Day 128: Barrel-O-Flowers

Monday: June 30, 2014

For like the millionth time in the span of two weeks, we stopped by Green Vegetarian. We went after my morning shift at my dental internship. I've been shadowing there for two weeks now, and so far it's been a really positive and enlightening experience. I get to shadow the doctor, and help out in the back with sterilization and such. Today was really slow, so slow that we did a mock trial of a new patient, and I checked my blood pressure after sorting through the instruments. While the morning may have been a bit boring, Green Vegetarian didn't disappoint and I tried their vegan brownie. It was amazing, as expected! Right before we left, I snapped this photo of their flowers which are super shabby-chic.

Day 127: ¡Gooooool!

Sunday: June 29, 2014

This is a church near where I live. If you've noticed, I like churches. You may or may not also notice that I'm casually avoiding today's FIFA World Cup outcomes. I'm sure the players of Netherland's national team are perfectly nice. I'm sure that their fans are lovely, and they have families that are very proud of them right now. That doesn't change the fact it was really painful to watch Mexico lose in the span of 8 minutes. Ouch.

Day 126: We Run The Night

Saturday: June 28, 2014

Today I went to my friend Armando's birthday party. It was an amazing time, and it's always fun to see friends. From left to right is my new friend Paris, my long-time friend Daniela, my awesome friend Armando, and then there's me. We played Head Banz, danced outside in front of the flood lights, and pigged out on food [I had insane amounts of garlic bread.]

Day 125: Vegan Cookies-And-Cream Cupcake!

Friday: June 27, 2014

Here's another delicious creation from Green Vegetarian [you can check out my first time eating their desserts on Day 92]. It's a cookies-and-cream cupcake that's absolutely delightful. It uses soy icing and crumbled Oreos, which in case you didn't know, are actually vegan! I got this to-go, and enjoyed it at home with a cup of half-caff coffee, since it was already late afternoon. Not only that, but the official Green Vegetarian instagram page reposted my image! It's super exciting, and you can see it here.

Day 124: Creeping Ivy

Thursday: June 26, 2014

I pass by this spot nearly every day. I remember when the wires were ivy-less, and the building half empty. I hadn't realized just how much the ivy had grown until I really stopped to look. It reminds me of that feeling where the days are long, but the years are short.

Day 123: The Old Man Is Snoring

Wednesday: June 25, 2014

It's been raining. A lot. My mom dropped me off at my dental internship this morning as the clouds unleashed precipitation onto the streets. It actually felt dangerous to be out driving, because water was pooling in some parts of the road. We were going about 20 miles per hour on the highway. As much as I like rain, I only enjoy it when I'm safely indoors and bundled up. I don't need any of this life-threatening, flash flood nonsense.

Note: I wanted to mention that along with getting caught in the rain, I also finished the last two final exams of junior year! I was actually going to post a picture of the free-response physics portion, so you could see my little drawings and diagrams. Then I realized that not only are the questions copyrighted, all of my work was shown and 100% accurate, because I got a perfect score on the written portion. So, I decided not to post that. Just know that I'm very excited to finally be done with the year.

Day 122: The Quarry

Tuesday: June 24, 2014

My family as a whole likes frozen yogurt more than the average family. The cement that holds us together is not love, it's fro yo [just kidding but not really.] I don't stray too far from my usual order, since my lactose intolerance limits me to sorbets, which as a flavor is also limits your toppings. Have you ever tried frosted animal crackers in watermelon sorbet? I have, and that's why I stick to fruit toppings.

Day 121: Summer Solstice

Monday: June 23, 2014

Okay, so I technically missed the official summer solstice date. However, that doesn't change the fact that daylight hours are still incredibly long. I took this photo outside my building at around 8 PM. How crazy is this? I love all of the sunshine! Especially since I'm not in Dubai, the heat isn't unbearable. Speaking of Dubai, I realized the other day that I kind of miss hearing the call to prayer throughout the day. Without it, I'm oblivious to sunset time, which is my favorite time of day.

Day 120: Lights and Pillars

Sunday: June 22, 2014

My favorite part about the downtown area is the fun lights and decorations that are up year round. I have a pretty nice view of these lights from my balcony, so it's nice to chill outside and watch the lights change colors. That is, unless there are tons of mosquitoes out! Otherwise, I can just watch from inside.

Day 119: Mexican Soda

Saturday: June 21, 2014

This is a Mexican Coca-Cola from one of my favorite restaurants, Green Vegetarian. Not only do they have amazing vegan desserts, they offer half-liter (about a pint) sodas. I like them because they're made with real cane sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup. I don't have anything against corn, I just prefer cane sugar more. Also, sodas in Dubai are also made with real cane sugar, so I'm reminded a little of Dubai, too. I miss Dubai sometimes, and it's nice to have something to remind me of my home 8,000 miles away.

