Qdoba

When I first came to New Jersey, my co-workers were raving about how great Qdoba was. Was it a sit in restaurant? A regular Mexican fast food joint like Taco Bell? After work on Friday, I went to try it out. It was on the interstate, which was separated by Jersey curbs, which meant I had to take a jug handle turn to get there. "Jug Handles" are these turns that are specifically built for people wanting to U-turn on the highway, and are unique to New Jersey. I must have passed by the jug handle at least 5 times before figuring out how it worked, so its kind of confusing because it isn't well marked.

When I first entered Qdoba, a nice aroma of salsa, and spicy meat greeted me. What striked me immediately was how Qdoba looks so much like Chipotle, in the set up, style, and even menu! They had the usual of burrito, rice bowl, and chips. Instead of pushing guacamole, they had a 4-cheese dip with their chips. The burrito I ordered was pretty good, but I feel Chipotle is the true pioneer in making buttery yummy rice with hint of lime, juicy seasoned chicken and steak, great salsa, and the amazing guacamole. I'm pretty sure Qdoba is a copy of Chipotle, just like Burger King copied McDonald's.. and so on.

It was sunny when I walked in Qdoba, but as I left it, a cold wind, and leaf fragments overwhelmed me. I looked at the sky, and it was dark and covered in clouds swirling quickly. A flash of light in the distance warned me of what was about to come, so I ran to the car with my burrito in hand. As soon as I closed the door, a down pour of rain fell, accompanied by more rain and thunder. Phew!

Heading to Massachusettes

Last Friday, I headed out of work a little earlier, and set off on my drive. I picked the round a bout route, away from NY, recalling from last year's experience of doing a lot of traffic sitting. There was one toll to pay, and a lot of repaving work going on after the winter and rains. The drive wasn't bad, but I had not enough cuisine to select from. It seemed like there were only McDonald's at each stop, with gas prices higher than what I would get around my town.

It took only 4.5 hours to reach there, and I got to Aunt Crystal's house earlier than expected! The kiddies introduced me to their new pets: 2 hamsters and a gerbil. They were super cute, and had distinctive personalities. Unfortunately, that weekend, the hamster Humphrey died, so we had a pet burial for him.
We did some hiking in the woods, and it was the best time of the year to go, because it isn't mosquito season yet. Deer flies, I heard were present, but they were not to be seen on our hiking trip. That weekend I had a lot of cider (which I love, and have been looking fiercely for it ever since) and fun with the kids.

Greek Festival and Picking Strawberries!

This whole week has been raining, thundering, foggy, and has been a source of wonder to even the natives in this area! Deanna asked me how I was managing here, and connected me to a friend of a friend of a friend... so I met Delia and her husband, Stan!

Delia and I went to the Greek Festival (http://www.biggreekfestival.com/) which was located in my town! It was held at a Greek Orthodox Church, and surprisingly, there is a large community of people from Greece who live here. When we arrived, there was no more parking nearby to the event, so many people desperately parked wherever would fit their SUVs. The policemen also crashed the party, and was having a field day in handing out tickets! As we were driving up, there were a whole line of cars with pink slips underneath the windshield wipers! I will be sure to save all the parking tickets I get from New Jersey to give to my family members in California, because that is sure one thing characteristic of this area!

There were all sorts of foods to pick from, a carnival for kids, Greek dance lessons, and some gift items. We ended up sharing a sampler, which allowed us to sample everything. The cheese is very good, and I was amazed to see how much Delia loved the cheese! There was also a live band, singing in Greek with traditional instruments. If you have ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it was just like that! Everyone was dancing, super friendly, and it seemed everyone knew each other, they were probably all related and one big family.

Afterwards, I became better acquainted with my new friends. They had so many stories, and it was very inspiring to talk with them. I was very excited to find out how close they live to me! When I headed home, it was pretty late at night, and the first time I was out driving in the night. The roads have no lighting, and the trees block out any sign of the moon! Without my GPS, I would not be able to see any of the road signs or know where I was going. Right before I reached home base, I was started by 2 pairs of beaming eyes on the street, which turned out to be a BIG BAD MEAN BEAR!!! Well I thought it was, until I got a better look and it was just deer.

I've been wanting to go strawberry picking, because Judy, the lady who owns the house, keeps raving about how exciting it is. We drove towards Chester, which had a large farm. At various times of the year, they open up the fields that have blackberries, peaches, blueberries, and tomatoes for the public. I couldn't believe how many people were out on a Saturday morning to pick strawberries! As we were walking towards the fields, the smell of what seemed like strawberry jam became more defined. I saw other people carrying box after box of strawberries, so it seemed that this would be an easy task.

Once we reached the fields, I looked out and surveyed that the strawberry field extended for about half a mile, with rows and rows of strawberries! WOW! Strawberry plants grow pretty low to the ground, so I found myself hunching over, trying to find the reddest, ripest, tastiest, and biggest strawberry I could. However, the strawberry plants near the front of the entrance was already picked through, so we needed to head further back to find the better fruit. I spent at least a backbreaking 25 minutes picking strawberries.

