Oh hay!

It's been a while. I know it has. I've been working waaaaayyyy too much to the point I am slightly hating my job. It became more like a routine. I feel like I live in the ER. I wake up, get ready, work, go home, sleep, repeat. 

Seriously. Even the doctor that works a lot in my ER thinks I am working too much. 

Then one day while getting a massage (yes), I had an epiphany to volunteer again. I miss helping people who genuinely appreciate your care and help (if you follow me at work in the ER, you will see how ungrateful most of the people are in there. Too demanding). My time in Honduras was amazing and I want to experience it again. Hence, I decided to do it again but this time with United Planet to Peru. Why not combine my passion of helping people and travel at the same time? I started a GoFundMe, so any amount of help will sure do help.

Also, I am finally following another dream. Travel Nursing. I have been wanting to do this for the past 5 years but always chicken out. The fear creeps up whenever I want to go for it. Then again during that massage (I tend to think when the masseuse works on my back), I thought, "Rima, it's now or never!" I will be moving abroad soon and probably will have my license inactive during the time so I think now it's the time to do it. So, God willing, I am planning to do travel nursing from May - July! I am excited. 

I can't wait to edit and show you pictures from Iceland! Also, I went to another new city for me in Switzerland, Basel. I was lucky enough to check out the Basel Fasnacht (their version of the Carnival) and it was fun. But let me share you this picture of Rob & I in front of Hallsgrimkirkja :)

  

I miss him! I won't see him until April 5th! We will meet up in San Francisco and then will rent a car and plan a road trip down to LA. I can not wait.

:)

Rima

Things I Love Monday

Hello Bunnies. Aren't you surprised with the title? Yes, my dears, I am bringing back TiLM, and to be honest, I am pretty excited. I sort of abandoned this segment for a long time. No regrets of not doing it in awhile, it was just probably, I was just too focus on like what kind of blog I want this to be and trying to be more commercial, trying to build sponsors and what not, but after a while, I got tired of focusing on being out there in the blog-world.

I just want to be me. I just want this blog to be my outlet of what's in my little fried brain. And I thank you ever so greatly for following my journey this far. Thanks for the comments & feedback. I will also try to add more recipes on the sister blog, but one is mainly a side-project. My mood comes in waves, so will the posts on the sister blog. Hahaha.

Just in case you're not familiar with TiLM, it's a segment where I write about moments and memories that happened during the week leading towards every Monday of the week. It's a weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) segment that I do to remind myself and express my gratitudes and appreciation of life. Things I love, but occasionally some dislikes as well (this segment was inspired by reading Gala Darling's TiLT religiously).

Anyways, this past week was slightly rough because I came down with the flu... Flu #2. Yes, I relapsed. After my fun vacation in Cancun (more posts on that coming soon), I went straight back to work the following day I got back. 2 days in the row, working in the ER, with mainly people complaining about flu-like symptoms. So I go patients from babies to elderly, pretty much coughing up the storm in your personal space. I was still pretty exhausted from the trip (Rob & I were doing lots of physical activities in Cancun so I was still trying to recover) so my immune system was pretty shaken. Oh and to add to it, I skipped my vitamin regimen for the whole time I was in Cancun. Double Whammie. 

So pretty much from Wednesday up til Sunday, I was sick. Wednesday - Friday was the worst. I had the classic sinus pressure, headache, super chills and fever, nausea, and loss of appetite. One thing that I thank God about was that I had no vomiting or diarrhea. I would probably be stuck with an IV with fluids hanging. Boo. I pretty much thank God for giving me health back, even though it's coming back slowly!

Also during my sick time, Chimmy was pretty much being my little furry guardian. He kept on wanting to climb up on to my bed & just sit next to me. Cute little stinky butt. Still bratty though.

