It's been over a month, and it's only now that I found the free time to finally piece together my US 2K14 blog post The three weeks I spent there, from the moment we landed to the moment we left, were extremely memorable that it would be absolutely ridiculous not to chronicle it in the form of pictures. (Am I right or am I right?)
Disclaimer: I'd like to clarify that this post wasn't published to boast or brag about what I have experienced during the period of time I was in the US. This is to simply share with you all the things I have done that have formed into happy memories, so that when you all get the opportunity to visit the Dreamland someday, you know exactly where to go. *insert winky face* (And sorry for some of the low quality pics, hehe these were the best that I got so shh.)
Disclaimer: I'd like to clarify that this post wasn't published to boast or brag about what I have experienced during the period of time I was in the US. This is to simply share with you all the things I have done that have formed into happy memories, so that when you all get the opportunity to visit the Dreamland someday, you know exactly where to go. *insert winky face* (And sorry for some of the low quality pics, hehe these were the best that I got so shh.)
On My Way.
We departed for the United States on the sunny day of March 1st on an Eva Air flight with a short stopover at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (which was an exquisite experience in itself, and is fit for its own blog post someday!). Of course, what's a plane trip without the cliche shot of the view from the window, right?
Our flight was great, but what I enjoyed most was the in-flight entertainment that came in the form of a screen in front of my seat. I was able to watch Frozen all over again (and mentally sing all the words to almost all of the songs), make a playlist out of One Republic, Paramore and Fall Out Boy songs from the Music Gallery (I cry) and watch the only episode of Masterchef US that I missed. Besides that, the stewardesses attended to my every need and the food was bearable enough after a pinch of salt here and there. ☺
We departed for the United States on the sunny day of March 1st on an Eva Air flight with a short stopover at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (which was an exquisite experience in itself, and is fit for its own blog post someday!). Of course, what's a plane trip without the cliche shot of the view from the window, right?
Our flight was great, but what I enjoyed most was the in-flight entertainment that came in the form of a screen in front of my seat. I was able to watch Frozen all over again (and mentally sing all the words to almost all of the songs), make a playlist out of One Republic, Paramore and Fall Out Boy songs from the Music Gallery (I cry) and watch the only episode of Masterchef US that I missed. Besides that, the stewardesses attended to my every need and the food was bearable enough after a pinch of salt here and there. ☺
The Places I've Been To
A fact about the place we stayed in the US: My Tito Sonny's house is in the most AWESOME location a house could ever be in! Right in front of it is a WalMart branch and The Village Mall, accompanied by a row of perfect restaurants and snack places such as Olive Garden, Red Robin, Todai, Panda Express, Panera Bread, Yogurtland and Jamba Juice, just to name a few. To its left is a long block of establishments to choose from: McDonalds, KFC, Target, Starbucks, Cold Stone, Taco Bell and Togo Sandwiches. To the right are Chick Fil-A, In N' Out and Del Taco, and just around the vicinity are Vons, Denny's and Pho 99. We are literally just a walk away from all these places, so you could probably guess why I put on so much weight!!!!
A fact about the place we stayed in the US: My Tito Sonny's house is in the most AWESOME location a house could ever be in! Right in front of it is a WalMart branch and The Village Mall, accompanied by a row of perfect restaurants and snack places such as Olive Garden, Red Robin, Todai, Panda Express, Panera Bread, Yogurtland and Jamba Juice, just to name a few. To its left is a long block of establishments to choose from: McDonalds, KFC, Target, Starbucks, Cold Stone, Taco Bell and Togo Sandwiches. To the right are Chick Fil-A, In N' Out and Del Taco, and just around the vicinity are Vons, Denny's and Pho 99. We are literally just a walk away from all these places, so you could probably guess why I put on so much weight!!!!
- The Outlets of Orange
But of course, our gracious hosts wouldn't allow us to just enjoy walking around their neighborhood. Our first shopping adventure was at The Outlets of Orange, a shopping haven for teens like me. I absolutely adored going around for the day, even if it was just for the mere purpose of window-shopping and photo taking (but fortunately, I was able to buy some stuff anyway, woo!). I loved Forever 21 the most, and I was able to buy myself some tops, a sling bag, headband and pairs of jeans. H&M was a rather huge boutique, but unfortunately I wasn't able to spot anything that would match my taste out of all the basics I found there. Brandy Melville had such cute tees and accessories, but they were a bit pricey compared to the other shops, as well as in Pacsun, where they had just released the new Kendall and Kylie collection. [sighs]
We also dropped by the outlet of Hot Topic there, and all I could say about it...three words: band. girl. heaven. Being a certified band girl myself, I couldn't help but stare at all of the band shirts, tops and sweaters available. They had one for almost every single band in existence: from the ones from my generation (All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, Asking Alexandria, A Day to Remember) to the ones that even my parents know (Queen, Pink Floyd, Nirvana).
