High High Tea

High tea…

Ah, what a regal affair this British afternoonly (it is a word because I say so) ritual implies.

Sipping on some caffeinated concoctions…

While munching on some sweet and savories…

All the while admiring THIS view 100+ floors above ground.

High tea indeed!

Jlo and I high-tea-ed at Tsim Sha Tsui’s famously towering Ritz-Carlton Hotel where we giggled like giddy schoolgirls while dainty tai-tai’s and powerful execs surrounded us.

JLo also snapped plenty of pictures with her pro camera. I snapped pictures of her with my iPhone like I was a crazy fan.

Oh yea, I also made this semi-shaky video documenting our afternoon at the Ritz.

Pardon the giggling, when you’re with one of your best girlfriends, you can’t help but to laugh a lot.

posted by Janice | Comments: 2 | Food, Friendlies, Travel

Dance Your Weekend Away

I had a super fun weekend this weekend. But this post will be about last weekend because I was a lazy bum and didn’t post until now.

Last weekend was fun too.

One where I didn’t need to go to the gym afterwards for days.

It all started on a cool Thursday night where my cousins and I jumped and grooved to Lady Gaga live in concert.

The concert was amazebaaaaaalls. Lady Gaga is pretty weird sometimes but one thing’s for sure — she is a talented and hardworking artist who genuinely seems to love her fans.

The best part of the concert would have to be cousin (and sister) time because that’s just priceless. I’ve missed watching my talented cousins dance! (Sorry the photo doesn’t show us dancing)

Then on Saturday, I attended one_eighty, which is my church’s youth ministry and danced again! For the glory of God. We danced with our fellow African refugees and I had the most amazing time seeing everyone’s joy in performing for the Lord.

On Saturday, I did this thing called clubbing (“po” in Cantonese) and I danced again! Except this time it was at Play, this super crowded popular club in Hong Kong and… I actually didn’t get to dance much at all. Ah well…I think the other two days made up for it.

Did you get to let loose and jive over the weekend?

posted by Janice | Comments: 2 | Friendlies

Jin’s MV Shoot Turned Into An Arts & Craft Party

What do you get…
…when you put together an abandoned warehouse in the far side of the nowheres…

…with a crazy conglomeration of finger paint, sprinkles, confetti, spongey-stick-thingies, lemonade mix, balloons, plastic balls, and a cup of lemon tea?

Why…a music video shoot, of course!

This one was for Jin for his latest single, “Brand New Me.”

Carmen and I happened to be visiting our friend, Carl (top of the ladder in the photo above) and we were forced at gunpoint politely asked to take part in helping to make the music video. Honestly, I think we totally made made the video (if ya know what I mean) but Jin was pretty good too *wink wink.

What exactly did we do for the video? Well, let’s just say, our lovely clean feet went from this:

To that:

{ Final photo courtesy of Carm and no, I did not grow a pair of man’s legs –these belong to Carl. }

Even though I was butt tired after leaving the shoot early, I kinda loved it because there was just so much passion, laughter, camaraderie, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get things done, present on the set. The shoot’s vibe had all the makings of putting together one of those video projects in high school in the best way possible. Definitely was  feeling the love.

To find out what Jin gets put through in order to become a brand new him, catch his new music video when it comes out June 4th!

posted by Janice | Comments: 4 | Friendlies, Music

Shanghai Street Studio

It’s funny what a difference one floor can make. Though I landed at the wrong floor of a building (and nearly went into a brothel!), I finally ended up on the right floor where my intended destination, Shanghai Street Studio, is located.

My friend Carmen was shooting the creative space and profiling the founders of the studio along with JJ from The Wanderlister and I got to tag along.

The space was seriously cool! So much random mish-mash of stuff to photograph! I played amateur photog.

I’m really amazed by how God put people in our lives at certain times. Who would have known that I would be able to spend so much quality time with this girl I met with a group of friends at Disneyland that one time a long long time ago. Funny how through God, we are put on this path to guide and love on one another.

Love you, girl!

{ The first time Carmen and I met. Teehee }

posted by Janice | Comments: 3 | Friendlies, God, Travel, Writing

Girlfriend Marries The Goat

My best gal pal Helena married her love, Alex earlier this month. I served as the Media Maid of Honor for the wedding which a BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR.

Because I was busy running around doing Media Maid of Honor-ish duties, I failed to take a SINGLE picture of the wedding! As we wait for the pictures to come in, here is the lovely wedding video. Enjoy!

Alex + Helen: Christ | Vintage | Love from Cakeflix Wedding Films on Vimeo.

posted by Janice | Comments: 2 | Friendlies, Los Angeles, Love

A Shower Of Love

The end of December is kind of a shaky time to throw an outdoors party. You gotta worry about the weather, for one thing.

But sunshine was on our side on December 31st where Helen and Alex’s wedding party came together and tossed out one big festivity for the lovely bride and groom-to-be’s.

Now, we have a ton of really really crafty and creative people in our wedding party so I wasn’t worried that things weren’t going to turn out fabulous.

Who knew cereals in paper bags would look so gorgeous?

A pancake station!

