Typhoon Season
After the rainy season in Japan comes summer. And with summer comes the typhoon season. Typhoons (or as we call them, hurricanes) are common in this part of the... Read more.
Summer Festivals
Summer in Japan is the season of festivals (matsuri) and fireworks (hanabi). Right now I’ll talk about the festivals that go on all around Japan. They take place... Read more.
Trip to Enoshima
Between Kamakura and Fujisawa of Kanagawa prefecture is a tiny Island called Enoshima. It is part of a long stretch of the coast known as a beautiful summer vacation... Read more.
A Peek at Yokohama
I’ve been living in Yokohama while in Japan, a city I’ve never actually been to despite its proximity to Tokyo (a place I’ve been a fair number... Read more.
Rain, rain, go away… jk please stay
Ever heard of the rainy season? I have heard that it’s very common in certain parts of the world. However, I lived in America all my life, so I never had the chance... Read more.
My Morning Commute
Japan is well known for its bullet train, the Shinkansen, but the country is very well connected through a lot of different train lines locally. It’s unbelievably... Read more.
Ski Trips!
Almost every house at Caltech runs their own ski trip. The members of social teams choose a weekend to reserve a cabin at resorts like Big Bear or Mammoth Mountain,... Read more.
Theme Dinner
In Blacker Hovse, we have the tradition of waited dinner – we are one of seven houses who do have this tradition. Each night, we have student waiters who serve... Read more.
All Hallow’s Eve Alley Ordering
As a Vice President (a veep as we call them) of Blacker House (only one of three), I am a part of putting on something we moles call Alley Ordering. It’s a 1-2... Read more.
Journey Around San Francisco
Perhaps others cannot understand, but as a college convert to boba, I absolutely adore the chewy balls of tapioca. I have a very specific consistency that I like:... Read more.
We Have A Potato Cannon
When I say we, I mean Blacker. At some point in the past that I have no knowledge of, some members of Blacker decided that it would be a great idea to build a potato... Read more.
Journey Around San Francisco
The Bay Area is a ridiculously picturesque place, and few places can beat Sausalito. It’s a small town that has intense vacation vibes, with small shops, a... Read more.
Journey Around San Francisco
In an old abandoned church in San Francisco, there’s a blast to the past in the form of a roller rink. The Church of 8 Wheels is an old-timey place, with pews,... Read more.
The Tasty-est Recipes
Originally this recipe was for peanut butter banana brownies, but because I am allergic to peanut butter, I decided to substitute something better: cookie butter.... Read more.
Intern Field Day 2018
Facebook gives their interns so many opportunities to have fun. A really big event they hold is called Intern Field Day. Facebook had the same event last year, and... Read more.
Feeding the Addiction
It’s not a trip to the Bay Area without a trip to Din Tai Fung. I know that I have one in LA, but who can resist going to one of the best chains ever. DTF in the... Read more.
Clambake Offsite
Facebook treats employees extremely well – and I do mean treats in the literal sense! The team I am on, Messenger Growth, had their offsite in Half Moon Bay.... Read more.
Filmore Jazz Fest
It’s not often that I am able to get out to festivals, so I have to enjoy them whenever I can. In the last weekend of June, I went to the Filmore Jazz Fest in... Read more.
SFMOMA
While there are a lot of perks about Facebook, one of the coolest is a deal that they have with SFMOMA. Any Facebook employee who brings their badge can get free... Read more.
Acapalooza
At Caltech, there are 4 different a cappella groups: Out of Context, a mixed gender group; Fluid Dynamics, another mixed gender group (and the oldest group at Caltech);... Read more.
The Tasty-est Recipes
Making dumplings from scratch seems really intimidating at first. For me, it’s mostly because I’ve never look at what goes into gyoza. I just eat it in one bite... Read more.
A Boba Reunion
I made a couple of really good friends last year during FBU, whom I have featured in at least one blog post before. We all decided to take our return offers from... Read more.
The Tasty-est Recipes
As a continuation of my obsession with Tasty, I decided to try out making this spinach and artichoke mac and cheese recipe. One, because its mac and cheese, two... Read more.
Food-lover’s Paradise
Although Caltech is in a great area, and downtown Pasadena has a bunch of food offerings, sometimes nothing can beat going to the mall for some Din Tai Fung. I went... Read more.
Ditch Day
It has finally arrived! One fateful day, we were awoken from our slumbers at the ripe time of ten to eight (that is, 7:50) in the morning. The members of Blacker... Read more.
Superfluid Helium
Although Core requirements generally end freshman year, there are many options that require general classes from other departments. An oft-taken class in the breadth... Read more.
Beachin’ around
While I don’t always enjoy the beach, I had a ton of fun going with friends. The first evening, we just enjoyed the views offered by the sunset (and took a ton... Read more.
