Lakers, but I've never been to the Staples Center and I really wanted to go. And how often would I be offered tickets for $1 each? Come on, dude! SO... we went over to the Lok's... ate some YUMMY food and hung out with their family for a bit. The food was so good and I almost changed my mind about leaving because it was THAT good. Mmmmm... wish I would have ate more, but I already gained literally 3 pounds that day. No joke! I'm still thinking about that dessert though... yummy! Took some pictures and made some cool glow in the dark glasses! HAHA... they were so cool!

Then, Lily, Durand, Sam, and I left for the Staples Center. The game was pretty intense at first... such a close game until the last half of the 4th quarter. This is exactly why I shouldn't go to sporting events because it stresses me out and I usually lose my voice from yelling out to the team and my hands hurt from clapping and cheering for them. Ugh. I don't even like either of the teams (don't care for them), but I was rooting for the Clippers because the Mavs had just beat the Lakers and it would be cool for the Clippers to beat a team that defeated the Lakers. LOL... I love pissing people (Lakers' fans) off. I'm horrible. Then... we went over to Dany's house and it was great to finally meet her after all these years. Of course, more yummy food!! No wonder I gained so much weight in one day!

Sunday... woke up for Sam's basketball game. I think their team would have won if it wasn't for the technical whatevers where the other team earned points because they didn't match in uniform. LAME. Glad Sam got to play again though... he really missed it, I can tell.

Then, we made our way to find some hearty Korean BBQ. Good meal after a game, according to Sam. I'm gonna have to agree and this will be my reason to make it to all of Sam's games... Korean BBQ after the game. HA!

Went dress hunting at the mall and my fat ass helped myself to some Gelato! LOL... wtf is wrong with me? Rented a movie on our way home... cleaned up the place (thank goodness), made dinner, then made it a movie night. Great night and was able to knock out in food coma. What a great feeling! Having an extra hour to stay in bed was wonderful... I love being lazy!

My friends Jenn and Joe are gonna come up for my birthday next month... YAY!! I'm so excited! Sam and I are heading up to WA this weekend for my family reunion and what do you know? It happens to be Jenn's bday too! What a coincidence! I'm so excited!

Okay... what to do today? Time for a new poll... yah? OKAY cool!

I've got the POWER!

Last night, he told me that I made his heart skip a beat. :) Yeah... I've got the power! ;) JK! I'm glad I still do.

I miss him so much that I get sort of teary eyed whenever I talk about him or talk about us. Ahhhh... he's making me so proud to call him MINE! Mine, mine, mine!

Which reminds me -- I really want to see that movie, OBSESSED. (story of my life... lol... jk!)

Lovin' It...

After seeing Slumdog Millionaire with the girls, they keep teasing that they're going to do the dance at the end at my wedding. Oh man... I'm really looking forward to it! In fact, it would be the highlight of my wedding! If anything, we might as well all do it in Cancun! (OMG... so excited!)

Mary and I had a date to go running way early this morning. HA! Yeah right! However, I did run about three miles by myself last night! YAY me! I don't get how Jenn and SallieKate can run in the rain. I mean... I already hate walking in it from my doorway to my car... do you really think I'd run in it out of my own will? HELL no!

I think I found my Bridal Gown! Actually, I didn't find it yet... I NEED to find it. I found pictures of it though and am going to go on a hunt for it. So excited!

My Parents told me what my wedding gift is today. LOL... why am I not surprised? I'm very very grateful, but not really surprised. Ahhh... they love me!

I miss my Babyyyyyyyyyyyyy so much!! He needs to hurry up and come home already! Ahhhh!! Going crazy!

Good Movie...

One of my favorite Thai lakorns:



Was just chatting with my Sister and somehow, this came up. Just figured I'd share... just because. LOVED it... lost sleep watching it! LOL

Confessions of a Shopaholic...

I FINALLY saw Confessions of a Shopaholic this past weekend. Really cute movie and such an inspiration to shop... but I must say that I loved the book even more. Sophie Kinsella is a great writer and she really made me laugh throughout the book and it was hard for me to put it down. Sending my copy down to my niece... I know she'll love it and hopefully she wouldn't make the same credit card mistakes most of us have. LOL!