Day 118: Open Pastures

Friday: June 20, 2014

We spent the day with my uncle and his family, who've moved out into the country. They haven't finished moving quite yet, but the place is already pretty homey. It's a full ten acres, and even includes a little pond. They're planning on getting another dog, a Great Dane, who'll have lots of running room. It was also my uncle's birthday today. He turned 41, ahem, 25 years old. :)

Day 117: Silver Accents

Thursday: June 19, 2014

Now that my school schedule is winding down for the year, I've had more time to focus on fun stuff, like blog posts. I have a separate blog that I use only for fashion and beauty posts, but it sadly gets put on the back burner whenever my school schedule picks up. Plus, I've started my dentist internship and driver's ed, so this past week in particular has been hectic. But, I'm nearing the end, which means I can start having fun with outfits again.

Day 116: The Fountain Pen

Wednesday: June 18, 2014

This is my Montegrappa fountain pen. I won it several years ago in a writing contest. I definitely consider it a prized possession, so much so that I hesitated to use it for years. It's from the NeroUno line, which means it has a black barrel base with silver accents. It's nice and weighty, which makes it fun to use for cursive.

Day 115: Up From Below

Tuesday: June 17, 2014

I know I've mentioned this before, but I want to reiterate that I really love pretty views. As in I love them. My perfect day would be to spend the day with a pretty view and a good book. It sounds odd, because I obviously can't appreciate both at the same time. However, I think it'd be nice to look out every once in while, because my eyes do get tired from reading. Throw in a good cup of tea (iced or hot) and my day is made! 

Day 114: Herbal Life

Monday: June 16, 2014

Near my building's pool, there's a small patch of earth. It used to hold random plants and weeds, but someone's made the decision to plant herbs there instead. So, residents of the building can go and take reasonable amounts of the herbs available, such as spearmint, cilantro, and parsley. I think it's a really cute idea, and I love how everything is kept tidy and organized. I haven't managed to make any of my own plants grow, so I also appreciate how someone else has been able to keep all of the plants healthy.

Day 113: Downtown Fun

Sunday: June 15, 2014

For Father's Day, my family went out for lunch with my uncle and his girls. The downtown area is so much fun to walk through, because there are always vendors and decorations strewn about. The area seems to bloom during the summer, too. I love the pretty colors of the flags and trees and skies. It makes me happy to see such a positive and inviting atmosphere.

Day 112: BBs and Barbecue

Saturday: June 14, 2014

Today we had a cookout at my grandparent's house. Since my family and I live in Dubai, we rarely get to see family, and it's even more rare for all of us to get together. It didn't quite happen this time around, but it's always a joy to see any of the relatives I can. It was especially nice to relax after taking my first ACT in the morning. First, we had slow-cooked barbecue. Then, the boys (and a few girls) took turns shooting cans with a BB gun. It's times like these where I mentally step back and think wow, we're really Texan.

Day 111: Fun With Glowsticks

Friday: June 13, 2014

My baby cousins are staying with us for the weekend, and so we all agreed to have fun with a pack of glowsticks. I say they're babies, but they're actually 9 and 7 years old - hardly babies! Any way, I thought it'd be fun to take pictures of the glowsticks as they moved around. I really liked the way they came out!

Day 110: Shimmers and Mattes

Thursday: June 12, 2014

A few days ago, I placed an order for the Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette. It's a palette I've wanted for months, but it wasn't available in store or online every time I checked, but I finally tracked it down. What I really like is how there are the beautiful shimmer shadows paired with their matte counterparts. Matte shadows in general are hit - and - miss when it comes to application and pigmentation. For whatever reason, shimmery shadows tend to be easier to formulate. This palette hasn't let me down so far! Also, it came at a perfect time - finals week!

Day 109: Never Forget

Wednesday: June 11, 2014

Today my family joined my uncle and his family for dinner on the Riverwalk. Hard Rock Cafe is always a crowd pleaser, and like good Texans, most of us had barbecue. It's always fun catching up with friends, especially since we're apart for so long. Since the kids are still growing, it was fun seeing how much taller everybody was [except me. sobs.] After dinner, we attempted to burn off all of the barbecue by walking around the downtown area. It's easy to get caught up in the modern sites and attractions, but I think it's important to stop and remember the Alamo.

Day 108: Eye Spy

Tuesday: June 10, 2014

For a long time now, I've wanted to photograph eyes. I think they're incredibly interesting, because on the macro scale, irises resemble galaxies. We're made of star dust, and it shows. I'd noticed a progression in colors along my maternal line. My grandma has amazing duo-toned green/hazel eyes. My mom has warm brown eyes that are just like the inner rim of my grandma's eyes. Mine are dark brown, almost black and funnily enough, a different shape than my mom and grandma's. It's a difference I had never noticed before. We're all so similar, and so different.

