Blessed

Last weekend, I headed up to the mountains of Poconos with a group of friends from Times Square Church to celebrate Mae's birthday. Mae organized the trip. It was a refreshing retreat away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, and into the peaceful realm of nature. The rental house that we stayed at was situated among the trees and beside a large lake.

We arrived at the rental house slightly after 10PM. The sky was illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon and a rich sprinkling of stars. As the chilly night breeze enveloped us, we sat around the bonfire that the guys had successfully created from the chunks of wood and branches on the ground. And for the first time in my life, I roasted marshmallows. It was so much fun! I kept thinking, "Oh, so this is what I've been missing." Glad I was finally able to put an end to that. 

One of my friends brought glow sticks! We had a miniature "rave" party around the fire.

SunYoung, Mae, Chloe, Adam, me, Joy, Sean, Helena and Kay

Sean and Kay brought out the guitar and we all started worshiping. There we were, in the middle of the woods, just singing praises to Him and thanking Him for His blessings. The best worship stems from the heart, out of earnest desire for His grace.

Jon's artwork was achieved by decreasing my camera's shutter speed.

When we returned to the house, we sang Mae "Happy Birthday" and brought out cake! But since it was way past midnight, no one was really in the mood for sugar so we packed the cake back into the refrigerator after the birthday song. Lol.

The next morning, we gathered around the balcony for breakfast and a nice time of fellowship. 

Adam, Jon and Kay

Despite the afternoon rain, we couldn't resist a good game of badminton.

Chloe's game face

Kay and Sean, the wonderful couple

Half of them were Koreans, so I actually got to learn a bit of Korean over the weekend :) My goal is to converse fluently in Korean at the end of the year. We'll see about that!

For lunch, my friends cooked up a feast! While Jon cooked curry in the kitchen, Joy and May roasted pork and shrimps on the grill.

And the rest of us busied ourselves with the preparations. My task was peeling potatoes and de-skinning shrimps. Lol.

While waiting for lunch to be ready, I snacked on some crackers and tortilla chips. I mean, they were right there and I was hungry. Haha. 

Finally, lunch was ready. We sat around the table in the balcony and enjoyed a delicious meal of rice and curry, roast pork, salad, hot dogs and spicy shrimps on sticks. My friends could really cook! 

The hearty lunch left us with swollen bellies. So we hopped on a boat and explored a bit of the lake.

Such a beautiful weekend with an awesome bunch of people. Celebrated Mae's birthday, took a boat ride on the lake, roasted marshmallows and captured a plethora of precious moments. Truly a blessing!

DC Day 1: Union Station, Library of Congress and the Gardens

On Friday evening, I got off work and boarded Bolt Bus to Washington DC. It was something I'd planned on doing for months now, and since Christina was in her final weeks of internship in DC, it was the perfect time to visit her in the city. I'd never been to DC and I'd never taken Bolt Bus before. 

Well, the bus experience was a memorable one. I got on at 8.30PM, but two hours into the journey, the bus broke down at the side of the road and all of us had to wait a half hour until a newer bus came along. I was supposed to arrive at Union Station at 1AM but due to the unexpected delay, I got there slightly after 1.30AM. Anyway, Bolt Bus refunded my ticket so I'm not complaining. And I'm just really glad I made it there and back in one piece :) You know what they say about unplanned incidents: they elevate something ordinary into a story you'll never forget.

On Saturday, Christina and I headed to Union Station for brunch. Union Station is a historic train station that houses a slew of restaurants and high fashion retailers. The building almost resembles a mall, with its grand ceiling and smooth marble floors. 

It's like the Grand Central Station of Washington - busy, populated and full of tourists.

For brunch, we settled for Yo! Sushi. I was excited. I hadn't had sushi in a while, and so had she. She was amused with the sushi train, which was this long conveyor belt that ran along the length of the table while colored plates of sushi passed slowly in front of us. Each color was priced differently. 

I grabbed the first thing off the train that looked interesting, and quickly regretted my choice. I'd chosen the green tea pancake filled with sweet red bean paste. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite. The combination was a little odd. I'd unknowingly gone for the dessert, when I really wanted something savory instead.

Then I found the perfect sushi, and I stuck with that for a while. Spice-flecked salmon over crabmeat and mayo. De-li-cious! 

The shrimp fried rice was another favorite, blended with bell peppers and toasted sesame. Mini perfection in a plate.

After a good meal, we wasted no time taking the train to the other side of the city. The first thing that struck me as I entered was how clean and majestic the station looked. It was a huge contrast to New York's grungy subways. The ceiling curved like an ornamented dome. It reminded me of an egg crate. Unlike New York's filthy platforms that constantly reeked of urine and foul odor, DC's ones were void of stench.

Christina and I took the metro (that's what they call their trains in DC) to the Library of Congress, which was on the other side of the city. It was really warm that afternoon with the sunlight beating down on us and casting harsh light onto our photographs. 

Isn't she the cutest thing ever! She teamed her plain black tee with a polka dot skirt, aviators, an elephant necklace and a brown cross-body purse.

The fountain right outside the Library. These naked men were obviously enjoying the statutory life.

I must say that the Library of Congress was one of the most beautiful buildings I'd been in. Immensely high ceilings that boasted classic architecture, marble pillars, ancient art duplicated across the walls and ceilings. There was an old charm about the place, one so quaint and classical that resided within the walls of the Library. 

No reason for this picture. I just liked her skirt. Haha. #fashionstalker

This happens when two girls with a camera meet a full-length mirror in a public bathroom.

Before we left, we inked our thoughts in the guest book. 

We left the Library and headed straight for the large lawn across the street. I was glad to feel some real sun and warmth. Located below New York, it made sense for DC to be a little warmer than the Big Apple. Spring bloomed a lot quicker in DC too. 

Next up, we walked to the Botanical Gardens, home to some of the coolest flora and fauna. 

I could live here. Really.

Alice in Wonderland! 

I saw these lovely yellow orchids by the entrance. How I wish I had them in my apartment! They would brighten up any day. 

 Grinning like a Cheshire Cat because orchids make me happy!

There were seeds from various plants housed in different pots. I leaned in to smell the one labeled "e" and instantly recoiled, coughing. A strong whiff of spicy bitterness invaded my nostrils. I could only describe the smell as a bad mixture of charred cinnamon and black coffee. Christina managed to snap the photo before I stumbled aside.

That doesn't make me a pothead.

It was such a pretty afternoon to be out in the city, doing touristy things with my awesome friend and enjoying the sunshine as it filtered through the leaves.

Thanks to Christina, I had a wonderful time exploring DC. She's such a fun, cheerful spirit. DC was actually a sweet escape from New York. I mean, New York's great but I needed the weekend away to chill and hang out with my dear friend. And being in a new place with a familiar face was a good feeling.

More on DC later! :)