all good things

It's important to have favorite things. To decorate your tree of life. If I were Oprah, I would give you all each of these so you can share my joy and appreciation:

Hold On! comforter clips - Finally a solution to the annoying problem of having my comforter shift all over the place inside the duvet cover.

Haruki Murakami's After The Quake - You all know my undying love for all things Murakami. This collection of short stories, set in post-quake Kobe, is a great read and particularly poignant now, with the recent events in Japan. I wonder what Murakami is writing now. By the way, I just purchased the Norwegian Wood dvd off ebay, which has yet to see a release date in the US. But the English subtitle on the dvd is so crappy that it kinda ruined the movie for me. I need to see it properly when I am able to order the blu ray from Amazon UK.

Chobani Greek yogurt - Started eating Greek yogurt a few months back. Chobani is my brand of choice. Bonus is that Costco carries these, so I can buy in bulk.

Scones - My favorite pastry. I love the crumbly dry texture and that, unlike most pastries, it's not sweet. Strawberry scone from Arizmendi is one of the best I've ever had.

Osprey Resource Elroy laptop messenger bag or J. Crew Bowery messenger bag - My two go to bags for lugging things to and fro work. The Osprey for when I have to carry the brick that is my work laptop, and the J. Crew when I just need to pack a Chobani yogurt or a scone.

Corelle Livingware dinnerware - Everyday I use these dinner plates because they are lightweight, durable, and chip resistant. They are microwavable and dishwasher safe. Sure they are a little trailer park, but I would proudly serve fish and chips on these when Will and Kate come over for dinner.

John Derian paperweight - I love the John Derian aesthetics. I really don't want to spend too much money collecting things, so I got myself a $30 paperweight, just to be able to say I own a John Derian item.

Adele's Rolling In The Deep - The song that keeps on going and going. Let the sheep monsters worship their Gaga and her egg vessel. We all know the female artist who is, deservedly and quietly, rocking the charts these days is Adele. Edge of glory indeed.

Katy Perry's Firework - Alrighty. Her lyrics can be written by a fifth grader (Do I ever feel like a plastic bag? Um, no.), but dang, I cannot help but like this song. The choir sang this during Chi Young's graduation.

Country music - Ok, this has nothing to do with that lame American Idol winner Scotty McCreepy (who seriously looks like either Howdy Doody or the guy from Mad magazine). I've actually gained a new appreciation for country music because of the guy from Tron and his songs from Country Strong. And of course, I have long held mad respect for Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.

Falling Angels blu ray - I just purchased this from Amazon. I was waiting for the price to come down a little bit. I initially did not fall in love with Falling Angels. But on repeated viewings, I realize this one stands up rather well against my Wong Kar Wai favorites including Chungking Express, In The Mood For Love and Happy Together.

Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine - Slowly but surely he has risen to the top tier of my favorite actor list. His compelling turn in Blue Valentine didn't get proper recognition from the Academy, but, to quote Randy Jackson, this guy is in it to win it, in the long haul.

Rope bracelets - I am jonesing for these Miansai rope bracelets, but no, I am not paying $68 for one. I am going to try to make my own, following this DIY instruction.

Mom's Tofu House - My favorite Korean restaurant. The family that runs this place is super nice and usually gives you free pancake as an appetizer, in addition to the usual array of kimchee items. The tofu soup is the most tasty of any tofu house I've tried in the Bay Area.

Pisces - Just went here for dinner. It's an Asian fusion place near my house. If you go for happy hour dinner, the price is reasonable and the food is plentiful and delicious. I had the pork belly with a polenta cake. I was so stuffed that I couldn't even eat dessert on my own. (So I shared a creme brulee.)

Japan - I am in love with this country. The food, the people, the art, the vibe. If it weren't for the earthquakes, I would move there in a heartbeat. And you are all coming with me!