Sister offered to buy me a pair of new Asics... and surprisingly, I declined. I just don't think I've put enough use into this pair yet and I've still got a few other running shoes that I should put to use before getting anything new.

After seeing the movie, I am inspired to rearrange my closet. I have a hard time keeping my closet neat because I am as indecisive with my clothes as I am with anything. Oh... and I'm also lazy. :)

Ripped Off!

I went to Walgreens last night and realized I got ripped off by a girl at Cerritos mall who referred to her eyebrows as "eyebrown". WTF. I really AM stupid!

The girls are going to see "He's Just Not That Into You"... but renamed it to "He's Just Not That Into You... YET"! I so would have went to see it again just to spend time with the girls, but can't really afford it. I can do a lot with $11! LOL! Definitely seeing them tomorrow night though... for sure! Very much looking forward to it. Just torn because I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!

Almost Time To Go Home...

I'll only be here for a few more days and so will Sam. That makes me sad. That makes US sad. :(

I learned how to make Nom Bajok on Friday! It was goooood and the Poker guys helped finish it when they came over. LOL! Hung out with my nieces and nephew for a bit and I discovered that my nieces are in many ways like me. :) I got started on my book that night too. Can't put it down anymore!

We went shopping for some wedding stuff on Saturday and were unsuccessful. Boo! It rained that day (and Friday and Sunday) so I was sort of too lazy to really do anything. Though... we got lots of ideas! Met up with my Sister and her Boyfriend later for some Korean BBQ. Yum! The coolest part is that the bathroom had a little mouthwash dispenser with little cups and everything!! I surely took advantage of that and even took a couple of pictures! HAHA... easily amused, as you can see!

Then, we went to go see "He's Just Not That Into You". I liked it... it was a cute movie and I cried a few times and even got so frustrated at the big screen a few times... haha! Sam and Trevor laughed through the movie too and Sam kept nudging me because apparently, I do some of the things shown in the movie. Ugh... whatever! Honestly though, I expected a bit more. I really liked the book and the movie wasn't half as good. Maybe I'm just a pessimist and didn't expect the happy endings. Okay... I'll shut up now! HAHA!

Went shopping with Sam and his Mommy on Sunday (yesterday). I'm upset that there isn't a Lee's Sandwich in Washington. Dude... SOOOOOO much better than the typical Vietnamese sandwiches found at the Asian grocery stores up north. AND.... they cost about the same. Ugh... if they had a Lee's Sandwich up there, I swear that I'd eat it every single day. Seriously!

Sam made some yummy crawfish and his Mommy made some crabs. I was in heaven as the TASTER!!! Ahhhhh... salivating at the thought of it! I don't think I've ever ate so much. AND... ended the night with some strawberry mochi's and some fresh durian. OMG... I'm telling you... it was a little bit of heaven for me!

Brought some crawfish over to my Sister's place and Chris was hysterical because it was SO damn spicy! (I love it!)

Sam and I both leave on Thursday morning. Boo hoo... miso sad!! :(

Its HOT in here!!

So as I said... people in California think that 80 degrees weather is cold. WTF?

Going to Van Nuys today to bring some stuff to some relatives, then hopefully we'll make it back in time to hang out with the gang.

OMG... last night, they were SO retarded! It was some of the guys' birthdays so they all came over to Sam's place and they got a little bit too drunk. Four out of nine of them pretty much threw up in the bathroom... I was surprised that they made it to the bathroom in time! Hilarious guys!

Earlier when they were here, Sivhui, Lily, and I (the Brides to Be's) went to go see "Bride Wars". We heard that it wasn't that good, but surprisingly, we really liked it! Maybe we can relate in some ways... I don't know. I love both Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, so maybe thats the reason why I really liked it? HAHA!

Went to the grocery store with Sam's Mommy this morning and the lady checking out spoke English to me. Then, I responded to Sam's Mom in Khmer and she said she was afraid to speak Khmer to me because she thought I was "Americang"! HAHA... well at least she didn't say Mexican this time!

Okay, time for Pho... and then we're heading out! Not sure what we're doing tonight, but I was hoping for some D&B... but I guess the guys don't wanna. Maybe some Karaoke since the guys were being gay and sat there singing along to some old school music all night last night. Hehe... they're funny. Paline suggested Massage, but we'll see! Okay... PHO time pho riels!!