- Irvine Spectrum
Funny story about our trip to Irvine Spectrum: As some of you readers may know very well, I am a fan of the band 5 Seconds of Summer. They had released a song that was relatively new during the time of our visit called "She Looks So Perfect", and the chorus of their song had went, "You look so perfect standing there, in my American Apparel underwear." Well, because of that, I swore that I would check out an American Apparel store during our visit. And guess what, I did at Irvine Spectrum ha!!!
And of course, being the fangirl that I am, I just had to take a picture of the famed lingerie section of American Apparel. You could just imagine the stares I got from the customers: all of them just seemed to be saying, "Why does this girl have some sort of crazy obsession with bras?" Well, if by some crazy circumstances they happen to read this, now you know yay.
And of course, who could forget their Tumblr-worthy paper/reusable bag? Huhu, I could have bought this for myself...but sadly, this reusable bag alone was more than thirty dollars. Good for me, I was able to find a pair of shoes that suited my taste and cost less than fifty dollars YAY.
Fortunately, there was much more to Irvine Spectrum than the photogenic American Apparel boutique (and the fact that that was the place in the opening sequence of my current fave TV show, Austin and Ally). We also stopped by yet another Brandy Melville shop (and since I was running low on funds that day, I was only able to take a snap wahaha.)
But I guess I have to admit that my favorite shop of all the ones that we dropped by was *drum roll please*... Urban Outfitters! Seriously, if I win the lottery tomorrow, I'd literally buy myself a first class ticket back to the US and spend it on a shopping spree at Urban Outfitters. It seems to be the go-to place for a person like me: they sell the coolest books (see above: need I say more, IT BY ALEXA CHUNG?!?!), records, notebooks, shoes and tops! I could spend forever just going around the whole store and gawking at its perfection, seriously ☺
- South Coast Plaza
Let's face it, we Filipino teenagers think of certain brands when we hear the word 'high-end'. For us, Topshop, Zara, Mango, Forever 21 and Cotton On may be 'expensive', to the point that we could be saving our weekly allowance just to be able to buy a piece of clothing from that particular shop. Well, let me tell you all that the prices of the clothes at these boutiques are ABSOLUTELY NOTHING COMPARED TO THOSE OF THE SHOPS AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA.
In South Coast Plaza, I had seen high-end brands that I thought I'd only see in movie scenes (you know, the one where the blonde girl with flawless skin and a credit card struts along a block of all these stores with shopping bags on her arms), but now I had actually come face to face with actual shops. Unfortunately, to be able to afford something from at least one of the boutiques, I'd probably have to sell my soul. But, it was a good place for photo-taking and window-shopping, so it was still super worth it ♥
- Barnes and Noble
Yeah, I probably know what you're thinking: NERD ALERT NERD ALERT NERD ALERT. But yeah, I can proudly say that I absolutely enjoyed my time at Barnes & Noble! With some of the money that I had brought, I was able to buy two books during our *sniff* first and last visit there: It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini and Girlwise. I devoured both books within days, and though I was hoping and praying that we could've gone back before we left, we didn't really get to. But, I don't worry because I know that by the next time we're in the US, I'm going there first! ☺
- California Science Center
There was also a certain day where we took a break from all of the window-shopping and bargain hunting to go to the California Science Center. (Now, I know what you're thinking...*yawn*, but really it was extremely fun!)
From the moment we entered, we were greeted by stunning models of aircraft and hands-on science exhibits about anything and everything under the sun: from the way your ears work, to the importance of recycling. They make topics that teenagers usually dismiss and find 'boring' into something both fun and informative!
