German Traditions for Christmas! with Erica the Argonaut

"Remember, when you walk home from choir, DO NOT STEP ON THE COOKIES LEFT FOR ST. NIKOLAS!" my host father warned me. The message was clear. Step on the cookies, the children won't get their share of chocolate and candies.

The Christmas tradition is different all around the world. In America, it is celebrated in the two days, the 24 and 25 of December, just as it is in England. Of course other cultures in America probably celebrate it their ways. In Germany, the Christmas season starts way before Thanksgiving in America ends.

The second week of November came. I came home from school and took a nap.

Then, I was woken up by my cute host brother screaming through my door, "Ewika, Wir können gleich essen." (We can eat soon). My host brother, Darian, is five. Rubbing my nap blurred eyes, I walked down stares. I really believed I was still dreaming: Lights were everywhere and snow globes and little angel figures were placed on the counters and decorated with sprinkles! They had already decorated for Christmas!

My host mother came up to me that day and handed me on very special box, one I am now slowly tearing apart. It is an advent's calendar. Starting from 1. December, you open one box everyday and eat the chocolate inside. You know what they say: Tis the season to eat more than you weight! Now I would be bragging on Facebook about all the chocolate I am now eating, but I added my mom this summer.

 The pictures on the side are pictures of my advent calendar. The days are scattered so I always have trouble finding the day I'm supposed to open.

When I took this picture, I was only on my tenth day of December, but now it's one day before Christmas Eve. (I'm getting cavities from all this delicious chocolate.

On the sixth of December, it is important to remember this: Before you go to sleep, but your snow boots outside your bedroom door. This is the only way you can get chocolate and candies from Saint Nicolas, who takes your wish list to the "Christkind." On Christmas Eve, the Christkind will bring in the Christmas tree, decorate it, and put presents all around the tree for the little kids.

I admire my host parents for keeping up with these traditions. The kids draw out what they want on their wish list, and on Christmas day, they get what they want. Imagine Erica the Argonaut as a child:

Dear Santa,
I would like a boat, a car, a license, an iPad, an iPhone, and much more. Do you have an email? I think it would be much easier to send my wish list to you this way, so you won't lose my list!

Love always,
Erica the Argonaut!

Hallo! Von Erica in Deutschland | Part two: Weekend Trips

Throughout the month at Language Camp, we went on a few weekend trips. To be exact, we went on two weekend trips and one wdeekday trip.

Destination Sachsen-Anhalt:

1. Leipzig
2. Quedlinburg
3. Magdeburg

Leipzig

Two hours. Two hours on a stuffy bus. Two hours, sitting with those same loud and crazy students with whom I sat on the plane and on the four hour drive to Hedersleben from Frankfurt. Those two hours seemed familiar and bearable, but they took a life time. 

Leipzig was our first weekend trip after two weeks of staying in Germany. It was the first time we would get a taste of German life outside of Hedersleben, outside of our little "monastery life." Those two hours were just too long for 50 other students who have not seen humanity for two long weeks (save the familiar faces of our language teachers, facility, and townspeople in a town with the population of 200). 

Upon arriving in Leipzig, I already had my camera out, ready to take pictures despite still being on the fast moving bus. But the point was, I was ready. Ich bin fertig (a German term used to say both "I am ready," and "I am finished."). I stepped off the bus, ready to explore this wonderful city. A family friend lives here, and upon a visit in America, he told me about the beauty of the city. I was eager to hunt down that beauty. As a group of 50 some students and a few chaperones, we crossed the streets of Leipzig and headed toward the city center. That was when I discovered: Germans don't wait for pedestrians. Yes, I nearly got ran over many times before understand just exactly how the streets and signals worked. 

This image of Leipzig is forever engrained in my mind . I don't even know where to start because I can barely remember that moment after crossing the streets of "possible getting ran over." But I remember peering across the courtyard and thinking "Woah, that's a darn big church." Turns out, however, this massive dome, beautifully designed blue glass structure was not a church but a university. We walked past it to enter the city center. 