Over the weekend, Rob came over so my little sick self was glad. But sad, because we had to kinda limit our personal space due to my illness. He brought me soup and a "get well soon" orchid. Why orchid? I have no idea. He didn't stay over because he didn't want to get sick but he did came back on Sunday so we can hang out. We had lunch with my parents & my newly wedded cousin & his wife which was nice for me because I finally regained my taste buds. Woo. Then Rob treated me with a 1 hr Thai Massage session, since he had a little back injury. I was like hell ya. 

the get well soon orchid

I tell you, that was one of the toughest massages ever. Stuffy nose, laying face down on the donut pillow thingy while some random Thai lady working on your back knots? It was damn hard. I had to breathe thru my mouth the whole time. Then when she told me to flip over, I was like, "HAND ME THAT DAMN KLEENEX!" Don't do massages with a stuffed up nose. Oh hell no. But overall massage was awesome. Just like in Bangkok all over again. Woo. 

I'm pretty much thankful that I have a caring boyfriend. We're going on 6 years this year, yet it feels like my love for him gets stronger & stronger. I miss him more & more every time we're apart during the week. I also find him more & more hilarious in his own weird way. Gotta love him.

Anyways, I am glad that I'm bringing TiLM back. Time to be more positive this year!

Bisous,
Rima

The List

Thanks to Setarra, she made me hop on to my blog and make a list. It's been awhile. 
feeling// hungry. girl, it's 10:16AM and I haven't had my cup of tea and toast! *on it* eating// nothing right now. On my way to the kitchen... drinking// will be drinking PG tea with cream and honey. Yum. It's pretty cold in SoCal aka 56F (it's cold for us, ok) so a cup of hot tea sounds so good right now. practicing// bikram yoga. honestly, I'm being reaaaaallllyyyyyy lazy. I purchased a 10-card class and only been to 1 class... and that was 3 weeks ago *shame* mastering// the art of getting organized with my life and the art of paying debt without spending like crazy. These tips from Michelle are really good. learning// how to do some mindless shopping. I was good until the past month or so. I need to get on the mindset of "Do You Need It or Do You WANT It? Buy it if you NEED it, not if you WANT it!" playing// candy crush. still on it. finishing// my handmade Christmas cards!

reading// Catching Fire (re-reading it), 1000 Places to See Before You Die (thanks Goodwill) enjoying// my days off!!! Since I moved back to the ER, I self schedule myself and have these awesome days off in between *win* listening// Rhythm of Love playlist on Pandora contemplating// on what to bake next... lusting// over these Le Creuset French ovens. I want one! Also this Nespresso machine. Or pretty much everything at Sur La Table! wearing// sweat pants and t-shirts. Perfect lazy day outfit :) baking// Probably Azuki Bean Sweet Bread wondering// when Rob & I can seriously talk about our impending wedding. Hahaha... #toolazytothink loving// this cuddle weather that Mother Nature is giving us in SoCal. YES. working// on my budget. It's like a never ending cycle travelling// to Cancun for New Years Eve! planning// well the Cancun trip! Also my sisterhood's reunion in May 2014 in Arizona.  wanting// saving dogs. I need to volunteer again. Oh and CINNAMON ROLLZZZZZ.
happy weekend, Rima

I know it's not Tis the Season yet...

but I just saw this commercial online and it made me super teary eyed (call me Ms. Sensitive? Plus, c'mon, it's Lily Allen singing a Keane song) and I seriously can not with for Christmas season to be here!

I love the gloominess that SoCal gets (even though I would love to experience Christmas in the snow), I love seeing the Christmas lights all up on houses (I'm a sucker for lights), listening to Christmas songs (but punk-rock covers) and just plain ol' giving.

I'm a sucker for giving out gifts. There is this sense of gratitude I get when I see my recipient's reaction when they receive my gift.

A little FYI, I do not celebrate Christmas in a religious way. For me, I see it as a Season of Giving. I'm already planning out what baked goods to give out for my friends and family. I'm thinking ways to give away some of my clothes for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan... They need it more than me. Just the simple selfless act of giving for me means more than the items that are given away. For me, if someone gives me something, it makes me happy to think that at one point, that person was thinking of me. Hence that infamous saying, "The Thought that Counts."

I'm even working on Christmas Eve and on-call for Christmas Day, because in away, I am giving away my nursing service to people who need them. I guess, one way for me to give back to the community (oh and a bonus of getting paid double for the holiday, tsk tsk).

End of the year festivities are my favorites...