But I have to say that the highlight of our visit there was seeing the Endeavour Space Shuttle, which was sent into space to repair the Hubble Telescope. I thought I'd never be able to see a spaceship in my entire life unless I worked for NASA (which is highly unlikely), so you could just imagine how awestruck I looked like when I finally came face to face with such a huge and important piece of aircraft! Truly breathtaking! ☺
What I Ate
I had such an enjoyable and intense experience with food in the US. They have food from every single cuisine in the world...best of all, they're served in large portions at an affordable price! Above are some of the ice cream tubs that I was able to take a picture of at WalMart: I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm already feeling hungry just looking at them all ♥_♥
I had such an enjoyable and intense experience with food in the US. They have food from every single cuisine in the world...best of all, they're served in large portions at an affordable price! Above are some of the ice cream tubs that I was able to take a picture of at WalMart: I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm already feeling hungry just looking at them all ♥_♥
My mom, Ate Tintin, Tito Sonny and I also tried Jamba Juice one night, since it was just right across the street (of course ha). In the photo above, we see how Tito Sonny not only included our drinks for the night, but also the white girl at the counter ☺ Anyway, during this particular visit, I ordered my usual, which was a delectable Banana Berry in the smallest size possible. I absolutely love the sweet taste of the banana blended with the slight tangy flavor of the blueberry and strawberry -- perf way to end a perf day! (Wow, have you noticed that I'm speaking like a total white girl for no apparent reason? BLESS US ALL)
Another favorite from right across the street was Yogurtland. It's funny how we had postponed our trip to this place dozens of times before finally making it there, but if I had only known how absolutely delicious the yogurt there was, I would've visited right after our plane landed!! My cup is the jumbo one in the middle: if I remember correctly, I had put in some chocolate yogurt in there with a lot of crushed grahams and Oreo's, and it was divine. The thing about Yogurtland that separates it from the other yogurt bars I've been to is that they offer a wider array of flavor and topping choices from all over the world. I was a bit hesitant to try levelling up to a new flavor (but hey, food is food), but I still tried the coconut-flavored yogurt and the little strawberry jello that bursts in your mouth, and it was capital G-Great ♥
Another nearby neighbor was Chick Fil-A. We're guilty in admitting that we've been ignoring this restaurant for the past five or six years it's been our neighbor, so before we left, my mom and I decided to have this for breakfast. I have to give them credit, because their chicken tastes absolutely fantastic! ♥ It's crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it's packed with lots of flavor that's sure to keep you wanting more. The only problem was it was sandwiched between two slices of bread...and I really don't like sandwiches unless the filling is cookie butter.
And who could ever forget about McDonalds? Yes, even if it meant having to wake up earlier than I usually do in the morning, I just had to have breakfast here. As seen in the photo above, I had 6 pieces of Chicken McNuggets, chocolate milk and fries! There's something about even the restaurant itself that makes it feel like an extension of home. (Literally, let me repeat it was right across the street.) \o/
I clearly remember having dinner at one of the best pizza places I've ever been to so far, Pieology. It wasn't just like any other regular Italian eatery, if that's what you were thinking (*yawn*), because here in Pieology, you get to choose what sauce/s, type/s of cheese and topping/s you want on your own pizza. The best part is it's extremely affordable for a restaurant that allows you to customize what you eat ($7.50 FOR A PIZZA WOWZA) We enjoyed it so much here that we came back for seconds and thirds...and even took some more home, HA!
The family also had some Starbucks at South Coast Plaza. I didn't enjoy this experience that much though, since I had chosen the wrong time to experiment with different flavors. I had ordered a Salted Caramel Frappe, after seeing on a website that it was undeniably the best frappe flavor that Starbucks has ever offered. Unfortunately, it wasn't my taste at all: I had ended up missing the sweet and familiar taste of my favorite cotton candy frappe. Plus, I had requested my name to be Ashton (he's the drummer of 5 Seconds of Summer haha ♥), and the barista had put my name in as Ashley. Lovely, isn't it?
There was also this time when we had tried a restaurant just right across the supermarket called You and I Thai. To be honest, I really wasn't a fan of Thai food: I remember going to other Thai restaurants before and eating a take-out order of Chicken Bonchon, but after eating here, I realized that Thai food isn't half-bad. Their chicken (seen above) is so juicy, and it bursts with all different kinds of flavor that blend perfectly together! ♥ As for their Pad Thai, which I also tried...well, I guess I'll learn to appreciate its taste when I'm older though.