I remember our Sprachelehrer (language teacher), a well-travelled and well-educated old man, Gerd, hobbling across the city taking us from church to church, then finally to a museum. He was wearing a worn blue-knitted cardigan and a traveling hat. We, as a group of 50 some kids, lost him a few times. Leipzig's city center, itself, is filled with tunnels across old-aged buildings, and Gerd walked through them without a doubt in where he was heading. Though hobbling he was much faster and focused than we were. 

Finally, we reached the first destination, St. Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church). This was where Bach had worked in his years of composing. Here is also the headquarters of a boy choir that is world famous. Unfortunately, the boy choir was on vacation. The next church was St. Nikolaikirche. (seen on the left). It is the oldest church in Leipzig, and I personally think that it's architecture is stunning!

Now, let me tell you a little about shopping in the City Center. YOU MOST LIKELY WILL GET LOST! Germans have a thing for H&M here. (You know: the store with big red curvy writing and cheap clothing). Unfortunately they like it so much that it is not only necessary to have one store in the city center, but three stores (maybe more) in the city center and one more in the city mall. On the left, is a beautiful metal sculpture that welcomes a visitor into Leipzig. This is also found in the city center. 

Quedlinburg

Okay, this was not a weekend trip. We went to Quedlinburg, a town located 30 minutes from Hedersleben, on a Thursday. Technically, I would still count it as a weekend trip since we didn't have to attend language classes the rest of the afternoon. (We had language classes even on Saturdays). 

Three words: Quedlinburg is adorbs! You can argue with me later to about adorbs being a real word. But seriously, this town is filled with old architecture and even comes with a legit castle. Quedlinburg had this certain calmness that vibrated through the entire town. Despite half of the city center being under construction. Senior citizens and retired people lounged outside the Eis Cafes (Ice cream shops) digging into a triple-scooped sundae or something much more delicious. People walked around leisurely despite it being a Thursday. Smaller streets were deserted. However, the quietness made walking through this town even more unique. It was like being set inside one of the sections of Disneyland, but without the little kids screaming and people waiting in line. 

Magdeburg 

Simply artistic. We went to visit an old cold war prison. Let's not talk about it. I was pretty scared and haunted throughout the entire tour. 

Magdeburg. This is the capital of Sachsen-Anhalt. As we drove our bus (chartered by the mayor of Hedersleben) through the town. I was simply confused. The bus kept turning and turning, in this small alleyway and out onto a big street, but while the bus was turning, my eyes saw a certain beauty that can only be found in Magdeburg. It felt like city-chillness. It was city life but surrounded by trees in certain areas and wild sculptures in others. Even the buildings tilted to the side, or gave the illusion of tilting to the side. 
It's that tall apartment complex (left) painted pink with weird marble streaks throughout the building. This building reminded me of a burning fire in the middle of a calm sea. Wild and unique and absolutely strange. Let's just say, staring at this building was just a favorite past time we (the other asians) ran around looking for Boba stores and asian meals. 

I want to say that we did enjoy the culture of Magdeburg to its fullest, but that would be a lie. I would like, very much, to go back again and simply enjoy. However, I was on a homesickness spiel, meaning I was craving asian food and asian drinks, and nothing was going to stop me from getting it!








Es tut mir leid! (I'm very sorry) This post is long, but I haven't posted in such a long time!

Liebe immer (love always), 

Erica the Argonaut. 

Guten Tag! Von Erica in Deutschland | Part One: Hedersleben

Hedersleben: Country-living

 I can't really tell you much about the history of this place. All I know is that this monastery is older than the United States. It was first built in the 1200s and probably looked the same as it does now-- filled with bumpy cobbles stone roads and sharp-edged monastery stone walls. I can't complain though. The fact that there is running water and electricity in the building is surprising and more than anything wonderful.

Hedersleben is a quaint little town. It has two churches, side-by-side. One is a Lutheran church, as Sachsan-Anhalt was considered "Lutheran country," and the other is a Catholic Church. For both Sundays during which the churches opened, I attended both churches. Let me admit, it is a great step away from the modern, band-playing worship ceremonies I attend back home in America.

The town itself is picturesque. The rolling fields of corn and large orchards of apple trees can make any city girl feel natural in a good week's time. And that was how I felt by the time I left camp: Completely one with the farmland. Walking around the town was one of the most cherished memories I have. The sunny, quiet afternoons were filled with adventures, whether it be walking to the local supermarket, finding a new street to venture down, or even walking into a vast fields of fertility.