Quick Trip to the Beach
Although there are a lot of smaller things, such as midterm smoothies and milkshakes (Blacker does something similar to this) and some larger things like Faculty... Read more.
At the Faire
At the Faire, there were a ton of new sights to behold. It was held in a nice wooded area, with a lake on one side of the enclosure. There were a ton of shops, selling... Read more.
Off to the Renaissance Faire!
This particular Renaissance Faire is held every year at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. It’s actually called the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire –... Read more.
Midterms Baking of Cupcakes
As a UpperClassman Counselor (UCC) in Blacker House, we always have an event called Midterms Baking – and although I call it an event, it’s more like UCCs... Read more.
LaBobatory Exploration
Being in Southern California, there is really no shortage of boba or boba places. I personally haven’t explored a ton of them, relying on friends’ favorites... Read more.
Tasty-est Recipes
I’m relatively obsessed with Tasty; I watch a ton of their videos (sometimes multiple times), and if that wasn’t enough, I even have the app – it’s the... Read more.
Pirates
Each of the 8 houses at Caltech hold their own Interhouse: a party that they plan, build, and put on as a house. In third term, there are 3 parties: Lloyd’s,... Read more.
Norton Simon Visit
Although Pasadena is not that large, it does have a nice museum called the Norton Simon Museum, which houses the previously private collection of – and you... Read more.
Room Escape LA
Every now and then, ASCIT puts on small social events for students to go and do something off-campus. Last term there was a Color-Me-Mine excursion; groups of students... Read more.
Blacker Pop-Up Restaurant
Early in the term, some moles sent out an invitation to Blacker members to come to their Pop-Up Restaurant. They wished to prepare and serve a fancy meal to their... Read more.
Caltech Dance Show
Although the Caltech Dance Show is put on every year, this is the first year I went (1 of 2, not too bad I guess). A few moles gathered together to walk over and... Read more.
A Story of Formal Finery
Each year, ASCIT arranges a formal dance for the students who wish to attend. The Social Director organizes venue, ticket sales, and transportation for the students... Read more.
New Term, New Place
For the third term, a few friends and I decided to move off-off. This is the customary way for Techers to say renting an apartment not owned by Caltech, and therefore... Read more.
Chinese New Year Parade
For Chinese New Year, all of the Chinatowns that I know of put on a parade at some point in time. I heard from my family that the parade in Chicago was actually... Read more.
Avery’s Coco Interhouse
This year, Avery interhouse was in second term (they had it third term in my freshman year). It was Coco themed – which may not seem like a great theme to... Read more.
Hong Kong pt4
Hong Kong is indeed known for shopping, maybe because their history is not as large, long, and as impressive as China’s. While they do have amazing shopping complexes,... Read more.
Hong Kong pt3
Hong Kong is a really pretty city. It doesn’t feel very different from many other American or European cities, mainly because it is so young (only a couple hundred... Read more.
Hong Kong pt2
As we went during Christmas, there were many different decorations for the holidays. Both commercial and city-sponsored displays and shows are on during the whole... Read more.
Hong Kong pt1
Over break, I had the good fortune to go to Hong Kong with my family to enjoy the city. It’s built on multiple different islands, but the principle ones being... Read more.
Chicago Architecture Biennial
While I was home in Chicago, my dad wanted to visit and exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center. At the time they were holding a biannual architecture exhibition.... Read more.
Wrigleyville Kristkindle
My cousin was in town for a few days, and she wanted to go shopping at a kristkindle market. We have one in downtown Chicago that has been going on for at least... Read more.
Frosh Prank
In Blacker, it is a tradition for the frosh to lead a prank on Lloyd’s former Christmas tree (now it’s just the Ls). It gives them an opportunity to work... Read more.
Fall Formal Dinner
During Christmas time (or really just after Thanksgiving has ended), the Blacker socteam (social team) gets a Christmas tree for the house to celebrate the holiday... Read more.
Infinity Mirror Workshop
This Sunday, many of the upperclassmen put together a workshop for anyone who wanted to make an infinity mirror. This is basically a framed mirror with lights going... Read more.
Blacker Thanksgiving
This is the first year that I stayed for Thanksgiving (but that isn’t so surprising once you consider I’m only a sophomore). Many people that go home for the... Read more.
All the Pranksters
The other day, the campus woke up to find a couple of different pranks around campus. This was the day where Lloyd did their annual Christmas tree prank. This year,... Read more.
Drinking Chocolate at Amara Cafe
I’ve been hearing about a really good cafe in Pasadena called Amara Cafe from a teammate, who always went there for drinking chocolate. She’s told a story about... Read more.
All the Things to Do Camping!
Everyone who went on the hike also visited the small beach on Silverwood Lake. Although no one went swimming, some people dipped their feet in and skipped rocks.... Read more.
Entering the Wilderness
All of the Houses (or Hovses) hold their own trips for their members. Last weekend was Avery’s Camping trip to Silverwood Lake, which they offered for one or two... Read more.