Are you excited for this Holiday Season?

xoxo,
Rima

GF

No, not girlfriend, you know.
But oh haaay gurlfriend... What's cookin?
I hope it's some GF stuff. AKA Gluten-Free.

I'm on day 1 of being gluten-free. And I've spent $160 on GF food yesterday *le sigh*

Yes. I love booze so I did get some GF booze aka Berry Cider. Oh My Nom. And last night for dinner I had some random GF snacks (booze included)...

Now you're thinking why in the world I'm going gluten-free... ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M GONNA BE IN BAKING SCHOOL?!?!?! Crazy I know. But it's okay.

Reason why is... I'm trying to heal my skin homeopathic/holistically... and one of them is by going GF. I found this online and thought, "Hey, it's worth a shot". We will see how this go.

I've tried some GF brands here and there and am pretty impressed on their flavors and textures. At least they are not cardboard-like ;)

Plus I ordered 2 books by Nicole Hunn of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring and can't wait to try them out!

I need to bring down the cost because it's cray cray expensive... Esp the breads/pastries. You know me. Bread is my weakness.

Wish me luck. I want to heal.

xoxo,
Rima

Le Sigh: I dislike getting old

One thing about getting old that sucks is that your body gets old too. Wait. That sounds weird. Of course your body gets old. Whatever. Anyways, I hate the side-effects of getting old.

Achy body parts, weird random headaches, forgetfulness, dizziness... you name it. I hate it. My mind maybe like in my late teens/early 20s, but not my body. It feels like it just hit 50 years old & getting ran over by a bunch of bulls. Lame.

Even though I'm a nurse, I work for Western Medicine, I actually don't like using Western Medicine for my own body. I'm more of the Alternative/Holistic kinda girl. I try to avoid medication as much as possible unless necessary. What sucks is that I have chronic back pain due to a back condition. I tend to pop them NSAIDs whenever it bothers me. I've been good on reducing taking those pills and opted for a heating pack instead. I love those ThermaCare 8 hr heating pack. Life savers, I say. My BFF during painful times.

Anyways, last week, I woke up with a sore & stiff neck. I was thinking if it was my pillow or my posture when I sleep. Or maybe I unintentionally injured myself at work without knowing. I don't know and it bothered me. So, I made an appointment with a Chiropractor who practices Acupuncture too.

I've never been adjusted by a Chiro, so I was pretty nervous. This is my face before being adjusted.

Can't you see the fear in my face?

But my oh my oh my. I felt so good after the doc adjusted my spine. Not only that, a massage therapist worked on this damn knot on my shoulder before I got adjusted. Oh the pain was worth it. I don't know if it's a psychological thing, but I felt so relieved when I heard this popping noises she made from my spine. I crack my knuckles like no other & "feel"relieved after I do so, hence I was all smiles after being adjusted. I was like, "Hot damn!"

Then acupuncture came. Needles. Yes, lots of needles on my back. Honestly I was nervous. But seriously it was not bad at all. It felt like quick pinches as she tapped those needles to my neck, shoulder and lower back. Not only that, she connected the needles to electrodes... pretty much like this...

via

It felt like twitches to the areas that were connected. Weird but okay. That session was about 20 minutes. I think I drooled at minute 17.

I felt a lot better after my first session. The doctor taught me some basic stretches to do and I've been doing them through out time, to ease of the tensions on my neck & shoulder. I scheduled another Acupuncture session again. Can't wait. Not cheap, but I'm giving it another try.

Surprisingly this office also offers cupping. Meaning this...

via

My cousin did this and his back looked so gross. But he said he felt good. The inner hippie in me wants to try it though. But no sexy back for awhile, hehe.

How about you? Have you ever tried any alternative treatment?

xoxo,
Rima

Letting my inner emo girl out...

NEXT WEEKEND!

Like I really wanna have my emo bangs back and dye my hair red.

Ok, a little kidding on the emo bangs.