In that month's time at camp, I have never seen so many horses in my life. Behind the monastery, there were two large horses and a beekeeper's house. Down by the orchards, there were ponies at every turn and even donkeys and goats waiting to be hand-fed some delicious apples and peaches. 

There are two specific memories that I will never forget from my time in Hedersleben:

Honey: the nectar of the gods.  

At least, I would think it is. Honey has so many medical uses, from treating colds (I would know!) to healing wounds and burns. Looking past the medical uses, there's also the wonderful fact that honey tastes DELICIOUS and is the key ingredient to Burt's Bees Products.  Well, this post is more than my expressing my love for honey. It's about my chance to try out beekeeping with the local beekeeper at Hedersleben: Constantine. A little ways behind the monastery is a little house, well more like shack. In there is where all of Constantine's bees are. There are cases and cases of bees, and I was able to help Constantine harvest these bees.  The process was easy. Take the smoke and spray the bees with the smoke. This will get them all warm and "buzzy." Mostly, the smoke calms them down (have you watched "Secret Life of Bees"?) Next, take the thongs and pull out a hive. You have to clean the bees off of the hive with a brush, and once that is done, put the hive to the side. This process is continued until all the hives are taken out. After that, we spin the hives to get all the honey out and put the honey through a sieve so that the honeycomb doesn't get into the product.  I was so grateful to be Constantine's special helper that day. It was an experience completely worth it. After that day, I got over my fear of bees and other creepy crawlers!

 I AM THE HORSE TAMER...NOT REALLY 

My last name is Ma. In Chinese, that means horse. So, I automatically thought that I would have some strange bond with the horses.  Hedersleben is located in a rural part of Germany (well most parts are still quite rural and quiet). There are tons of horses here. There are specifically two horses that dwell behind Hedersleben. they belong to the farmers next to the monastery. Many of the other students were able to ride the horses and pet them, so wanting to get in on the goods too, I decided to find the horses and pet them.  It probably wasn't a smart idea to wear sandals that day. My foot was cold, dirty, and muddy. It took forever to trek past the long grasses to get to the horse. The horse I was targeting was this beautiful white and grey mare. She was pregnant. Once I got there, I began to pet the horse, and it moved closer to me. I thought that it was a good sign, so I stepped closer too. All of a sudden the other horse, jealous that it didn't get any Erica loving, pushed the horse I was petting aside, causing the white mare to step on my foot. 

 AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 My friends began to pull me out from under the horse's terrifying hooves and brought me back to the monastery. An Advil later, I was much better, walking with a limp for the rest of the week. 

 Well, that was basically my adventure in Hedersleben.

Bis Bald, 

Erica the Argonaut

Greetings! From Erica the Packer

Packing:

And lift! My luggage was going to tip me over before I can even set it onto the scale. 

And lift...don't fall back, Erica! I could hear my back crack and felt my arm muscles grow weak. And finally, plop went my luggage right onto the scale. I collapsed upon it but quickly moved off so the scale can do its work.

...

And then I saw it: 

55 pounds

My luggage was 5 pounds overweight. I didn't know whether I was ready to burst into tears or just chuckle at this ridiculous situation I landed myself in. I was definitely panicking. It was only a day before I was leaving for Baltimore-Washington International, and I really didn't know what to do. I was stuck between the idea of leaving all my pants behind and the idea of leaving all my jackets behind. Unfortunately, I ended up leaving the majority of my jackets behind, deeming my pants and the scrapbook material I have yet to touch much more important than my many shields against the freezing German weather. 

If you are here looking for an expert guide teaching you how to pack, you have come to the wrong person. I am more than a beginner. My packing skills consisted of stuffing my entire closet into a large suitcase and using the system of "picking a number out of a hat" to decide which clothes won't make the cut and which will. 

Now, you're thinking, "Erica, you are most definitely exaggerating." My only reply would be, "My parents did most of my packing work in the end." How we all managed to forget to bring extra jackets is beyond me. 

However, as the now "expert traveller," I do have some tips for packing:

Tip 1: Start early. 

