Costumes

Vote for Percival the Pumpkin tomorrow in the Rally Court!

Happy day after Halloween! Chris and I celebrated Halloween very differently, so we will recount our adventures of the spooooooooky day.

So on Friday, for Halloween, we had to dress up for Chem lab points. Jocelyn, Morgan, Tom and I were mechanics, from Quantum Co...so we were QUANTUM MECHANICS (HAHAHHAHA. very few people appreciate this joke, okay. it was quite clever, we thought) Then last night, I went to church to help facilitate our church's Fun Fest, which is a night that we hold for little kids as an alternative to trick or treating. It was pretty fun, with games and food and stuff... and there was a cardboard maze! (we should build one in the rally court!!) The most interesting part of the night was that this one lady came dressed up as a devil. ...don't you think about these things before you leave the house?!?!?! Chris, on the other hand, went trick or treating with Ashley, Neena, Trisha and Panos. They had a lot of fun! Trisha and Ashley both dressed as airplanes, Chris and Panos were creeper Fawkes guys (Ashley's mom thought they were majorrr creepers), and Neena was a dalmatian to match Aaron's fireman costume! Chris says it was really cute and it's really tooo bad that Christine couldn't come, because it was really fun :( (Chris says that he's playing Super Mario World 2, btw. ) They went around Ashley's house for a while, but then Aaron got tired, so they took him back. Then they went to Neena's house and saw lots of people! And then there was this one house that was freaking SCARY. They had like a ton of decorations and they got candy..and then...they went outside and made a really loud noise and then a BIG ZOMBIE POPPED UP AND A CHAINSAW SOUND AND THE GUY POPPED OUT AND STARTED CHASING THEM OUT WITH A CHAINSAW (and everyone freaked out...except Chris (of course)). Haha but Chris said it was prettty scary. Creeeeepy. And then they went to Neena's house and traded CANDY. OM NOM NOM.

So before this Halloween, I only really celebrated Halloween as a little kid. Pretty much Halloween before this, I've been a Disney princess. (Chris scoffs at the idea). I've been Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella, Tinkerbell (not really a princess, but pretty much the same thing), and Sleeping Beauty. All the kids in Chris's family, he says, have been COWS. HAHAHHA. and then..he was a COWBOY!! AHHAAHA. and then...he started liking Star Wars, so he was a Jedi Knight (HOW CUTE!).

Okay now..for the part you've all been waiting for...the Chris and Christine Costume Awards!!!!!

1. Cutest Costume:

Christine: I think the cutest costume I saw was Cindy's! She was dressed up as Winnie the Pooh..and it was really cute!

Chris: Chris says he didn't see any cute costumes.

2. Scariest Costume:

Christine: The scariest one that I saw all day at school was this one kid who had this white thing around his head. On the white thing there was like blood and then he had like a string and an eyeball popped out...SCARY.

Chris: The best one Chris said he saw was the person dressed up as Rorschach from Watchmen. We have yet to identify the mysterious person behind the mask, but their costume was really good, so props to you! Identify yourself if you're reading this :)

3. Cool Costumes

Christine: OMG so I really liked how all the teachers in the History department were Kate + 8. HHAHAHAHA. So funny/cute. Yay.

Chris: Chris has declined to comment because he is busy playing Super Mario World 2.

OKAY THE END. There were a lot of really cute costumes at school and last night, sorry we could only mention a select few ;) But feel free to leave us comments on your Halloween. That's all for now!

Love,

Christine and Chris

Cubicles

"Work Work"

So over the summer Christine and I both attended internships at various corporate institutions. Today we'll be talking about our various experiences there and also the new things that we learned.

Christine worked at LifeScan which is a company that makes diabetes glucose monitors. Boring I know!! But anyway, from what I got from Christine stories were that she was pretty much working on spreadsheets for the whole day. But, if you know Christine you also know that she loves to do that kind of stuff so it worked out I guess. I'm not sure how much she enjoyed it there but Christine also got to work with Jane and Vikram from school. So, Christine's work had a yummy cafeteria, a ping pong table, and a vending machine. Apparently, these are the most exciting things that were at LifeScan. Everyday Christine had a regiment that she went through. First it was arrive and do work for one hour, then get hot chocolate from the cafeteria to keep her happy and last her until lunch. Then, Christine would go to lunch for an hour and a half before returning to work. After getting back, Christine made sure to visit the ping pong table every now and then and of course working throughout the day would be punctuated with trips to the bathroom. That last note is important so pay attention. Somedays, Christine would get to work at nine and leave by one or two. It was so unfair, see why in my section. Anyway, Christine's internship sounds pretty standard when looked at from a broad sense, but we'll dive more into details in paragraph 3.