Art Night
Chandler has artwork that is put up/rotated out every term within the annex. It’s a mix of submissions from undergrads, grads, and staff – although I also... Read more.
Dabney Pumpkin Drop
As I talked about last time, each house gets pumpkins to do something with in celebration of halloween. While most houses carve them, Dabney holds its annual Pumpkin... Read more.
Pumpkin Carving
As it gets closer to Halloween, all the houses get pumpkins from Tom Mannion to do with what they will. Most houses host pumpkin carving in one form or another –... Read more.
Frosh Migration
In the first year at Caltech, all of the frosh take Core, which is the same 3 classes for all the frosh: Math, Physics, and Chemistry. As such, they all go to their... Read more.
Avery Scavenger Hunt
But, if an alley wants to win, they basically need to do everything on the list. Everyone gets really competitive, running around places to try and get as many photos... Read more.
EVOLVE concert
5 months ago, my friend and I bought tickets for the Imagine Dragons EVOLVE concert at the Hollywood Bowl. We waited with bated breath the whole summer for the day... Read more.
Blacker Rotation Dinners
Rotation is upon us! And that mean a lot of rotation dinners. For each house, the dinners will be different (as each dinner reflects on the house’s personality)... Read more.
Caltech Carnival
The Sunday before classes start, ASCIT organizes a carnival with the help of Tom Mannion for Caltech students and affiliates, lasting from 3pm to late at night,... Read more.
99 (+1800) Red Balloons
All the prefrosh came, and then left for frosh camp. But we are so excited to have them here! A couple of friends, Qiao Qiao and Bethany came up with the idea of... Read more.
Japantown Flavors
Before rotation, before frosh camp, and before all the prefrosh arrived, I wanted a day of relaxation and enjoyment. So, a friend and I made plans for an outing... Read more.
Driving Test
The only test that I think can be hyped so much, yet be so anticlimactic, is the road test for one’s driving license. Living in the city, I didn’t get a license... Read more.
Magical Classic
As I was only home for a week, my family wanted to celebrate and treat me by watching a highly acclaimed Broadway musical: Aladdin. Yes, this is also the classic... Read more.
There’s No Place Like Home
Upon landing, I got to see my family waiting for me outside the terminal. It was quite a touching sight, especially when my little sister rushed to hug me, and my... Read more.
Last Days at Facebook
Our last week at Facebook, we rushed to finish our apps and populate it with data for the demo before finally showing them to all of the students that partook in... Read more.
Volleyball Banquet
To celebrate the beginning of our volleyball season, Tom Mannion offered to hold an opening banquet for us on the first Saturday of preseason. Tom is the Director... Read more.
Executing the “Plan???”
I have made really great friends at Facebook, but we hadn’t yet planned our own outing. So Saturday was the day that we decided to go to the mall in Santa... Read more.
An Evening In Oakland
Although it is the Bay Area, I live on the Peninsula, while she was in the North Bay. Fortunately, Facebook has shuttles going all over the area – including... Read more.
The Newest History You’ll Find
The Computer History Museum is about the innovation that went into machines, and their evolution over time. It’s always very interesting to me because the... Read more.
Facebook Summer Party
One of the greatest things about being an intern at Facebook is that they will treat you like a full-time employee in everything but benefits. So this event, the... Read more.
A New San Francisco
We meet again my old friend San Francisco. I always get the best (or worst, depending on how one looks at it) luck when going in: Saturday was bright and sunny and... Read more.
Intern Summerfest @ Facebook
Wednesday was another (yes, another) intern event. I am very grateful to the Facebook Recruiters that put so much work into holding these event and making our summer... Read more.
Hiking in Wunderlich County Park
We hiked 5 miles through wooded areas, although the trail was not always shaded. This made for an unfortunately sweaty group of interns hiking in the sun to get... Read more.
Triple Decker Brownies
I swear I’m not completely obsessed with food… Just mostly. This past week I had a lot of leftovers to eat, so I came back to the apartment to eat dinner... Read more.
Interns on the Boardwalk
We were all hungry, so all the interns swarmed the food lines. With snack of popcorn, fruit, chips and guacamole, we were at least able to hold out until everyone... Read more.
San Francisco By Foot
This Sunday was the first excursion to San Francisco during my internship, although I am also sure it will not be the last. I went with a couple of friends, who... Read more.
Weekend Baking
My roommate and I discovered a shared love of sweet things – cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, pastries, etc. If it’s sweet, we will probably like it. So... Read more.
Beginning at Facebook
Back in April, I was fortunate to get an offer to be a part of Facebook University. It is a summer internship opportunity to which college Freshmen and Sophomores... Read more.
Packing Up
It’s the end of frosh year! Know what that means? Packing up my life here. Admittedly it is not as bad as the seniors, as I will be living on-campus next year.... Read more.