While I did end up procrastinating until the very last day, I was glad I sorted through my entire closet a month before I started my packing. This way you can know what you do need and what you don't need. 

Tip 2: Don't be afraid to spend a little money. 

Especially if you are going to Europe, you can go shopping when you're in Europe. It's no problem to bring just clothes that meet the necessities. Save your luggage space to fill up with exotic European goods that catch your interest during the year. 

Tip 3: Don't ship things over. 

Really, if you need something just buy it in Europe. Part of traveling is experiencing the different culture of the country you travel to. That includes buying local products that you can't buy at home. Plus, shipping is much too expensive!

Pack on :D

Erica the Argonaut

Hello! From Erica the CBYX Scholarship Recipient

Guten Tag!

Ich heiBe Erica Ma, und Ich spreche nicht gut Deutsch.

Well, as I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts: I AM GOING TO GERMANY FOR ANY ENTIRE YEAR!!!!! I am going to Germany via a program called the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. The company FLAG chose me to become a recipient, as they are in charge of the Southwest region of the United States. They chose 50 wonderful recipients this year, all of whom I had the pleasure of meeting during the on-site orientation in Michigan.
You can find out more information through this link: http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/
So far, I have gone through three phases after receiving the scholarship:

(1) UTTER SHOCK: I couldn't believe I was going to Germany. I started to go on German stores to do all my online "window" shopping, etc. I even began to read my news in German, only to find out I couldn't understand 99.99% of what was written.

Then I moved on to (2) IDLENESS: The excitement slightly wore off as I had to take a bunch of vaccination shots and wait for final plans about my stay in Germany. I still am very excited about going to Germany, but the anticipation for more information about my host family, the part of Germany I will be living in is killing me!!! But, patience is a virtue that will help me get through the year living with a completely different family. I try not to think about the whole process, and I just hope that I wasn't too picky as I was filling out the forms for compatibility.

After my "idleness" stage I moved on to (3) OH NO phase. This mainly has to do with my mom's worrying. I know my mom cares very much about my safety in Germany, but some of the things she worries about are over the top. For example, she keeps telling me if I don't do my chores, I will be sent to court in Germany. I have a feeling this is only to get me to do more chores at home, and I really hope this is the most of her worries and mine too.

Anyways we officially have 25 more days before our group of awesome kiddies leave for Germany. We will be staying at a small village called Hedersleben, where our main focus will be language learning!

I still can't believe I have this amazing chance to go to Germany. I really thank all those who are making it happen, from my parents to the FLAG staff. Hopefully the awesome people in Germany have an easy time finding a host family for me!

Bis Später!

Erica the Argonaut

Hello! From Erica the Pseudo-Glendalian/Pasadenian

Motivation to my Madness:

My life in Walnut can be summarized into one word: immutable. The town in which I grew up is basically quaint and quiet, but this benefit doesn't come without its costs. The City of Walnut is basically boring. You cannot find a fun place to go that isn't driving distance. Furthermore, the places that does sound fun, such as the local "hang out" plaza and of course the library have been so often visited that we no longer rush towards these places after school.

Growing up in Los Angles County means poor transportation. A car is needed to get to anywhere important because we have all naturally associated the public transits as a local hangout for lunatics and druggies. This very limited view drove many of us Walnutians away from pursuing our dreams of LA-living and kept us safe within the confines of our hometown: Walnut. 

Where my Madness brought me: 

1. Pasadena 

2. Glendale Galleria and Americana

Pasadena:

Pasadena is definitely no stranger to me, but I have yet to find all its greatest treasures and secrets. I used to come here every Saturday when my sister took art class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Right after Chinese school, we would rush over to Pasadena, and while my sister was in class, I would spend the entire afternoon huddled in the young adults section of the Pasadena Library, happily reading and hiding from my parents who were coercing me to finish my Chinese school homework. On better days, we would walk around downtown Pasadena and go drink Jamba Juice. After my sister was done with class, we would go to Arcadia and shop at Whole Foods and eat at dim sum. A few years later, I started taking art classes there too. My parents would spend the entire morning on those Saturdays jogging around the Rose Bowl Stadium and looking at the quaint houses in the area. 