They tricked us! Why would people pay money and end up doing all the work for the farm!? I'm just kidding, I thought it was pretty fun, and was tempted to pick a strawberry, eat 2 strawberries, to help me get through picking them. I think its only in America, where we would think doing farm work would be exciting.

Thunderstorms in New Jersey

Last night, there was a fierce thunderstorm, and it was raining so hard. Ever time it thundered, the whole house shook! I think I was right underneath the storm! When I got woken up by it, I thought it was the apocalypse because it sounded like the sky tearing in two!!

The thundering started at about 2:00AM and didn't stop- so I couldn't sleep the whole night and was super scared!

When I woke up, I looked out the window, and it was still raining, but it was very foggy with low visibility, and almost as dark as night. Groggily, I got dressed and out the door, and was driving really slowly.

On my drive, there was a serious downpour, like cats and dogs. I wish there was a higher setting for the highest windshield wiper speed setting. Then it started thundering and there was lightening, with fog and soooo much rain, I couldn't see the road or the cars next to me!!! I was literally crawling along the slippery roads. AHHHHH... *hyperventalate* The hills were seriously like water slides and in the valley there were big streams of water!!

When I got to work, I found out there was a power outage earlier.. and I feel safe for now. phew!

I think I would take California wildfires and earthquakes over New Jersey thunderstorms. Earthquakes come every 10 years while there were 3 thunderstorms the past week!

New York, New York

Yesterday, I had my very own adventure to the big city, which I have never been to in my life. The first task was to get there, but being all the way out is Morris County of New Jersey, that was a feat in itself. After being armed with 5 maps, time tables, a GPS, and a pep talk from my roommates, I left the house at about 8:30AM to first find the train station.

The station was easy to find, but I wasn't sure where to pay for parking or the train ticket. As I circled the complex, I found the ticket vending machine, and got my ticket. At that point though, I heard the two hoots from the train, and it was here! (I still hadn't paid for parking!) I was franticly searching for the pay station, and then saw this bizarre constructed metal container. I was supposed to stash money and coins with my key into the very narrow slot, on the number of where I parked. As I was squeezing my last dollar in.. I heard the train roll away.

"NoooooOoOooooOooOOOOOO!"

I spent the next hour getting up to date on the latest adventures of the heroine described by Victoria Holt. Once I boarded, I felt a humongous sigh of relief, but there was still more to see. NJ transit has two levels, and pretty comfortable chairs. A train conductor busily checks if everyone has tickets and we passed by many towns before entering Jersey City. The longest stretch was between Jersey and into Penn Station.
The first thing that amazed me was the number of tracks and the soaring sky scrapers up ahead. As I left the station, I was fairly disoriented, and first tried to find which was East and West... and while I was doing that, I saw a humongous mass of yellow coming at me without any intention of stopping!! I was almost mowed down by a NY taxi cab! After that incident, I would only cross the street if there were 2-3 people between me and the crazy drivers!!

I quickly found Michelle, my first roommate from when we were in college and living in La Jolla. We found each other at one of the many Starbucks, and started looking for a good place to get New York thin crust pizza. Since it was the weekend, there was a portion of 5th Avenue closed off for street vendors. There was allll sorts of pleasant smells: Gyros, Caribbean, Salvadorian, grilled corn, chili dogs, roasted nuts, and large soft pretzels. Along side the food stands, there were many trinkets from all sorts of cultures to be bought, including summery flowing dresses, imitation bags, and music from emerging artists. There was even a man that kept on trying to get people to buy a book that he said he wrote himself!

After enjoying a delicious pizza, and those yummy garlic knots, we set off for Grand Central. The station was humongous! Inside, there were many shopping stores, and we came into the main station room, which I had seen so many times in the movies! The ceiling was painted sky blue, and the different astrological signs painted on the top. On the sides lined the traditional ticket booths, with a metal gate separating the customers from the vendor.
Michelle showed me the subway, and what the difference between "downtown" and "uptown" was. With a 2 minute rundown of how the subway worked, I took it from Grand Central to several blocks away from the Metropolitan. The "Met," as it is called, was ginormous!!! There were many people sitting on its steps. Once my backpack was checked in, I got a student ticket (my student ID is still useful!) and started in the Egyptian section.
What's funny, was that there were sooo many pilfered artifacts in New York, not in Egypt where it ought to belong! The exhibit started with the early stone figurines, before any of the Kingdoms. There was a lot of jewelry, pottery, and remnants from the decorated sarcophagus and burial rooms. As the dynasties progressed, the artwork became more extravagant and over the top!
Although many of the pieces have stood up to the test of time, many suffered from being destroyed by looters during the age of antiquity, as well as had graffiti from the early nosy English explorers.
From the exhibits, I learned about how important ceremony was in the daily Egyptian life, and what their main foods and revered creatures were. Also, Egyptians were very big on human taxidermy, well okay, embalming, so there were many burial coffins, and even a real mummy! I wouldn't want to be mummified, because before they do that, they take out things such as your heart and brain (through your nose, ICK!) and put them in jars so you can come back in tact in the afterlife.
I spent a good deal of time on the Egypt wing, and rushed through the Early American, Medieval, Greek, and Oceanic wings. A week could easily be spent examining all of the artwork!!!
After the Met, I made my way through Central Park. It was a very nice day in New York after the rain, so there were SOOOOO many people hanging out at the park. I've never seen a park so crowded as this! Every where I went, it felt extremely cramped to be around so many people, and the many taxis rushing down the street, honking as if it would make traffic go faster!