We also couldn't help but visit our other next door neighbor, In N' Out, one fine afternoon. Since I'm not a fan of burgers at all (yes, be shocked), I downed their absolutely creamy and thick (in the best way possible) Chocolate Milkshake and their extremely sinful yet totally delicious Animal Style Fries, which is part of their Secret Menu due to it being really unhealthy. Seriously though, In N' Out is still a really great experience. A visit to the USA simply wouldn't be complete without it.
We also decided to bring home a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch one afternoon. Sadly, I do have to say that I've grown so accustomed to the way they cook KFC here in the Philippines, so I'd prefer that over the one in the US any day. Plus, they don't actually put gravy on their chicken in the US, and their mashed potato tastes way too sweet for me. But, I'm not saying that this isn't a good experience. You should still definitely try KFC when you get to the States: it'll still be a hella rad time ☺
Hondayaki was also a great experience for a Japanese food lover like me. Although I was missing my all-time favorite (yes, there was no California maki in California #what), there were tons of alternatives to try, including the California roll, which tastes just as good, and the calamari. Plus, the head chef likes giving away chopped oranges that look like pandas, so plus points for this resto haha! ☺
SPECIAL FEATURE: Our Trip to Disneyland, ayeeee! ♥
Did you actually think I was going to forget to put our trip to Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, in this blog post? Ha, I don't think a trip to the United States would be complete without going to the happiest place on Earth. During our visit, we were fortunate enough to be able to park hop and go to both Disneyland and California Adventure in one day. Though it was extremely tiring (and the Doc Martens I was wearing that day murdered my feet), there was no denying that it was one of the highlights of my whole vacation. ☺
Did you actually think I was going to forget to put our trip to Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, in this blog post? Ha, I don't think a trip to the United States would be complete without going to the happiest place on Earth. During our visit, we were fortunate enough to be able to park hop and go to both Disneyland and California Adventure in one day. Though it was extremely tiring (and the Doc Martens I was wearing that day murdered my feet), there was no denying that it was one of the highlights of my whole vacation. ☺
Sadly, I was only able to take a few snaps during our visit, since my partner-in-crime (hi, Ate Tintin!) and I were shifting from ride to ride faster than you could say 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' (The Mary Poppins reference is so mainstream, but I figured that since we were talking about Disneyland, it would be fitting.) Anyway, I clearly remember that besides the monorail we used to get into the park proper, the first ride I got onto was the Matterhorn Bobsleds. I used to be extremely terrified of it when I was a kid: the first time I rode on it was when I was eight, and it was going way too fast that I had already gotten off the ride before I could even cry. Well, now it seemed to be a piece of cake, fortunately ☺
By the end of our visit to Disneyland, which ended promptly at six in the evening, we had gone on probably ten rides: a new record! I remember enjoying Space Mountain and Indiana Jones Adventure the most, since I have a knack for fast rides with drops (and the feeling of your stomach jumping every time the ride tips a little). I also enjoyed going to Toontown, since it looked just like something you'd see from a cartoon show! ♥ Too bad we didn't get to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse, though. That's definitely something I'd recommend if you ever get to visit the States!
Next up during our visit was California Adventure, Disneyland's younger sibling which is dedicated to showing tourists the beauty found in the Golden State. I was extremely excited to be back, especially after researching about all the new rides that had been built since the last time I was there!
The first ride we went on was Soaring Over California, in which you'd be seated on leather upholstery and lifted into the air as you see different cities of California from a wide screen. It was extremely breathtaking, and the effects were amazing! I had seen Malibu, Big Bear, Los Angeles, Sacramento and so much more in less than ten minutes. I have to say, it's a definite must-see ♥
Once you get to California Adventure, I extremely recommend that you hit Cars Land! At first, I wasn't really that excited to go: I was already aching to go on California Screamin' and The Tower of Terror for the first time. But, was I wrong! We had gone on Radiator Springs Racers, which is honestly one of the most fun rides I have ever been on. During the first few minutes, I got quite bored, since I thought that we were just going to take a tour around the place where Lightning McQueen had got lost in for a few days. But, *SPOILER ALERT* there was actually a surprise in the end: the car we were in got involved in a head-to-head race with another car! We were going at practically more than a hundred miles per hour down some twists, turns and drops. It felt exhilarating, and I remembered getting the funny feeling in my stomach that I both loved and hated at the same time. If only we had enough time, I would've gone for a second run!