Despite it being one of the busiest days of the year, many loved ones came to celebrate with Helen and Alex. Thank you all for coming!

The wedding party, led by the ever-theatrical Julian, held a skit for the man and woman of the hour. As you can see, it was very well-received.

Less than 40 days left before my dear Helena gets married! Still have to:
1) Get my dress hemmed
2) Buy heels
3) Throw a bachelorette party
4) Plan 10 minutes of sumthin’ sumthin’ for the wedding reception
5) Cling onto Helen at her last days of singledom! Gahh!! (Jk, jk, I’m so not the clingy type…)

posted by Janice | Comments: 3 | Friendlies, Los Angeles, Love

Bringing Christmas Back Pt. 2

Once you start, you just can’t stop.

So since I decided to do my little part in reviving some of the Christmas spirit in our household, I suddenly was on a roll to do all I can to bring more Christmas cheer back.

I went to the 99cents Only store and bought a couple of boxes of lights to hang all over our house. My stupidity did not warn me that the number “20″ on the box means just that– 20 lightbulbs. That meant I had a whole bunch of really short strings of lights and couldn’t really do much with it except to toss around the fireplace and hang on the stairs.

Our family threw away our beloved fake Christmas tree the last time we moved (along with all the ornaments) so instead of going out to buy a new one, I decided to just decorate a regular ol’ fake tree that’s been standing in our living room. Bought a couple of fake snowflakes from Target and viola! Not a bad impostor, eh?

Oh yea, and I also baked snicker-doodles for the first time. The soggy dough threw me off for a bit but they came out of the oven nice enough.

And also for the first time ever, I ended up buying everyone in my family gifts that I actually think they will really like! No more last-minute JCPenney tie for dad or that lame plate set that I picked up from a white elephant exchange that I decide to regift to my cousin. Is this what growing up means? If so, I dig it.

posted by Janice | Comments: 1 | Friendlies, Love

Vancouver

Details of my trip here, here, here, and here. Enjoy!

posted by Janice | Comments: 1 | Travel

Thank Goodness It’s Thanksgiving!

My most memorable Thanksgiving took place two years ago, in a hospital, with a beautiful baby.

It was my first year out of college and my FUNemployment adventures led me to taking care of this adorable tot who taught me how short life is and how blessed I am.

Two years later, I look at my surroundings and I think about how even more blessed (if that’s possible) I am. I’m working as the assistant editor for Audrey Magazine — a job I’ve dreamt about since I was 12 – and I get the opportunity to shape Asian American lifestyle and culture.

In the mere 1+ year I’ve been working here, I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet and converse with many public figures I’ve admired. Not naming names but Mindy Kaling, JustJared‘s Jared Eng, Lisa Ling, and Kal Penn among the many.

Like this picture below. For years I would obsessively listen to the voice of Dia Frampton from the indie pop-rock band Meg & Dia. I still have their CDs in my car. And look, here I am being all buddy buddy with her at her most recent KoreAm Journal cover shoot!

When we’re not out on the field, I get to goof off work with some of the most interesting people on this planet: my co-workers. Some hi jinks include pampering my co-worker Peter’s skin and BBQ-ing in the rain.

When we’re not in the office, we STILL enjoy eachother’s company and often hold Happy Hours together. Here, some fine ladies and gents strike a pose with my Hello Kitty glasses.

Can I say I’m always 100% happy with where my career is headed? No. I’m a spoiled brat who suffers from the what if’s. “What if I made more money?” “What if I interviewed more relevant subjects?” “What if I had a job where I drove less?”

As our society gets more and more progressive, I’ve noticed — at least around many of my peers — that what we’re seeking are the jobs with the fattest paychecks, the positions that will enable us to climb the corporate ladder, the occupations that will make us seem the most stable, the most normal.

As important as all those things may be, I know that I will never be able to work in a place that I lack passion for. Never be able to handle a position where I feel the need to complain all the time. So I’m so thankful I’ve always been able to know when my time is up and I’ve had understanding employers that I can leave on good terms with.

And I’m super grateful with my position here and for these hooligans who are passionate about their jobs and what they put out into the world.

In addition to Audrey Magazine, other things I’m thankful for (in no particular order besides the fact that they came out of my head this way):

• *My family including my mother who stews delicious hot soup for me, my father who fixes broken car door handles for me, my abu who remind me everyday how lucky I am, my sister who worships the ground I walk on (keke) and every other kin in between for being so beautiful inside and out.
• *Jason for introducing me to Sovereign Grace where I get my brain kicked every week over how great Jesus’ love is and how deeply I sin.
• *My insatiable drive and my stubborn optimism. It makes me miserable a lot of the times but I know this is what’s going to take me to my destiny.
• *My awesome friends who are so frickin’ busy and so frickin’ artsy and so frickin’ loving to me, tolerating my ditziness/flakiness/big-mouthedness.
• *And of course, I’m thankful for youuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!! <3

posted by Janice | Comments: 4 | Blog, Friendlies, Inspirations, Job, Los Angeles, Magazine, Personal, Writing

I Do!

She said yes!

posted by Janice | Comments: 4 | Friendlies, Love