I gave myself an hour to find Penn station, but I couldn't find it on the way back! First I went to a wrong station, and they directed me towards another street. At that point, I missed the train (AGAIN) and wandered around Broadway St and the nearby avenues, and asked for directions at least 5 times. Once I got on the train, I was super relieved!

New York is a very enchanting city, unlike any city I have seen, and very unlike the ones in Asia. One thing for sure is, there is always something to do in the city, which is probably why it is so attractive for people to live there. The city felt very high-paced, and everyone appeared to have a mission and a destination to get to, unlike me, who was just wandering around, unsure if I even wanted to cross a street! I hope I can explore more parts of downtown New York next time I go!

Liquid Church of Morristown

First of all, I wanted to introduce my car, a 96 Volvo 860 GLT, which is an amazing blessing. I am super thankful and feel very safe driving the stationwagon. All the electronics is in good working order, strong AC, automatic locks, and a radio! It's everything I could ever ask for!!

So, I've been discovering a few more things on my own. On Sunday, I went to the 11AM service at Liquid Church, of Morristown. It is held in a conference center, in the Hyatt. I circled the complex 2 times, puzzled at where to park, because there were several parking entrances and many confusing signs. I ended up just turning into the parking lot, and it was a good thing that I found the right spot!

The lobby was huuuuge. There was a movie theater and several restaurants. After walking by them, I found the entrance and got a nametag and first timer gift bag! The welcoming crew were super friendly, and then service started, and the experience reminded me of going to the Rock in San Diego.

The band played music loudly, and I learned a few new songs. What distracted me a little was the flashing lights- kind of made me feel like I was on a dance floor.. hehe. There was a guest speaker who came, talking about Biblical finance. You know, those things in Proverbs which are supposed to be common sense but we tend to just ignore them anyway.

Liquid church has nothing to do with the book with the same title, which is a sure relief!! I believe although they are up to date on technology (such as using MACS), this is more of a seeker friendly church. I couldn't meet anyone.. and that's the thing about large churches, so this week I will visit a smaller church, with small groups. If I could have my way I would move everyone from HOC6 all the way to New Jersey to be with me, but I'm not sure if they would appreciate the move! I can't wait to see everyone from back home and help out on Compassion Network projects.

My Four Catty Roommates

I've been warned, that there are many critters, although cute, you most likely don't want to encounter them. For example, today there was a deer just strolling through the middle of the street, ignoring everyone and the neighbor's dogs which were going berserk. At dawn and dusk, skunks, raccoons, foxes, bears, and maybe coyotes like to come out! I hope I won't encounter one!

I've been running near Shongum Lake, which is about a 300 foot elevation difference. It's downhill starting out, and right at the end of my run I have to climb this killer hill. I've been running about 4 miles in the afternoon, right after work, and it is very pleasant. Although the entire route is just paved concrete with houses, there is a lot of shade and not too much traffic.

SO, I am going to dedicate the rest of this entry to my FOUR cat-mates.

#1) The Too-Friendly Cat
When I moved in, it was Cody who greeted me first, and then proceeded to take a spot on my bed, insisting that I take the floor. When he figured out he wasn't welcome, he devised a trick to sprint to my room as I was opening the door and claim the bed before I got there. When I am on my laptop, he likes to step all over the keyboard and type gibberish. When I am cooking, he jumps onto the kitchen counter top and tries to smell everything. He loooooves attention and always tried to get me to rub his belly or his back.

#2) The Sweet Cuddly Cat
Gabriel, or Gaby, is a big fluffy cat full of love, who 'meows' at you and asks for attention. He takes his time getting around, and is usually left up to his own devices. He always seems to be the last involved in any action, and likes to spend a lot of time napping in the sun.




#3) The Awkward, Shy Cat
Connor, is a black and white cat, and usually found hiding under a chair, near you, but hiding. If you walk by him, he tries to get as far away from you as possible, like I was carrying a bucket of water or something (I'm not!). His facial expression makes him look perpetually surprised. If I leave my door open, he run straight underneath the wicker chair and hangs out there.



#4) Mystery Cat - ???
I heard, there was a fourth cat.. but I've never seen her. She is about 17 cat years old, and a retired cat. Maybe I will get a glimpse of the last cat soon.

Anyway, I haven't been talking to the cats like they are people yet, or letting them sit on my shoulder or sleep in my bed. Now that I have lived with cats, and been around dogs, I have been trying to think of the pros and cons of each kind, and declare the best kind of pet. I think I have a good chance of not being a crazy cat lady with 70 cats in the future.