Day 107: Jesus Candles

Monday: June 9, 2014

I'll be honest, I don't understand Jesus candles. I have lots of questions. For example, what is Jesus doing on all of these candles? Why do His eyes follow me across the room? Do the profits go to a church? Is this icon worship? And most importantly, are different scents available, such as "Rose-ary", "Christian Chrysanthemums", or "Jesus Jasmine"?

Day 106: Pour Me A Cuppa

Sunday: June 8, 2014

I'm not the biggest tea drinker, but I've been trying to lay off the coffee. Surprisingly, I haven't had any headaches yet. However, I still like to drink something hot and sweet in the morning. Chai tea is a great alternative, because it's strong and spicy. It's definitely not the most soothing tea, but it's good for waking up.

Day 105: Embroidery

Saturday: June 7, 2014

One of my favorite parts about my photography course is finally learning how to use the manual settings on my camera. I'd always wondered how other people created such interesting, and focused pictures. Lots of elements affect the final photo, but one of the biggest features for me has been depth of field. I finally learned how to adjust depth of field, and now I'm obsessed! Even for landscape shots, I have to fight the urge to set up a shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field creates the sharp, focused effect you see here. This is the bottom hem of one of my dresses, and it has beautiful embroidery all the way around. It hasn't been worn yet, but I'm looking forward to the day I can show it off to the world.

Day 104: Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy

Friday: June 6, 2014

I love fruit salad! I should clarify; I love it when I make fruit salad. As great as other people's fruit salad recipes are, only a few have compared to mine. First, you have people who stick to the recipe regardless of whether or not their fruit is actually ripe. That's a big no-no, because you're selling the fruit short. Then you have people who mix textures, like crunchy melons and apples with squishy bananas. It's difficult to eat, and confusing to digest. Then you have those who don't even try, and just throw together canned fruits in a sad, high fructose corn syrup, pre-diabetic mess. In other words, I know what I'm doing.

Day 103: Go Spurs, Go!

Thursday: May 5, 2014

Basketball is pretty much the only sport I keep up with. And while I'd like to have a completely unbiased blog, the truth is, I'm pretty excited that the San Antonio Spurs are in the finals. They won the first game in the series, and they battled both the Miami Heat, and actual heat! The air conditioning went out in the AT&T Center, so temperatures rose to the high 80s Fahrenheit. It looks like Miami couldn't take the heat. [ha ha ha. I'll see myself out now.]

Day 102: Weighty Decisions

Wednesday: June 4, 2014

Lately, I've been trying to diversify my exercise routine. I'm definitely a cardio girl. A workout just doesn't feel complete unless I break a sweat. However, I also want to strengthen up a little. So, I've been practicing moves I found on YouTube with these little dumbbells. I'm about 99% sure I look really stupid when I exercise, but I'm usually alone in the gym anyways. I've also been working on my flexibility, and excitingly enough, I've noticed some improvement!

Day 101: Head in the Clouds

Tuesday: June 3, 2014

As much as I love Dubai, we have a serious shortage of clouds there. Clouds bringing in sandstorms just aren't as pretty as the fluffy clouds that bring in thunderstorms. The skies are rarely postcard blue, though that's more due to smog than sand. I've grown so accustomed to Dubai scenery that I still find myself in awe of the cerulean Texas skies that produce lovely clouds, day in and day out.

Day 100: What Time Is It? Celebration Time!

Monday: June 2, 2014

Today marks Day 100 of the project! Woo!! I'm looking forward to making many more posts in the future. I didn't realize this when I first started, but it's actually really awesome to be able to look back at all the pictures, especially since there are so many. Now, as for the picture, it's a photograph of my Tag Heuer wrist watch. I've had it for a few months now, and it was gifted to me by my parents on my birthday. It's perfect for me - it's small, lightweight, and most of all, durable! I've grown so accustomed to it that my wrist feels naked if I accidentally leave it at home.

Day 99: Sunday Shopping

Sunday: June 1, 2014

So, it's the start of another month and I feel ever obliged to comment that time is flying by or I feel like I started this project yesterday. But seriously, I feel both of those things. Today we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up of a few necessities, like vegan cake. Whole Foods is seriously the best place to shop if you have food allergies, because they sell items such as frozen pizza that is made without the top 10 common foo allergens. No other place that I know of can boast that! It's almost enough to make me forgive them for selling "Middle Eastern bread" that is so inauthentic that they just look like sad tortillas.