Tag Archives: tea

Video

The Return 2010!

Hello hello, what’s up!? And I’m back!  First I need to apologize for my long break. I was so exhausted after the finals that I had to go in hibernation.  Granted I wasn’t planning on going away for that long but hey that’s what happens when you hibernate in a cold place with lots of snow!  I know, I know it wasn’t like I was hibernating out doors in an Igloo but still it was kind of like that and on top of that my muse went to hibernate as well. It’s not exactly back yet but since all the action starts today as in the new semester and craziness. I’m hoping it will return quite soon.

So hopefully everyone had a great break and a really happy New Years eve.   Before we move on, I just want to mention some future blogging plans.  Since this is my last semester and I will be extremely busy working on my thesis project, I might not be able to blog as much. I will try to blog at least once over the weekend.  In any case, I’ll see how the semester goes and if I find that I can do it more often then I sure will.  Plus, it also depends on how much you guys want me to keep writing.  So comments are encouraged!

I thought maybe I should start by sharing some of my hibernation period highlights. Some fun stuff I watched, ate and drank.  I might not be able to mention everything in this post but I’ll try to do them in my future posts if possible.

SO! One thing that I really enjoyed was this South Korean drama that my sister found.  It’s this old drama titled “Full House” starring Song Hye Kyo and Rain. You know the guy from Ninja Assassin.  This was a 16 episode drama done in 2004.   I had no idea how popular Rain was until after I watched this drama and the whole Stephen Colbert ongoing joke with Rain thing.  This was really a fun watch and I laughed a lot. I wish they made all dramas this short and sweet.  Song Hye Kyo’s acting was incredible and I wasn’t really sure of Rain’s acting in the first few episodes, however as the character and story developed so did his acting and ultimately they both ended up doing an amazing job.  They had a great chemistry and I hope they do something else together again soon.

If you’re interested in watching Full House then go here and follow the playlist.  They have it with English subtitles and that is how I watched it.  I wish I knew Korean but sadly I don’t.

Thanks hermana for telling me to check this one out! It definitely cheered me up!

I also got a chance to check out some not so typical Bollywood films.  One of them was Salman Khan’s “Wanted” I was interested in checking this one out because it’s directed by this amazing South Indian dancer, choreographer and actor Prabhu Deva. I think this was the first time that I actually didn’t mind checking out fight sequences in an Indian movie.  Normally you just want to forward through them.  The songs and dances are great and he definitely made Salman Khan look good after a very long time.  I think I liked it because it was very different and had a very stylish feel to it.  So if you’re looking for something different then check out this trailer.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8K6dYer4AA]

Here is a cool song from the movie that i really like!

The other movie that I just loved was “3 Idiots.” Anything with Aamir Khan in it is usually good.  Everyone acted really well and Aamir Khan and Boman Irani should get an award for this one.   I can go on and on but for short, it’s fun from start to finish and really well done so check out the trailer.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b3hFCIkGLc]

By the way most Indian films come with English and other language subtitles in case you don’t know Hindi or Urdu and would like to rent them out.

And of course I had to watch Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Princess and the Frog.  Maybe I’ll talk about these in detail in another post but for now I would say Avatar is a visual feast, Sherlock Holmes is fun if you’re open to new interpretations and The Princess and the Frog is really cute.   I basically enjoyed all three of them.  If you have a desire to discuss these in details then we can do that too.  Post a question and we shall ponder upon it!

No hibernation is complete without amazing food and I’m so glad that “Famous Hamburger” opened up a new branch in Ann Arbor, MI. I had some great burger feasts with the family and it was a lot of fun.  If you’re ever in town and are looking for halal burgers or not this is the place to be.  Everyone is really nice and the service is great.

Just look at it!  Ahh i’m hungry all over again! 🙂

I think this is a lot for the return.  I’m sure you guys don’t want to read this long of a post! So until next post, do good and be happy! Oh and a Happy 2010 to everyone! Hopefully it is full of happiness and exciting adventures!

My tea for the moment: I decided to try out Yogi Teas. This one is the Green Tea Collection and I’m specifically trying out the Green Tea Lemon Ginger flavor.  I wasn’t sure about this one by the way it has this strong Ginger lemon smell to it but it’s not as tangy as I thought it was going to be in taste. So not bad.


It’s Time For A Final Exam Break!