Apparently dear old Rima forgot (the joy of almost 30) that she purchased tickets to see Paramore (with guests Hellogoodbye *squeals*) for next week. I really thought it was for November -_-

Me & Paramore go way back. It was my tune during nursing school. Hayley Williams was my study buddy in between learning how to put in foley catheters and memorizing body parts for giving intramuscular shots. It was during a Paramore show in the heat of 103F degrees at a Vans Warped Tour concert, where I was by myself and got pinned between sweaty men... That I almost past out and had to tap on of these emo boys to lift me up... and crowed surfing I did... to the front of the stage. I seriously thought I was gonna be suffocated to death. Poor little me. I survived though. I can say that I did crowd surf one time in my life.

I got advanced tickets (#fangirl) and it's for the GA floor. And I got 2 tickets. And I'm taking the Pillow with me... Who has no clue on who Paramore is and doesn't know any-single-song-from-them. Poor thing. He's so gonna be deaf by the end of the night. I know he probably would rather be working instead (workaholic much?)

Can you imagined that I wanted to do my hair like this before?

True Story.

My inner hipster/emo kid rejoices... (get's hair chalk)

xoxo,
Rima

I am Back!

Oh hello there.

I am back from my Asian Trip. And I had to call off work today because I woke up, still jet lagged, but what's worse is that I had some, as my dear cousin Akira said, anal hangover, and was up since 4 AM, going back and forth to the bathroom. Holla America.

So these are the things that are accompanying me in my night stand...

With the addition of some Kao Tom Gai (Thai Chicken Porridge) that I made with some hot tea and... Imodium (eww). Oh and some back pains and headache.
Meanwhile I was super fine the whole trip as I ate myself to craziness with street food (hello $1.50 Pad Thai!).
I still need to catch up on the last Euro Trip (Hello Milan & London!) along with some awesome Bali & Thai posts.
This make take awhile as I have to back to work. Bear down with me here.
xoxo, Rima

oh and Happy Labor Day.

Let me entertain you with the hotness of Channing Tatum. Oh and he's wearing white.

*ignore the fact that Smelly Cyrus is on*

red white and blue,
Rima

6 Things

Oh how I love some Q&As. My bloggy BFF just tagged me on some good questions while I was away in Europe, so in this lazy Saturday night (after a crazy 4 hour nap to get used to this jet lag of mine!), with my Mum in the background playing some really depressing sound French song, I here will answer some questions from Simply Evani.

1. What is the motto/quote that defines your life?
2. Who is the most influential person in your life?
3. Favorite childhood snack?
4. What’s your favorite thing to buy that’s under $20?
5. What 3 words define your blog?
6. If you get any college major in the world, what would you choose?
7. Where is your favorite place in the world?
8. If you could break one law with no penalties, what would it be?
9. What is your favorite day of the year?

She said I can pick 6 out of the 9. Ooo toughie.

1. What is the motto/quote that defines your life?
"Everything happens for a reason". Kinda cliche but I truly believe this quote. From break-ups to hook-ups, from new life to death, from promotions to terminations, you get the gist. Anything good or bad that happens in my life, I believe there is a reason behind it, even though most of the time I may not know why. God moves in mysterious ways.
3. Favorite childhood snack?
Goldfish. ZOMG. Until now. I can eat the whole bag in one sitting, #noshame. Gah. I want some now!!!
4. What's your favorite thing to buy that's under $20?
Gurl, this is hard. I love stationaries. Good thing they are mostly under $20. I love food. Good thing A LOT of foods are under $20. I love beer. Good thing A LOT of beers are under $20. I love baking stuffs. Good thing many of them are $20 (i.e: spatula, cookie cutters, cupcake liners...)
6. If you get any college major in the world, what would you choose?
At this moment, I want to pursue a degree in Culinary. Baking all day? Yes, please
7. Where is your favorite place in the world?
Honestly, my bed. Second, the kitchen. Hahaha. 
9. What is your favorite day of the year?

My birthday and New Years Eve.

Ah, gotta love some good Q&As. Thanks, Evani

xo,

Rima

Oh hello...

I'm in London Heathrow now and I am HUNGRY.

I still have like 2-3 hours til I board on my next flight to Zurich.

Sitting here in next to all the Brits really makes me wanna have a British Accent. 

Just wanted to pop by and say Hi!

Gladly to arrive safely in Londontown. Can't wait to explore a little bit of it when I'm on my way to LA.