After Cars Land, I was mentally debating if I should go on California Screamin', which was a terrifying ride that went at extremely fast speeds and had more drops and twists and turns and even loops that I could handle. Although I agreed to, there was no denying that before the ride, I was scared to death (It's a good thing my horror didn't show in the picture above weee). Well, it was a good thing I didn't chicken out, because if I did, I'd probably be missing out forever! ☺ Although it was so fast I swear my eyeballs almost flew off, there was no denying that I liked the adrenaline rush it gave me and that I'd definitely be riding on it again next time.
Sadly, I wasn't able to go on the Hollywood Tower of Terror anymore, since we were scheduled to watch World of Color. But, I don't regret sitting down for a few hours just to wait in line for what is without a doubt the greatest water show I have ever witnessed, and will probably ever witness in my life. The show was nothing short of breathtaking, as I saw not just different colors blending together, but also my favorite Disney characters (and even the ones I hate most) come to life in water. The entire time I spent watching World of Color made me quite nostalgic as well, as it brought back different happy memories from my childhood that I'd do anything to relive again.
The People I Was With
And here's just a gallery of photos of the people I was with during my three-week visit to the States. And no, of course I would never forget to include them in this ridiculously long blog post of mine, pssh.
And here's just a gallery of photos of the people I was with during my three-week visit to the States. And no, of course I would never forget to include them in this ridiculously long blog post of mine, pssh.
So here, I'm with my cousin, Ate Tintin and the cutest little football playing, American President stalking, Tim Tebow posing boy in the world, Adrian! ☺ Thank you (and to Tito Archie, Tita Pinky and Tita Star as well) for showing us such a great time during our visit to your place. I love you guys, and I hope to see you really soon!
From left to right: Mom, Mama Gloria (my grandmother) and Dad - I'd also like to thank Mama Gloria for touring us around California Science Center and taking us to El Pollo Loco for lunch. I'm glad that we had the time to bond when we were still around, and I love you and hope to see you really soon!!!!
And yes, this is the emotional last group shot we had before we finally left. Ha, I remember when we took so long at the waiting area until we were the only people left. [Harry Styles voice] Those were the days, man.
From left to right: Shailene Woodley, Lola Conch and Ate Tintin *crying emoji* | Aw, the two girls I'm going to miss the most! :( I'm going to miss Lola Conch's cooking, her generosity and concern and most especially our bonding conversations over KimXi and fixing her iPod settings HUHUHU ♥ Thanks again, Lola, for everything! Please visit really soon (once you're a US citizen yii), and I really hope to see you! I love you and miss you!!!!! | I'll also miss my partner-in-crime, travel, joke, ride and shopping buddy who's always there despite her ever-growing pile of homework and things to do! I really hope we see each other soon, and I hope that by the next time, I'll be the one touring you around places ;) I love and miss you so much!!!! ♥
Oh yes oh yes, fine here in this picture we have the absolutely stunning Perrie Edwards with her best friend in the whole wide world, Kristen Stewart, whom she will absolutely miss once she flies thousands of miles away from her *insert crying emoji*
From left to right: Tita Jannie, Ate Tintin, Beyonce, my mom, Lola Conch and Tito Sonny | HOW COULD I EVER FORGET TO THANK THE BAUTISTA FAMILY??? HAHAHA I'd just like to thank the whole Bautista family for their mindblowing hospitality and generosity while we were around. They never hesitated to take us places, feed us food, buy me stuff ☺ and tour us around just to show us a good time...even if it meant spending a lot of money and wasting some time ☺ Thank you so much and we love you!!!
Okay, you've finally reached the end of my US 2K14 BLOG POST!!! If you read through all of this, may God bless you by making your favorite song play on the radio today yay ♥ Stay tuned because I have a few more posts lined up that I'm sure you will all enjoy (well, hopefully - I got my fingers crossed). If you have any thoughts or suggestions or even violent reactions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below ☺ So, that's all for now! Bye!
xx Angel
xx Angel
you know what it hurts LOADS that I actually could have been in the crowd of this particular concert and I actually could have been in the front row breathing so close to Luke Hemmings and singing the words to this song that I know too well and HUHU SUMMER SCHOOL JUST TAKES THE JOY OUT OF EVERYTHING ok bye for real