I worked at Meriwest Credit Union which is essentially a non-profit bank. It was a rather interesting experience and I met some really cool adults there. I got to work in their marketing department and they were really nice about incorporating me into their daily life. I too would get to work at about nine in the morning and I would also get hot chocolate now and then but not with quite regularity as Christine did. For lunch, my co-workers would take me out and we went to some really AWESOME places. They took me out for these super yummy burgers and the cheese cake factory but my favorite time was when they took me to a sushi place that was just phenomenal. After lunch, I would get really sleepy so it was difficult to stay up but I somehow managed for a month. Also, I usually didn't get to leave the office until six or even seven o'clock some days because my ride wouldn't be able to pick me up that early. It kind of sucked sometimes being stuck there with nothing really to do. Luckily, I had Arcadia and 1984 with me. (Sorry I don't know how to underline even though the title should be). There weren't any other kids at my internship so it sometimes got a little boring but it was great getting to know some really nice adults at the credit union.

Now for the FUN paragraph, Christine and I definitely had some interesting experiences in the workplace. For instance, one thing we noticed is how great Microsoft Outlook is. I know that everyones in love with Gmail and Outlook is for "old people" but it really is quite fun. Christine and I used that to communicate with one another like it was Aim and since Outlook doesn't have stacking like Gmail does, our inboxes with fill super quickly but it was really fun and Outlook is awesome. Another thing we noticed is that after lunch time you get REALLY tired, especially if all you're doing is sitting at a computer all day. So what we decided individually to do was to go to the bathroom and sleep in one of the stalls. It's actually quite comfortable but can be somewhat awkward at times when another persons needs to use the bathroom in the stall next to you. Besides that, sleeping in the bathroom isn't all that bad but you have to get one of the stalls with a metal bar on the side or else theres nothing really to lean on. So yea! It was quite nice and reenergized us for the day! You should try it some time.

So that's it for our tales of summer jobs! Let us know if you have any good summer job (or just job) stories :) Maybe next year we'll have more adventures!

OH BTW. IT'S 12:20. SO THAT MEANS IT'S OFFICIALLY KEVIN NGUYEN'S 17TH BIRTHDAY :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE LOVE YOU! <3

Love,

Chris and Christine

Conferences

Chinese

Disclaimer: All misdeeds mentioned in the video were done during elementary school.

Creamy Delights!

The asian sensation thats sweeping the nation

So yet another post about food. Today, Chris and I went on a LONGGGGG adventure to Tartini with Ashley and Trisha. It was quite yummy, but recently we've been noticing the stunningly exponential increase in the number of frozen yogurt places in the relatively small area we call Cupertino. It's kind of ridiculous. Here is our take on the lovely yogurt places that we have (and haven't) been to :)

HAHA so while I was writing this Chris said that we should distinguish between the kinds of yogurt places that let you get the yogurt yourself (will have an *) and the kinds that do it for you behind the counter.

Red Mango

The first (and only) time I went to Red Mango was this day that they were giving out free yogurt (like they had a new flavor or something). I thought it was alright, but a little like thick and creamyish flavory...and def too expensive if it wasn't free. Chris's impression of Red Mango was that it was pretty nice, with cool plasma screen TVs! Even though he was kind of full because he went to Amici's first. The froyo is a bit "yogurty" and not as fun because it's not the do it yourself kind :( It was "meh", but probably will not go back there again. Also, its kind of hard to find and park there. The coolest thing about Red Mango is that the winner of SURVIVOR owns the own in Santana Row! omg best thing ever.

Orange Tree*

Once upon a time, we ventured to Orange Tree for the Chinese Club fundraiser. When this place first opened, I thought it was really cool because they gave out like those $5 gift cards and stuff, so YAY free yogurt! However...the taste was def not..delicious. The flavors there are kind of...interesting (Chris says that by interesting, we mean not good)..and the yogurt is just...not the ideal texture, or flavor, or anything. It was pretty cheap! But probably not going back there again.

Fro Yo?

Chris has never been to Fro Yo? before, but I once went after I watched a movie. I don't really remember what it tasted like, but it was okay. They serve it for you behind the counter and I remember it being relatively expensive, and also that was like one of the only times that I've ever gotten chocolate/vanilla at a froyo place (with oreos! yum!) but yea. it was alright.

Tutti Frutti (*? we don't know.)

We've never been here before. But its like the 2nd yogurt place in Vallco. VALLCO. Why would you even need TWO YOGURT PLACES IN THERE!?? There's not even like two good stores!!