Toodles.

- Rima

ps: I need a crumpets and tea! Or Fish and Chips? or a Spotted Dick?

So Mother Bolu Gave Birth...

...and Gula&Garam was born.

I was browsing around on some potential cafe/bakery ideas (a girl can dream, right?) and for some reason Gula & Garam popped up.

First, y'all like, WTF IS GULA & GARAM?

I'm Indonesian, so I like to stick to my roots on incorporating some Indo words in my world.

gula = sugar
garam = salt

I love me some Sweets and I love me some Savories.

What's the focus on G&G? Strictly about FOOD (#foodporn rejoice!).

So Bolu will not have recipes or food reviews anymore and those will migrate to G&G. Bolu will still have pictures of food when it's incorporated in a blog post. Bolu will be more like my lifestyle/savinglives/wannabenomad blog. Personal things. G&G will be my outlet for one of things that I'm super passionate about, food. As a future culinary/pastry student (this will happen, people!!!), I would like to have a separate outlet just focusing on food & drinks. Ok mainly more food.

So G&G is still a baby, so be kind, eh?

Feel free to visit Gula&Garam. It's on bloglovin' too :)

moonbeams,
Rima

Lot's of Blurriness.

Why? I blame the Green Fairy... Ur... the Phone... Uh... The Absinthe?

This past weekend was my co-workers 40th Birthday (oh hay). Her husband works for the Edison Company (you know... The light company) and he decided to do some celebrating for his loving wife at (what do you know...) The Edison in DTLA.

When I heard about it, I told Ms. Bday Girl, "OH HAAAAAY GIRRRLLLLL... HOOK ME UP I'M SO THERE."

As you may not know, I'm a huge 20s fan. When I heard about The Edison about 5 years ago (beginning stage of The Pillow and I) and I heard that Absinthe is legal in the state of California (the little drunkie in me rejoiced), I told my BFF and Pillow that I MUST GO TO THE EDISON. Why?

1. They were one of the first bar/lounge that served Absinthe at the time.
2. The lounge is in the basement of the old Higgins Building, which was LA's first power plant.
3. The have live jazz bands AND burlesque shows.
4. It was home to my favorite live Cirque, Lucent Dossier, at the time.

This photo was taken in Dec 2008 by LA Times. Yes, we made it to the website. Haha.

Anyways, the bday celebration was great. I got to enjoy some crafty cocktails there. One of the favorites was called "The Mistress". It was delicious. Super easy to drink (derp. It has Vodka, Pomegranate Juice and splash of Prosecco. What's not to like?)

My night was not complete until I have some Absinthe. They had 2 shots, one mixed with Hibiscus and Jasmine and one with Pineapple and something. I can't remember. I had too much beverage when I asked the Green Fairy.

Can you tell the effects of our friend Alky has kicked in already?

Of course we had something to eat. The Pillow ordered some Salmon Sashimi that was fresh. Super fresh. The avocado, fuji apples and red onion really complimented the fish. YUM.

Then we walked around the venue to kill the buzz (particularly for me since I was driving back). I seriously LOVE LOVE LOVE the set-up. Very rustic, old, sorta creepy with a Steampunk vibe to it. Classy yet not Ashy. Of course while staring at some awesome chicks dancing on stage (they come out every 30 minutes I believe)...

Dress code is strictly enforced. Lots of people dress up to the era but it's not recommend but I highly recommended because it's fun. I didn't really dress up to the era because we were in the hurry to get high on Indo food.

This is called Batagor, consisted of deep fried tofu, deep friend fish paste and deep fried beef balls, smothered with soy sauce, Sriracha and Peanut Sauce... Complete with Teh Kotak (meaning "Boxed Tea").

Anyways, if you're in town in LA, I recommend the Edison. It is pricey to reserve a table ($50/person!) but you can just simply walk in ($10 cover charge) and enjoy some fine fancy cocktails, enjoy some people watching and some fun burlesque show!

The Edison
108 W. 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA.
(213) 613-0000

Just click on the website. You can feel the vibe already!

paper moons,
Rima

How to Dance in a Club...

with a dress on without being Ratchet.