Alright guys it’s time for me to go on a mini break. My finals begin next week! If all goes well, I shall return once the nightmare is over in two weeks!  Remember don’t worry, drink lots of chai, tea, coffee, hot cocoa, whatever you need to get through all your projects, papers, exams,  final thesis, or life in the next few weeks in general.  I leave you guys with some of my favorite musical compositions  that you can listen to while you study or just take a break.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcDb8-aX26U]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1iZXyWLnXg]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOA-2hl1Vbc&feature=related]

There’s a whole album on concentration! Here’s one with beautiful pictures of Venice.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYDo8j8IDiA&feature=related]

Good Luck guys! See Ya soon 🙂

My tea for the moment: Okay so besides going through the whole finals stress bit, I got sick this week as well.  The nasty cold finally caught me!  I’ve been coughing up a storm and the three teas that seemed to work on my throat were STASH’s Chamomile caffeine free herbal tea, Lemon Ginger caffeine free herbal tea and Chai White Tea.  All with a couple spoons of honey. Of course I didn’t drink all three at once but yes, I did drink them in all in a day.  I was basically just trying to fix my self as much as possible before my class and they each seem to have some key ingredient like Chamomile, Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon etc so I thought hey why not!

Bookmark and Share

Cereal Selection and Therapy

If you’re the kind of person who spends endless hours in the cereal aisle because you just can’t seem to decide which cereal to get, then the handy flowchart from “What Should I Eat? Cereal Edition”  is just the handy  guide you need!

Even cereal mascots need therapy sometimes…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj2twApbapU]

So which cereal do you like?  Favorite Cereal Mascot?

My tea for the moment: I’m trying out STASH’s Mangosteen Green Tea.  According to the box, It’s a green tea that “blends naturally sweet and slightly citrus mangosteen  fruit with juicy pear flavor.”  Mangosteen which is referred to as the “Queen of Fruits” in Asia also has a touch of Matcha which is speical green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Bookmark and Share

Fun Thanksgiving Day Videos To Go With Your Turkey Sandwich!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving Day! As you guys eventually sit back and relax and munch on those post turkey dinner sandwiches, here are some fun Thanksgiving videos that will make you smile!

Cats celebrate Thanksgiving too you know! hehe.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoocXgF7-I]

Remember when Joey in Friends got a turkey stuck on his head! This was one of the funniest scenes ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A99qU5aedjo]

And then there are these two funny ads…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBgBHMsqug]

I’m sure everyone has had at least one slippery turkey moment! hahaha.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L3bGKlxzGE]

My tea for the moment: I was wondering if there are any special Thanksgiving day tea flavors out there and guess what? I found this “Pumpkin Chai Tea” that sounds like an interesting blend.  It’s by Coffee Bean Direct and you can read the details here http://www.coffeebeandirectblog.com/new-tea/pumpkin-chai-tea/.  If any of you already tried this one, let me know!

Bookmark and Share

Inflatable Turkey Anyone?

Inflatable Turkey in a can!  Seriously? What could you possibly do with an Inflatable Turkey? Tease your guests?  Or starving students? And i can’t believe it’s out of stock till 2010! What craziness is this people!?

My tea for the moment: I’m going with some solid Jasmine Green tea.  By solid I mean your basic loose tea.  I’ve noticed that I don’t really have to strain this particular one since after a few seconds, it just sits in the bottom.  However, there have been other kinds where depending on the mix it will float to the top.  That usually happens if there are petals involved.

4 Most Creepy Little Kids!

Guys… I think I’m hearing voices! Okay now before you jump to conclusions and ignore me like the parents of the sane kid  in a horror movie who tells the parents that he or she is hearing stuff but instead of listening or believing in the child they just declare him or her insane and  ship them to the nearest shrink, Phew!  Just hear me out.  So for the past few days, I’ve been hearing voices or more like cryings of a kid particularly around the bathroom walls.   First I was like hey, someone give this kid some bubbles! Because you know bubbles are awesome and they always cheer people up! But then, his constant combo of crying and laughing at the same time, started reminding of all the creepy little kids that have haunted us for so many years.

So with thought,  here is my list of

4 most creepy little kids that just give me the creepers!

4.  The creepy girl from “The Ring” (2002) –  The most creepy scene was when she comes out of the TV.  That’s a definite “do” to give someone a heart attack.

3.  The creepy little boy from “The Grudge” (2004) –  This boy was really messed up and the most creepy sound was that came out of his mouth and the most creepy scene was when he appeared under the desk like a little perv hehe.

2.  The cute yet creepy little boy from “Pet Sematary” (1989) – Aww…he was really really cute but sadly very creepy!

1.  The most creepy and perhaps horrifying kid of all time has to be Regan from “The Exorcist” (1973).  There are just too many creepy scenes but the head rotating thing and the backwards stair walk is enough to creep you out for life!