Now, let me first warn you: This was my first "alone" trip through the Metrolink/MetroRail system. I spent the entire yesterday planning this trip, researching about the railways and different routes. Although I was extremely befuddled by and tired out from the research, I found that it would probably be great practice for my future travels (especially to Germany, where public transportation is key). Later, I would find out that one Metrolink ticket can actually be used for every single Metro transit and other cities' public transit other than the Metro Silverline. 

Anyways...back to the main story. It was just after Senior Breakfast, when we headed back to my house to prepare for the trip. We found that it was already too late to catch any of the morning trains since Senior "Breakfast" lasted till "brunch" time. We caught the 1:47 train to Union Station at the Covina Metrolink Station. From Union Station, we took the Gold Line North towards Pasadena. It was a new experience since I rarely travelled on the Metrorails. Let me just admit that I was severely creeped out by "youth" on the bus because they came in a sizes of piercings and tattoos. 

After getting off at Memorial Park, we decided to head towards the Pasadena City Hall. There was a wedding at the City Hall, and my friends and I awkwardly walked past the celebration toward its courtyard. It was really nicely designed and fit the whole Californian-Spanish-Desert architecture. 

Memorial Park Station

Pasadena City Hall

Apparently, May 24, 2013 was a great day for everyone in the Los Angeles Area because the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and it wasn't too hot. My friends and I enjoyed shopping on Colorado Ave. and later taking the bus to the Glendale Galleria to continue our shopping "exercise" and enjoy the beautiful scenes of Los Angeles night life.

Glendale:

My experiences in Glendale are much more limited than my little experience in Pasadena. My family and I have only recently discovered the treasures of the bustling city of Glendale, from its Whole Foods to the great restaurants, such as Portos and its Las Vegas-styled buffet. 

Anyways...I felt that going to Glendale was definitely the highlight of the trip. We spent most of our shopping time looking for matching t-shirts we could wear to graduation night at Disneyland. which is a completely different story. In closing our night, we went to the Americana, a place we have wanted to go since...ummm...FOREVER. I promise you IT IS WORTH IT. Maybe not for shopping but for a little meal under a patio or just to see a lively "American" night life scene.

The Americana at Brand.

I have to admit: I didn't think I would actually EVER finish this post. I have stalled for such a long time, but I hope that I can continue with the motivation that has now overcome me to continue to write and post about my travelling. 

See ya VERY SOON, 

Erica the Argonaut. 

Belated UCLA Bruin's Day! from Erica the Scholastic Adventurer

This should have been posted on April 13, 2013, but I was swamped with schoolwork and travelled somewhere FUN! every weekend so far! There is lots to share.

I still remember the beginning of that Saturday clearly. I woke up at 7am, absolutely excited and jittery. I remember four years ago my sister was in exactly the same position. She, too, attended her Bruin's Day with high hopes of fun and learning, and now it was my turn. It was my turn to walk the UCLA campus and down Bruin Walk as a UCLA admitted student. Not quite that big of a deal, true, but this was an adventure nonetheless. During the car ride, my parents and I talked endlessly and dreamed about the upcoming tours we were to participate in and that wonderful food UCLA has boasted since my own sister applied five years ago.

We finally arrived. The parking lots were almost full, but we were lucky to snag a spot before the car behind us spotted it. Cautiously, we left the parking complex and began to seek out the beginning of the orientation. In my mind, I was solely focused on finding the location of the "Welcome Tent," but my parents' minds were on something bigger: FOOD. Once we found the "Welcome Tent" my mom and dad asked the volunteers endlessly about the different cafeterias available for the Bruin's Day guests. All I remember was the utter hilarity I felt at the volunteers' flustered answers and responses to my parents' over-enthusiasm over food. Since we only arrived at UCLA around 10am, I was able to convince my parents to look around before attacking and raiding the kitchens.

I was lucky. We went to visit the anthropology and archaeology building at UCLA. There I met a graduate student who gave me a tour of the laboratory. I finally came across a ancient skull of a dire-wolf that was stuck in the tar pits in Brea. It was a fortunate find because I have always wondered what a dire-wolf was as compared to a normal wolf. Let me just say: I learned a lot! Through this trip I was able to distinguish the animals through the sagittal crest and the age through the teeth.