I Heart Yogurt

This was like the FIRST yogurt place in Cupertino. the FIRST. It was definitely like THE place when we were freshmen/sophomores? And they carry all the traditional flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc. (the best is definitely coffee!!! (well fruit (especially orange) or vanilla or swirly of both according to chris)) Their portions are still ENORMOUS. Like a small will definitely fill you up (and its pretty affordable yay!) and the employees are really cool!! and funny according to Chris. For some reason, we have found that I Heart Yogurt has fallen out of popularity with the general teen population, probably because..it's just Asian enough?! I ono..seems like the only viable reason.

Frutti (*? we don't know.)

According to Lynbrook people, this place is the BEST. But I don't know. I have yet to go.

Yogurtland*

This is CHRIS'S favorite, though he hasn't been there recently because I LIKE TARTINI BETTER. AND I DRIVE :) Haha apparently there are more choices there and there are different sized cups that you can choose from so you can choose if you want a lot or like A LOT. It was the first ASIAN yogurt place to open up and is still super yummy. Chris says that every time he goes to Yogurtland he has trouble throwing away his cup because all the trashcans are just TOO full lol. It used to be a lot cheaper than Tartini, but I think they're now the same. Personally, I think Yogurtland is kind of wateryish? Not as delicious as the next one....

Tartini*

Tartini is MY FAVORITE. (do you ever notice that some people call it Tartini's?) Anyways, it's freaking DELICIOUS. It's basically the best froyo on this list. First of all, like all the yogurts are tart fruity flavors that are delicious. And the yogurt is the perfect consistency and matches perfectly with the yummy toppings (I always get mochi, and those clear cubical jellies and the smaller rectangular red orange and white ones). Actually, I don't even know why you would go to these places and get vanilla or chocolate..because that is like beside the point. Also, the place is like SUPER CUTE. Chris has only been there like 3 or 4 times (and he says its out of the way), but he says that its just like a mini-Yogurtland. but still, YUMMY. and plus, they reduced it to 30 cents an oz and also they have these stamp cards where you can get FREE YOGURT and also they have CREPES. WINNER.

Places that we have never been, but have seen around include: DIY Yogurt, Honeyberry, Pinkberry (the ORIGINAL! apparently.) Let us know if you have any feedback on those!

So that concludes our episode on frozen yogurt and the pervasion of frozen yogurt shops nearby. If you guys have any opinions on the above froyo places, please comment! Also, say whether you think TARTINI OR YOGURTLAND IS BETTER. Okay that's all for today! :)

Love,

Chris & Christine

Colds and Clouds

Computer Games

Through the course of the Chris-Christine relationship. We've played through literally hours of video games. These ranging from simple online cafe games to multi level real time strategy. Today, we'll be going over the different games and websites that we have used for our gaming pleasure and giving our opinions on each of them. Buckle your seat belts ladies and gentlemen, because it's going to be a WILD ride!!! :D

OMG POP

This gaming website can be found at omgpop.com. It was somewhat of a hit among our friends and I was first invited to a game by Kunal Nagpal. The way the site works is that there are several games that you can play the most popular being blockles (Variation of Tetris with items) After my first game at blockles I got the gist of it and systematically destroyed the other participants (Kunal and Christine). Christine even protested this statement so we played a game of blockes as I was writing this and guess who came out on top? That's right. Me!!! Anyway, The site also has some other games such as Draw my Thing (Pictionary) and Letterblox (Word Scramble) that are pretty fun. However, I feel like the novelty of the site has worn off. Even blockles is different now because I think they got sued by Tetris or whoever owns that. Christine wants everyone to know that she's really good at Draw my Thing, but I'm kind of skeptical about that. Anyway, our thoughts about the site are that it was good when it was fun but it is boring now. If you haven't been on it yet, check it out. It's quite fun for first timers.

Armor Games

Another site that we've played at quite a lot is armorgames.com. This site has MANY more games than OMG POP but Christine and I only play a few of them together. Although I play some on my own that are more violent/bloody/destructive/graphic/fun. Some of the games that we play are "This is the Only Level", "World's Hardest Game", and "Multitask". Of the three I think Multitask is the most fun for the both of us. I saw my brother playing it and thought it looked really cool. So I introduced it into our nightly regiment. Also, Christine isn't very good at any of the games from this site. I've posted our high scores below so that you can try and beat us. If you need any help be sure to ask me and not Christine. Christine says that these games are fun and she like this site a lot more than OMG POP even though she never wins. I really like this site one because I always win and two because there are a huge selection of games. For those of you internet gamers out there I really suggest looking in to this site. Whether it be zombie invasions, trebuchet launching, or space flight, this site has something for you.

