Hm...

I think I may be out of food photos...

Well, I'm actually never out of food photos! But, I think this blog should end now, considering I'm back from Madison already! I don't know why I can't believe I spent the last two and a half months in a land-locked state or even spent four+ hours a day learning Filipino. I feel like I was living in a happy bubble while in Madison, one in which personal drama was absent and clarity burgeoned.

I think I'm still that anxious, wannabe-academic that lives all her life in extremes and at those polar ends, learns more about complacent mediums and moderates.

And after learning about them?

Well, I scurry on over to another extreme and create another comfortable niche... with a few gray spots for sanity's sake. :)


Toodles!... Until next summer?

The Cabana Room?

I know the upstairs and downstairs of this place have different names, but I'm going to think we all ate at the Cabana Room for Colleen's departure partay.

Now, who doesn't love Brazilian food?

The ever familiar pao de queijo with a tangy salsa and cilantro blend

Beans and rice burrito aside a salad with great mango dressing. The burrito was practically rice with rice ::thumbs down:: Everything else made up for this drawback, though. :0)

Five Guys

I had Five Guys twice over the summer after Stef and Bryan recommended their fries. I associate the struggle to remember 100 Filipino vocab words with this place... not sure why?

And yes, they make a damn good burger. Though a little more expensive that In-N-Out, Five Guys does provide a super juicy patty on an even better bun. Sexy!

Coffee shops, please!

One of my favorite things about some Madison cafes is their nifty tea bags. In addition to caffeine, these little fellas pepped up my morning to the point of no return. This is Fair Trade's 5-Spice Chai tea (with a bit of honey + half and half). I miss these, but I'll surely find them some place else.

After the storm!

We all had to celebrate the completion of SEASSI some way, so for me:

awesome sangria from the Orpheum theatre restaurant

and Thea's SoCo num-nums.. check out the alligator sausage! NOM!!

Rising Suns Deli

Even though Rising Suns had the most discouraging pho I've ever had, they serve other items that are tasty and tummy-warming (and not heart-burning!...hahah..ahh..no?)

This is their catfish cake thing with eggs and stuff (like the description so far?) and yummy miscellany. Bryan and I shared this one afternoon, and there was a bone hiding in part of Bryan's slice. Magingat!

Rising Suns's lunch special perked up my impression of the restaurant, especially when I found out that they serve khai palo or what I would consider to be a member of my Top 15 Favorite Dishes list.

*still can't believe I was in Madison for the summer. so surreal now*

I'm back in LA

but I still have plenty of posting to do...

BUT FIRST!

This is awesome: "Asia-Pacific youth seek say in HIV policies"

"Ago Moccoro, 18, from Philippines, said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated that all people had a fundamental right to life, health, livelihood and dignity. These rights needed to be respected, protected and fulfilled for all young people, including but not limited to street children, young people who injected drugs, lesbian and transgender young people and young people living or born with HIV."

::grateful exhale::