Finally, my parents called me out and we embarked on a journey towards the cafeteria. While there were many choices, my parents and I decided on the De Neve Plaza Cafeteria. On Bruin's Day we paid $6 to enter a food paradise, where we ate to our hearts' content.

De Neve Plaza

I later met up with an old friend, Willa, who attends UCLA. It was a nice "catch-up" as we both walked down Bruin's Walk toward the parking structures. We finally parted ways as we approached the giant bear.

Well UCLA, I hope to see you soon, if only just to eat your delicious cafeteria!


Love,

Erica the Argonaut

Hello! From Erica the Californian (Malibu Edition)

....it's the best of both worlds....lalalalalalalalala - I remember back in middle school, my sister and I would switch on the television and watch "Hannah Montana" for hours. Things were simple back then. I often dreamed of owning a house in Malibu, living right on the sandy beaches of the California Coast. I used to wonder if the kids living by the beach would go surfing every or maybe just lie on the sand and waste their days away.

This weekend, my parents and I, along with two other families, took a two hour road trip down the California coast to Malibu. The car ride was absolutely horrendous as I felt sick every single time my dad made a turn or a stop. (I get motion-sickness easily.) Once we got to our destination, I didn't regret, not for a second, to have suffered through the awful car trip.

Destination(s):

1. Getty Villa, Malibu, California
2. Escondido Falls, Malibu, California
3. Malibu Seafood, Malibu, California

Getty Villa, Malibu

The Getty Center contains two locations in Los Angeles and in Malibu. Although I usually visit the Lost Angeles location with my friends and family, my mom and dad thought it would be a nice change in scenery to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu this time. The admittance into the villa is free, but you must register, or make a reservation, with the museum before hand. Be sure to order quickly or the tickets might get sold out. The parking is $15. Sometimes a kind soul would decide to pay for the tickets for everyone behind him or her (at least the few 5-10 cars behind him/her), and that is exactly what happened this weekend. Unfortunately the other car that came with us wasn't so lucky.

Leaving the parking structure, you must take an elevator up to the actual site of the museum. As soon as I got off of the elevator, I was surprised by a vivid and serene view of the sea.

View of the Pacific Ocean as soon as we exit the elevator. Beautiful, huh?

Just walking into the museum site is impressive. The walls are all stratified and lined with vines. Moreover, the entire museum area was designed to look like an archaeological digging site. The walls each have different types of sediments and gradients that add to this theme. The ceiling of the cafe is held by beams and random columns, giving off a hint of a crutch holding up the entire cave walls, preventing the site from collapsing.

The "stratified" walls

The crutches holding up the site ceilings. 

Eating lunch on the terrace of the cafe was definitely an experience. The specialized bread that I have only eaten at this villa and the rich salads and meaty lasagna were definitely pluses on coming to this trip. I was able to enjoy the wonderful replicas of various arts of the Roman and Grecian ages and explore what a real villa of the ancient Roman days would look like. This place is absolutely for artists, children, and even people looking for something to do on a nice sunny afternoon. 

Escondido Falls, Malibu

Just a couple of miles or so down the road from the Getty Villa, the Escondido Falls park area really doesn't catch the eyes of many. No. From the road, we can see a single-car winding road going up into the mountains, and right next to the beginning of this road is a small parking lot, filled with so many cars. Warning 1: Parking is difficult. It really does take a pro to squeeze in between the tiny spaces left for the visitors to park. 

After having the most difficult time finding a parking spot and actually parking into the spot, we begin are trek up the long winding road. Remember to "stay on the trail" or you might get run over by a car! Following the trail, you will be walking through the woods and hiking right by a small creek. This water flows directly from the water fall, Escondido Falls. Feel free to take you time taking pictures and simply taking in the amazing view provided by the great outdoors. The light shining through the flora and fauna of the woods submerge the woods with an ethereal light that makes one think he or she is in a fairy tale. Continue along this path and you will reach the first waterfall. Do not be surprised. This waterfall is small. The one you are looking for is a much more difficult trek. requiring the use of two feet and two hands. Warning 2: It is extremely muddy, slippery and dangerous. Be sure to wear clothes that you don't mind getting ripped or dirty. Make sure to keep yourself concentrated on the task ahead of you and DO NOT PANIC! The climb up the rocky hill will be rewarding and is definitely an experience you can show off to your friends. The view on top is definitely worth it.

