lao-ocean-girl

This is my second full day of being home in Oregon.  It?s been an interesting couple days of travel since I left Ras at the San Jose airport in Costa Rica.  I arrived early at the airport and was going to buy something to eat, but changed my mind when I saw how expensive prices were at the food court.  $9.00 for a Burger King Whopper set with cheese!!!  I was so outraged that I happily sat and ate my two leftover pizza slices from Papa John?s I had packed from the day before  .  The flight was uneventful , except for the two people next to me who silently said a prayer right before the plane took off, which then made me think of the TV show Lost.  I arrived around 10 pm on Monday in Los Angeles.  My relatives came to pick me up at the airport.  What was the first thing I ate upon returning to the U.S.?  A famous In-N-Out double double.  In-N-Out has been a fixture in Southern California since 1948, and is know for their cheap and delicious hamburgers   .  I tried to just order the cheeseburger, but everyone in the Suburban   told me how small it was.  I knew an American "small" was actually a serving size I?d be used to, but everyone seemed to think I?d starve if I got such a small hamburger.  I relented and ordered a double double (two patties and two slices of cheese) .   And what of course happened?  I didn?t finish it.  I fed some of it to my uncle’s dog, Nike. 

[photo above: at the airport, ready to leave Costa Rica.  I think I did a pretty good packing job.]

Since I’ve been traveling, I’ve been waking up between 6:30-7:30 am, and continued to do so on that Tuesday morning.  My 15 year old cousin took the day off from California High and went with me, my aunt and uncle to Little Saigon.  I don’t know what other Asian in Southern California call Little Saigon, but Laotians instead call it Bolsa because that’s the main street that Little Saigon is located on.  We went to a restaurant that?s known for its ban cuon (ground meat or pork wrapped in rice flour sheets).  If you?ve had any Vietnamese food, you?ve probably had this .  It?s second in popularity among Vietnamese food, after pho   (beef noodle soup).  To top it off, I had Bubble Thai iced tea.   Upon leaving the restaurant, I almost told my aunt that she forgot her $4 on the table, until I realized it was a tip.  It seemed expensive, and realized I?d have to assimilate myself into the world of tipping again.

We then went to Lee?s sandwiches , a popular Vietnamese store that served sandwiches in the typical crunchy baguettes that Vietnam is known for.  It was nice to be in a city with so much diversity, where you can see so many shops and stores with Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, or Thai writing on the outside.

Afterwards, I hung out in my grandmothers home until I had to be dropped off at the airport again around 4:00 pm.  My layover was short, but it was nice to see my relatives again. My grandmother & I  Cousin, two aunts, me

Since being back in Oregon, I?ve been literally freezing my butt off.  It?s not like my mom doesn?t turn on the heat, but it just feels so much colder than what I?ve been accustomed to ? today?s high is 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with rain expected throughout the Easter weekend.

I?m not sure what I?m going to do yet, as far as a job.  I don?t expect to be in Oregon longer than 6 months.  What are my plans?  I don?t know yet, but I know I don?t want to settle down here yet.  I want to go back to L.A. in June to visit my family again, therefore that only leaves me 2 ? months to work.  I?m really open to anything.  I?d actually like to try a job I?ve never done before, like waiting tables or working at a clothing store. I know it?s not glamorous or easy, but somehow it seems interesting because I?ve never had a job like that before.  I’ve always been an administrative working girl.  Next week… I’ll be pounding the pavement.