Now after revisiting some of these creepy kids, I’m sure you all need a little laugh!  First, the funny George Lopez just started the “Creepy Little White Girl” bit on his show.  So check it out, it should you creep you into some laughter.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_WhtdnhEPo]

Finally not all babies are creepy,  this one is so cute and makes me want to laugh like crazy every single time I watch it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk&feature=related]

My tea of the moment: How about some STASH peppermint caffeine free herbal tea.  If you like minty stuff then this is for you.  Creepy kids and minty tea now doesn’t that just cheer you up! hehe.  Enjoy!

Bookmark and Share

I Want A Dunk Mug!

Just what I always wanted, Yes! It’s a dual purpose Dunk Mug guys! A cup with a little shelf aww…Thanks Mr. Designer Dominic Skinner, You are a genius!  I have to say this is the perfect gift for an habitual dunker! or dipper! Hmm…do you dunk cookies in tea? or do you dip cookies in tea? Well whatever it is, I like it.  The only problem is that it fits only three Digestives to be specific! No worries who finishes up a whole bag of cookies anyways? Hehe well okay maybe sometimes, but it’s not like a bag of 2o or something geez…Sooo….what do you guys think?  Will this make your holiday wish list?

My tea for the moment: Ahh I feel like having some tea with milk and sugar after seeing the tea in the dunk mug!  Yay I actually found some Decaffeinated Lipton tea.  Hmm…but don’t have milk though, perhaps I could try some coffee-mate in there?  Okay I will try and if it all goes well then you should hear back from me soon! 🙂

Bookmark and Share

Are You Ready For Sherlock Holmes!?

Paget_holmesWell!? Are you, are you!? I know I am! La la la, lots of exclamations can only mean one thing, you’re right! I’m really high on my friend’s b-day cake, candies and more candies!  Okay seriously, I’m really excited about the new Sherlock Holmes movie coming out on December 25, 2009 for three big reasons:

1.  Sherlock Holmes
2. Robert Downey Jr.
3. Guy Ritchie

I grew up reading the various adventures of Sherlock Holmes and then later watching the Sherlock Holmes TV series with Jeremy Brett.  He did such an amazing job with that character that for many of us he will remain the best Sherlock Holmes ever!  I just loved the “Deductive Reasoning” of Holmes.  Thanks to a fan, there’s actually a two-part video that shows different clips from the series on the “Art Of Deduction.” It’s so much fun to hear Dr. Watson and Holmes discuss it all. check it out!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twbWKyc3oGU]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hCbuxrhKaU&feature=related]

Ahhh great memories.  You know I was actually on Baker Street (Holmes residence) in London some years ago.  Yeah! I clearly remember standing on the street saying OMG, where is this Baker Street?  Saddened and upon seeing no signage in near sight, I went to lean against this giant statue.  And as I was leaning, I was like hmm…what would Sherlock Holmes do?  and as I started to ponder, my eyes went on the shoes! Well of course the shoes! This is no ordinary statue, I said.  This is the one that wears the shoes! And if it wears the shoes then it must also wear a pipe! Then as I looked up, there he was!  Sherlock Holmes shining in all his glory with his amazing hat and pipe!   It was truly wonderful 🙂 hmm… Hey do you guys  know that people actually write to fictional characters?  Yes! Believe or not, even though it’s been over a 100 years since the character was created, people are still writing letters to their icon Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street every single day!

Speaking of icons and getting inspired, you guys need to check out some of these fun videos that i found on the topic of Sherlock Holmes.

The Muppets perform a case of Sherlock Holmes – “With no evidence and no killer, there is no murder!”  hahaha

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk7_MAO-iE0]

Wassup Holmes? What, son!? lol

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQQJ1OhARWk]

By the way if you haven’t noticed yet, this is going to be a long post, so make sure you’re sitting down with an extra large cup of tea or coffee!  I’ll wait if you want to go now?  Ready? Okay so moving on,  did I tell you guys how I’m a big fan of Robert Downey Jr?  Yup, I’m proud to say that I stuck by him through it all. Regardless of what he has gone through in his personal life, he was and still is an amazing actor! By the way,  if Iron Man is your first Downey movie then I really urge you to check out his pre-Iron Man movies.  There are a lot of good ones but two of my favorites are, “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” (2005) and the classic “Only You” (1994).

Here’s a cool favorite Robert Downey moments video made by a fan.  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoILKIGflxc]

So now that we’ve looked at Holmes and Downey, let’s talk about my third reason, which is Guy Ritchie.  I’ve really enjoyed watching his following films.

  • Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
  • Mean Machine (2001) (executive producer)
  • Snatch (2000)
  • RocknRolla (2008)

He definitely has his own unique style and you may or may not like it. But If you had to start I would say begin by watching “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels!”  If you don’t like crime, action, drama mixed in with dark comedy type movies then these might not be for you.

So here’s the latest trailer of his version of Sherlock Holmes!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPQjMBJCIU&feature=related]

Looks good to me, especially since Robert Downey Jr. is playing Holmes! Hee Hee 🙂 but for the real deal we’ll just have to see how it rolls when the movie comes out on December 25th! SO! Any of you excited about the new Sherlock Holmes movie? or the original text in general?

My tea for the moment: How about trying some Sherlock Holmes blend from Adagio Teas? I kid you not, this is for real! I think I’ll have to invest in this one for sure but if you guys beat me to it, then please let me know if this is a yes 🙂 or no 🙁

Want more fun stuff?

Resources:

Bookmark and Share

Greg Wise Reads Persuasion by Jane Austen

Well hello there, I thought i should share this great find as we all continue to recover from a very exciting Halloween weekend and face the real world.  So are you ready for a rather seductive coffee or tea break? Yes you say? Hmm…good, now all you have to do for a “more seductive break” is sit back and relax and watch the “The Carte Noire Readers” read your favorite literary love scene oh la la la.  Hopefully you got your own cube and a good set of headphones at work.  Are you ready? They will only begin if you’re sitting comfortably. Okay here it is, the suave Greg Wise reading a scene from Jane’s Austen’s Persuasion.

Speaking of Jane Austen, have you guys checked out this book trailer of the mashup Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters yet? It’s funny! 🙂

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZVE5uF24Q]

Still need more laughs? Then check out Austenbook, a Facebook newsfeed for Pride and Prejudice.

Hope you enjoy it, Happy Monday!

My tea for the moment: I’m trying out STASH’s premium Mango Passionfruit caffeine free herbal tea.  Hmm…it has a very citric taste to it, so if you like that, then try it out.

Bookmark and Share

PHANTOM LOVE NEVER DIES!

14832_197731714895_128086614895_4063287_3097452_nYes my friends that’s what we all said when we said goodbye to Phantom of the Opera. At least I did when I left Majestic theatre that fine night over a weekend. I was so sure I wasn’t coming back to NYC (sniff sniff) but hey who knew I would be back! And now, Phantom will return as well! Yes you heard it right, he’s a coming back.  So if you ever thought hey I wonder what happened to that Phantom dude? Or that gal Christine? Or Raoul?  Well guess what your dream will finally come true.

Earlier this month, Andrew Lloyd Webber did a press launch at Her Majesty’s Theatre for “Love Never Dies” the highly anticipated sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway show in history.  The new musical story will take place ten years after the end of The Phantom of the Opera at Coney Island in Brooklyn! Yes that’s what happened to him, he immigrated to USA! Woo hoo.  By the way do you know that about hundred years ago Coney Island was like the 8th wonder of the world? Yeah seriously! Kind of hard to believe after my last visit over the summer but hey that’s what it was according to Andrew Webber.

Okay are you guys ready?  Here’s the video of the press launch.  It starts out with an introductory film that summarizes the success of the Phantom and later Webber talks about the sequel and introduces “The Coney Island Waltz” – Quite lovely!  Ooh and the best part comes around 11:41 when Ramin Karimloo performs “Till I Hear You Sing” – Karimloo will play the Phantom and Sierra Boggess (originated the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid on Broadway 2007-May 2009) will be the new Christine Daae.  Ramin Karimloo is also currently performing the Phantom in the London production.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewqcvu7j90U]

“Love Never Dies” will premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday March 9, 2010 (previews from February 20) and New York on Thursday November 11, 2010! Overall thoughts?  Are you excited?  Will you fly to London to check it out or wait till it comes to NYC?

And if by any chance you can’t or haven’t watched any theatrical performances of The Phantom Of The Opera yet, I highly recommend you run, walk, or drive  to your nearest library or get it online and specifically check out the original cast of Webber’s production that started in 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman.  And after that you may check out the 2004 film adaptation staring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum.

My tea for the moment: TAZO Lotus Decaffeinated Green Tea with subtle essence of lotus blossoms. Sounds good doesn’t it? hehe  Actually it is especially since I enjoy flower flavors.

Phantom Links
Love Never Dies – Official Website
Love Never Dies – Blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Never_Dies_(musical)

The Phantom Of The Opera – Official Website

http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com

Bookmark and Share