I'm not really a fan of turkey, but it is a quintessential part of Thanksgiving. So imagine my disappointment when I arrived home to no turkey after missing out on this celebratory day of gratitude for two consecutive years. Instead, we went out to a Chinese buffet where our aunt (mom's sister) and my cousins joined us. We also saw our uncle (4th aunt's husband) (it was completely unplanned). The buffet was located near our old house in NE Philly- where I have lived for 17 years. The neighborhood has largely remained the same, but I feel like the Asian population increased dramatically. I also have fond memories of trekking to the McDonalds down the street with my grandfather and ordering superfluous amount of fries because I didn't know that an order already come with fries.

After stuffing our faces with delicious food, I fell into a deep food coma in the car. Around dinner-time, my mom whisked a long table worth of food where we were prompted to eat some more. We ended the day playing board games and cards with the cousins. My aunt also bought some pastries from Paris Baguette so food never stopped coming along. Needless to say, I was stuffed and probably gained back all of the weight that I lost in SF.

I'm back in Philly Chinatown.

Roasted Duck lunch with my dad.

Aside from the food, I looked forward to spending time as a family with my siblings. It has been close to 2 years (or more) since we were all together as a family. We didn't do much of anything though. But it was just fun talking and catching up on each other's lives. My sister is now in her senior year of college and my brother his sophomore year of high school. Both seems to have a vibrant and active academic and social lives. However, I'm not too sure if I'm as relieved about my parents as my siblings. My mom displayed some health problems and my dad definitely showed signs of aging and fatigue. Sometimes I really worry about my role in their lives and I am consistently battling between finding a fruitful life of my own and taking care of my parents by staying in close proximity. It's just that the truth of the matter is I do not see a particular future for myself in Philadelphia. I might even want to head back to Japan in the future for work. I might apply to the west coast for grad school- which might prolong my stay here. I tried to reason with my parents about why I chose to work and live where I am. They don't seem to understand why I chose SF. I suppose a part of why I dislike heading home sometimes is because I feel a sense of guilt. I feel like an unfilial daughter who is not physically close to provide sufficient support to my family. If they are enjoying life and doing well for themselves, I wouldn't worry as much. The problem is that I don't think they are.

Slight crooked but the food was second to none.

Ending the day with some sweets.

On Saturday morning, I flew out of Philly airport to LA where he picked me up in expense of missing the ultra important USC-UCLA game. I felt really terrible for making him miss the game as USC won and it's probably the last game of the semester. And I still wish I let him watch the game in its entirety. I hope to make it up somehow.

We bought a cake from Paris Baguette to celebrate our job/internship offers! It was in the shape of a cappuccino and it was absolutely delicious. After resting for a bit, we had clam pasta at Hometel. We watched the Hunger Game movie- the Mockingjay Part 2. I completely fell off the bandwagon when it came to this trilogy and didn't read any of the books prior to watching the movies. I didn't even watch part 1 so I was a little confused. I later looked up the synopsis of the story which filled in some gaps. I like the trilogy. I thought it would be very similar to Battle Royale, which I have read years ago. But the Hunger Games had a much more embellished plotline with political undertones and brings humanity into question.

Happy Job-Search for us!

Christmas tree in the plaza

We had planned on going to the observatory after the movies, but I was feeling tired so we postponed it (for the nth time) and went back home.

The next day, we woke up and had delicious soondubu in BGD Tofuhouse in Koreatown. It was so filling. Our order was preceded with a wide array of side dishes- completed with a fried fish! I was really impressed by the price and the flavor. I especially enjoyed the kimchi- the sauce is a little thicker than kimchis I've tasted in the past. The tofu was also very smooth and silky. I think many people have already raved about this place, but I will also give it two thumbs up.

They gave us so much!

Crack Crack

During that day, there was a motor show down near Pico Station close to the Staples Center. I've been to the Nissan showroom in Yokohama, but I have never been to an auto-show before so it was a new experience. Although my knowledge of cars is a borderline 0, I had fun looking that the different types of cars and sitting inside them. We also got a free Monster drink and a Lyft coupon. Free things always make me happy.

They had a VR experience with the movie. The graphics was lacking. =.=

This guy was very amusing lol .

I'm a pretty car!

I'm a pretty car too!

We had a break in Starbucks. I realized I just like talking with him. We don't have to do interesting things or go to interesting places for me to feel fortunate and happy. I just enjoyed passing the time talking about anything that enters my mind.

I took a flight back to SF later that evening. I don't know what happened, but I flew first class! It was the first time in my entire life that I flew first class so I was excited. I also flew in the first row which meant I was one of the first ones to get on and off the plane. I was also offered beverages twice in the flight and complimentary snacks. I wished I had realized it sooner, but near the end of the flight- I noticed that I can recline my seat to an almost prone position. The seat was very wide and comfortable and there was ample space between me and the person next to me. It was only a short flight- about an hour and a few minutes, which provided plenty of time for me to enjoy this new experience. I don't know if I can afford any first class seats in the near future, but at least I got a taste of it.

USC students protecting the dog from Bruins lol.

The one with the coat is my seat. It was so comfortable!

I arrived home super late and feel almost immediately to sleep. I have today and tomorrow off so right now I'm resting and sorting out what I need to get done before my first day of work on 12/2. I'm really excited about this opportunity and I just hope that I will be surrounded by kind and generous senpai. I hope to learn and grow and make genuine connections.

Also, can I just ask, where has 2015 flew off to? Tomorrow will be December. I can't even fathom how fast time passes by.
Last year this time, Eric and I were planning a trip to Southeast Asia-where we hit Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macau. I was also fruitlessly studying consulting case studies. Now looking back, I should have studied the JLPT N1, especially since I was in Japan and my Japanese improved greatly. Now, I feel my Japanese slipping away like grains of sand. During that time, I was just enjoying my time in Tokyo. I wish I blog more frequently back then. I want to reminisce about my days in Tokyo and live vicariously through my past self.