The hike down is much more dangerous than the climb up. I slipped a few times and ended up tearing a large hole in my pants. OUCH! Now I have a few bruises covering my butt and legs, but the experience was definitely worth it.

Malibu Seafood

After a long and dangerous hike up and down a waterfall, what do you do? Well, eat a hearty dinner of course. Right in between Escondido Falls and Getty Villa, there is a small seafood shack called the Malibu Seafood. You have to go try it! They have a porch-styled seating, where you sit and eat wherever you find the space. There is a great ocean view wherever you sit. The dishes I particularly liked were the Giant Squid Steak and the Ahi Tuna Hamburger. The seafood was really fresh and cooked to the perfect tenderness and served in health proportions with different sides. The cole slaw was pretty average, but the potato salad was definitely special. Large chunks of creamy potatoes and celery flooded my taste buds as I scooped the salad into my mouth. The rice my mom ordered was perfectly tender and soft, with just enough moisture to offset any dryness in her dish. The French fries were humongous. Really. They were each larger than my fingers, and I had a great time eating the fries. 

Well, my trip was overall satisfying. It was a great way to end my spring break with a WHAM! Through this adventure, I will be expecting much more extreme hikes in the future, preferably with crazier mountains to climb. 

So long, 

Erica the Argonaut. 

Hello! From Erica the Senior

"Finally," I thought to myself, as I stepped onto my high school campus on the first day of school. It was the last time I would be stepping on this campus with fresh thoughts of attending classes and eating lunch with my dearest friends. It has been a few months passed since the first day of school - well, to be exact seven months, and senior year is definitely not what I expected.

The first week of school was relaxing. I went to school everyday, smiled at the teachers, talked to my friends, went home, and slept. Around the second month, it started. Piles and piles of strange homework assignments flowed into my backpack and suffocated me. Sleepless nights became a norm while Senioritis was definitely catching up with me. I was dying. Dying might be a bit too dramatic but my situation made me think at least 50 times that I wasn't going to make it to the next day. I gradually began to assimilate to the intensity of the homework, but November soon came. That meant college applications were constantly on the mouths of my other senior classmates and competition, secrecy and paranoia was a constant tension that filled the air. I felt as though I were thrown into a whirlpool. I was completely clueless, missing deadlines, tossing and turning before I fell into a deadly sleep, and most of all pestered by family and peers about my everything that mattered and everything that didn't matter. I was inches away from exploding, but that was probably how all of my senior friends felt.

Now it is April...April 5 to be exact in the dear year of 2013. We have survived the supposed "Apocalypse" and the exciting presidential elections of 2012. We watched Michael Phelps trump everyone in swimming, once again, and we now await the Winter Olympics of 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Last but not least, we are receiving rejection letters from colleges DAILY. (Oh, and some acceptances.)

As of today, I have been luckily granted with a pile of colleges that have placed me on their waiting list and around 6 colleges that have accepted me, the great Erica the Senior. I have gone to one reception, for Johns Hopkins and am attending the UCLA Bruins Day next week on the day of my prom, which I will happily inform you: I am not going because of the ridiculous price.

So far, I have decided that Johns Hopkins will be the way to go. Even though I have never really visited the college, except for random "virtual tours" through youtube, etc, I decided that it was a worthy adventure. Being the argonaut I am, I have weighted the costs and benefits properly to conclude: If I studied hard in college, I will be successful in getting into graduate school. All I need is the right college, which I have deemed Johns Hopkins to be. Before I go to Johns Hopkins though, I plan on taking a gap year to GERMANY!!!! The great Deutschland. Yes! In February, I applied to the CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) program and was just recently chosen to be a scholarship student dragged away from the comforts and confines of my small-town life in SoCal to the larger world of Europe.

I hope that through this blog, you can take interest in my adventures from this point on! Hasta La Vista!


- Erica the Argonaut.