151. Plants, Food, and Suits

What an eventful Friday! During my lunch break, I went to a club workshop and learnt how to pot plants - specifically, herbs! I learnt about solutions that can be used to kill little white bugs in the plants and how a certain solution is able to mess up their hormones. Another thing I learnt was to weed out the smaller buds so they cannot take nutrients away from the bigger ones. One more is that planting things is quite therapeutic. I think I can understand my parents a bit more now as I remember they always head out to the gardens whenever it was summer to plant random flowers.

As for what I came to learn at the workshop, which was basically how to keep plants from dying, I found out that question was too broad. Instead, they told me that I just had to put it under the light and water it enough so that the soil feels moist. It's easier said than done though.

(Both: herbs ready to be re-potted!)

(Left: herbs ready to be re-potted in the cute, colourful pots | Right: mission accomplished)

In exchange for the labour, I got to bring back home two herbs: cilantro and lemon balm! One's good for use in soup and the latter is good for tea! I hope my black thumb won't kill them this time.

After class, I got ready for #DATENIGHT! We went to Maenam for dinner, and then had dessert at our usual place at True Confections.

(Both: Pad Thai for me and "Aromatic Curry of Lamb Shank" for B)

(Both: B's White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake while I just had my usual English Trifle)

Then we went back and watched #SUITS. I can't believe next week is already Season 4's finale! I can't wait to watch it! So excited!!

150. Chinese New Year Food

Chinese New Year just passed and here's a blog post dedicated to all the delicious food I had to celebrate!

This is from Strike Taiwanese Restaurant near campus that I went to with my brother. The service was pretty good and there weren't too many people, which was nice. We were first seated at a small table for two, but got moved to a bigger table for four after ordering (haha).

(Left: fried fish | Right: hot and sour soup)

(Left; some kind of meat and yummy Taiwanese sausages | Right: steak and BBQ chicken)

This is from a Chinese seafood restaurant that I went to with my parents.

(Both: lobster on noodles)

(Both: black bean sauce on a gigantic oyster)

Of course, we can't forget about one of the staple food for Chinese New Year: dumplings! Home-made from scratch with all veggie ingredients!

(Left: rolling the dough to make wraps | Right: the filling)

(Left: pat pat pat onto the wrap | Right: squeeze the wrap tight so nothing falls out)

(Left: ready to boil | Right: ready to eat)

149. Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New!

新年快乐,

恭喜发财,

龙马精神,

身体健康,

万事如意,

合家欢乐!

148. ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro

Valentine's Day dinner was at ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro.

There were a lot of couples and the one next to us was very interesting because they took a gazillion pictures before finally digging in to their food. It looked like the guy was getting impatient, but was used to it.

And then there was us with our iPhone's snapping as quickly as we can so we can devour the food.

(Left: too many menus | Right: a little romantic set-up)

(Left: fried chicken - very tender and juicy inside | Right: grilled squid - tiny little bit overcooked, but got that nice flavour to it)

(Left: most of the food we ordered | Right: what B ordered: "It's raaaaaaw!!")

(Both: more raw food for B)

Then we went to our usual dessert place to get some "Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice".

(Left: tropical green tea | Right: berry fruit pie with ice cream for B and English trifle for me)

147. Downtown Vancouver Scenery

On Valentine's Day, B and I went downtown to catch a movie (Kingsman: The Secret Service, which was amazing!) and after that walked around until it was time for dinner (will be on another post).

Here's some pictures I took that night with the fisheye lens from Olloclip that B got me for my birthday.

Most are on Robson Street and Canada Place.