World's Hardest Game

This is the Only Level

Multitask

Christine - 112

Chris - 246

Literati

This is a Yahoo game that Christine insists that we play every now and then so that she can win something. I believe the first time we played this game was after I delivered a thrashing to her and Daniel on our favorite game which will be outlined as the last one we review. But anyway, this game is essentially Scrabble online. This first time I played, Christine wouldn't explain the rules to me so I got really confused. Christine only explained the rules after she was a million points ahead. But Christine always wins this game. Like ALWAYS. So we don't play it that much. Another note is that it can take a long time for players to think of what word they want to put down. So if you're interested in playing make sure you think ahead and don't go off doing something else while you're playing or the game will be VERY VERY long. Christine just wants to say she loves this game and that its the best ever. However there are much more exciting games out there so I don't know why she would say that. Moving on.

Bubble Shooter

This is our newest game and we both played it only several weeks ago. However Christine found this game while she was at work and apparently played it all the time. Funny thing is, when I started playing this game, I had to explain how the whole game worked to Christine because she didn't really know how it worked at all. It was kind of sad really. Christine says in protest that there aren't instructions included with the game. But, if you play it long enough or enough times, it gets pretty obvious what's going on. It's a pretty standard game where you connect three bubbles next to one another. I win at this game but its probably because I actually have a strategy and Christine just fires bubbles willy nilly. It's weird though, Christine is able to get points really quickly but then she also dies really fast. Where I tend to go slow and steady get really high scores. Ours I have posted below.

Bubble Shooter

Christine - 62,310

Chris - 123, 410

Starcraft

This is our FAVORITE game by far. I don't even know how it got started but one day, Daniel Kevin, Christine, and I all decided to buy copies of Starcraft and play together. Kevin bought his with quarters. Of the four of us, I am obviously the best, Kevin is second, Daniel is third, and Christine definitely needs some work in dead last. Christine says in her defense that it's because shes a girl and she "doesn't know how to play these RTS things". We've played about 20ish games over the past couple months and it's been really fun. We'll be going more in depth with Starcraft because it is our favoritist. If you're interested in playing, we go on Battlenet every now and then. Our screen names are Chris - Duplicity, Christine - Iwillownyou <-- (-_- I know), Daniel - DanielChang10, and Kevin - triggerfood. For the following sections we will be analyzing the races and our thoughts about them.

Protoss - Used by Daniel and Christine

Let's just say that Daniel and Christine love them some PHOTO CANNONS and PSIONIC STORM which are probably two of the most annoying things in Starcraft. They also love to mass carriers. If you haven't played Starcraft before you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Just assume that everything that Daniel and Christine does is both noobish and annoying. Although one time, Christine managed to psionic storm a full control group of battlecruisers of mine leaving them pretty much destroyed. I feel like that was her finest hour except that one time where she sent out one of her beginning probes to scout me just to say that she found me first. Since then, there hasn't been much sparkle. Daniel sometimes likes to be annoying on purpose and hide pylons all around the map so that you have to find them all. Literally a game was extended by an hour because Daniel hid so many pylons. Christine says that she LOVES protoss and that they're the prettiest. I don't know about that but photon cannons are annoying.

Zerg - Used by Kevin

Christine really hates fighting Zerg because she says that its too scary even to look at because everything is pulsating and that when it dies it looks like it exploded from a pus ball. I feel like in terms of gameplay Zerg are probably the least problematic but that might be because I always try to take out Kevin first because he's always the greatest threat. By the way, Kevin likes to build building in perfect geometric shape with straight lines and 90 degree angles. It's pretty interesting to look at when you're attacking him. Other than that, we don't have very many comments about the Zerg because neither of us play that race.

Terran - Used by Chris

This is by far the best race. Christine really doesn't like Terran because she forgets about her SCVs that she leaves around to build things. So, when she plays Terran you can go into her base and there are idle workers everywhere. I like this race the best probably because I can do some really early harassment without killing them off completely. Vulture mines and speed are essential to hearing early game "OMG CHRIS GO AWAY I HATE YOU" Anyway, by the end of the game after I've mined out the whole map because I promise not to kill them early on, I usually fool around a bit. One time, I managed to nuke like 20 carriers that Christine had and whole bunch of high templar. Apparently Daniel got really mad because they were on the same team, but I thought it was funny. I only go mech build against them if you know what I mean, m+m and bionic are just to much micro for me.

If you have any comments or want to post your own high scores, feel free to post below. Also, we're always looking for more games to play. If you have a suggestion, shoot it our way.

Love,

Chris and Christine