Mind you, I don't go to clubs and I can't dance. I don't wear mini-skirts and short dresses.

But once in a blue moon, I do these things and I do dance pretty ratchet.

Then I bumped in to the video above and laugh my booty off. Keaira Lashae is funny yet girl can move. Go try out some of her dance tutorials. It will make your thighs and booty sore!

Happy weekend people.

Rima

Happy Independence Day

Well actually for me it was more like,

Cross 8 hours. More like 12 hours for me. Got called in 3 times to do 3 cases. And I'm way too tired now to head out and watch some explosives. Good thing my parents did some BBQ and I actually baked some apple pies the night prior. Here's a little sneak peak of the pies...

Independence in the States is way different than in Indonesia. Here in America, you celebrate by heading to the beach/lake/river/pool, BBQ-ing, getting all pissed drunk & shit-face while trying to not injure yourself with some "legal" explosives.

via

 Gotta have Chuck Norris.

In Indonesia, we celebrate on Aug 17th, by doing fun, cheesy competition, usually is done around the neighborhood or at school. We eat traditional foods, mingle, gossip and hopefully catch a glimpse of fireworks, usually on TV.

via

via

via

I miss celebrating Independence day in Indo.

Well I hope you all have a safe and fun 4th of July. Probably funner than mine. I'm tired. I really want to jump of a cliff today. That would be fun. Need to find more spots to cliff-jump from!

xo,
Rima

I Love Weddings...

Ethnic weddings, that is.

You've seen movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Monsoon Wedding, right? (I haven't).

Anyways I had a similar wedding to go to over the weekend. A Middle Eastern Wedding. And boy it was fun. And, I didn't consume any alcohol *pats back* (it was a strict Muslim wedding party with no open bar. Luckily, Le Groom provided a CashBar outside of the reception room for those boozers out there. I was just being cheap).

I'm used to going to ethnic weddings (read: INDONESIAN) so the whole delay of start time, the amount of guests invited, seeing kids running around the stage... does not surprise me. What's fun was seeing how my friends, who are mainly White, reacted to the whole situation.

One friend said, "Damn, we don't have this at a Western Party!!!" And he was referring to this...

or to be clear...

You don't really see a groom being carried on to the front on the shoulder, surrounded by ALL of the MALE GUESTS, complete with drums... dancing in circles, whole holding hands... for like 10 minutes...

Pretty entertaining I say.

Not only that, I was served with a BIG ASS bowl of Hummus. My party table was happy. We kept on begging for more pita breads.

This was my reaction...

 And of course when they served the food, I was in Arabic heaven (a little 411 about me: I have some Arabic blood in me. Thanks great-G-Ma.)

So anyways, I told my friend that I want to go to more ethnic weddings. I said, "I want to go to a legit Mexican wedding, complete with a Banda band... An Indian wedding... and another Asian wedding..." Then she looked at me and said, "Uh, why don't YOU have an ethnic wedding?" I told her, "Uh yeah... but it has to be on a separate day because it's super long. And boring because they speak in tribal language" (me no habla tribal).

A little snap shot of a typical Bataknese wedding (where both of our parents are mainly from)...

credit: Sigit Darmawan

Where the families from both sides have to bring food and "exchange" the food to each other. Yes, it involves a whole cow slaughtered and cooked and brought to the wedding (all body parts are present. Gah).

via

Where a party of 500 is just normal...

Where we both have to wear traditional attire...

Oh and mind you... almost EVERYONE in the family (both parties) are involved in the preparation of this traditional wedding.

Lord help me.

Hence why I'm kinda hesitant to plan a wedding. Me with pushy family members? Oh we don't go so well.

Anyways... I love ETHNIC weddings. Those Arabic/Palestinian girls from the wedding were soooo pretty. The little Arabic in me was doing belly dancing (in her mind) as the music was playing.

Have you ever been to an Ethnic wedding?

Congrats to Kased and Ahd!

moonbeams,
Rima

So like seriously...

When I saw that 100 number 2 days ago, I was giddy. Aw yeah. Tick tock tick tock I'm on my way for Vaccaaaay.

Despite with all the not so glamorous things about traveling to Asia, there are several things I'm afraid I get the jeepers-creepers on...

• Flying Cockroaches aka La Cucarachas. 

Yes, roaches in Asia are big, evil, ugly, gross and have wings. They fly to you. One minute you see them, you turn your head for 5 seconds and look back... they are gone. Swoosh... Next thing you know they are flying TOWARDS you. Omigod. I don't know how am I gonna handle this.

Meanwhile, enjoy this song below...

• Mosquitoes... And these aren't your average little flying annoying crap. These spread them STDs diseases. Not only their bites are ridiculously itchy, you have a higher risk on getting typhoid and malaria. Uh great.

This would be me all day err day...

• Leeches. They are so ugly. Ugly as shit. They are gross and they are everywhere especially near places with water. Ugh. It reminded me of my childhood in Jakarta where I saw a leech slimin away near my door. I went, "ZOMG a LEECH!" Girl here got them salts and sprinkled that damn leach with it and saw that little sucker shrink. Gross. Probably instead of throwing my glitter around Asia, I will probably throw Salt.

You see a pattern here? I hate insects. Period. There is no beauty in any insects. I don't even like earth worms. They are so ugly.

Gross.

Don't worry people. I got my vaccines in order and also my Malaria pills. DEET will be my BFF.

DEET spray smells gross.

Anyways, how was your day?

moonbeams,

Rima

Self Five

why? because I lost 1.5 lbs as of today... Ya know, I'm on this Slim Fast diet with my family and it's been 1 week already. It's hard. I do feel the need to snack (which is encouraged) and once in a while I do crave Burgers. Mmm burgers.

But this past week made me watch what I'm eating... I'm sorta counting calories. Of course I cheat here and there, but it's not that bad.

Ok pretty bad... meaning, I had an allergic reaction bad. So on my 5th day, I had to attend a birthday party. Homegurl here pigged out eating pizza, pasta and Hanger 24 Orange Wheat beer. Mmm... Beer. It was all good until the following morning.

My face was inflamed. I had welts underneath my eyes and my face was just plain itchy. Not fun. And I knew what it was from. I believe I have a sensitivity to gluten/wheat. I went gluten/wheat overload the night prior and my payback was the next morning. No bueno.

Which made me realized I haven't had that many intake of bread, pastries and baked goods in the past week... aka low to no gluten. I also decided to switch my Slim Fast to Raw Meal powder shakes.

I do feel that my belly is less bloated and a little flatter than usual. Super score. Also my co-worker and I are starting to do our lunch-break laps around our hospital. I'm eating more lean protein, nut protein, trying to go more dairy free (I bought Coconut & Almond milk) and increasing my fruit and vegetable intake. AAANDDD I'm taking PreNatal Vitamins (gotta keep this impending womb healthy for future babies) and Vit. D. Mind you, I HATE pills. Gross.

So far my energy is a little bit better, I still need to work on my sleep hours (damn you Candy Crush).

I know it's only week 1 and rumor has it that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Damn 2 more weeks to go.

But shit. I lost 1.5 lbs and I'm proud, mija.

xo,
Rima

What I Wore Sunday

Happy Memorial Day weekend!! May y'all enjoy all the BBQs and that sticky smoky smell in your hair.

I'm going to Little Tokyo via Metrolink because I enjoyed my last trip with my co-worker to LA a couple of weeks ago. This time is more of a foodie trip. I ain't BBQing...

Mmm I'm craving Ramen. And some Japanese Milk Buns. bunsbunsbuns.

Anyways, since SoCal's weather is being weird again, I decided to dress... safe. I hate getting cold so I decided to pull some leggings on. I may regret later if the weather turns warm. Damn.

Shirt: H&M Paris
Tank Top: Target
Leggings: Target
Socks: Forever 21
Pinky ring: somewhere from Hong Kong
Ring finger ring: Tiffany & Co.
Earrings: Claires
Glasses: David Cardigan from Coastal.com
Lipstick: Christian Dior from my BFF in Paris

I might carry a cardigan with me (i hate the collddddd)

Eat up people. And let's remember the soldiers that fought for our FREEDOM.

moonbeams,
Rima