Kelly's Blog

Kooking in the Kitchen (with Kelly)

Khee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:22:00 PST

Having the luxury of our own personal kitchen this year is exciting. To me it means no more cleaning up after other people. No more lugging everything but the kitchen sink to the lobby. No more holding my breath when opening the fridge. No more cooking stew, mac and cheese, and curry in a rice cooker. And no more praying that the kitchen isn’t ocupado. It’s wonderful. We have a dishwasher. I don’t even have to take the elevator to get to the stove. Therefore, I try to cook and bake whenever I get the chance and my only complaint is that our oven’s temperature is always too high.

For some of my friends, the newness of having our own kitchens is starting to wear off. It seemed like ages ago that the boy’s suite made shoyu chicken. And all Geoff and Ian ever make for dinner now is steak or fried rice. In fact, they have been making fried rice so much that Ian had an egg revelation. “You know, if you don’t move it around so much it becomes fluffy!” But for others, like Shawn, having a kitchen means an infinite amount of oven-friendly foods such as rocky road brownies, pigs in a blanket, and endless dessert experiments. (Did someone say desserts? I’m not complaining.)

For me, the kitchen is still exciting. I see it as an opportunity to experiment and make things like fortune cookies, red velvet cake, shrimp scampi, or clams, in a hassle-free environment. I absolutely love making things from scratch and seeing how they come out. I love the smell of garlic that fills the air when it’s cooking. And I love eating everything because it really does taste better when you make it yourself. I hope you can see the pictures of some of my cooking ventures accompanying this post! My next endeavor? French macaroons :) I’ll let you know how they turn out.

P.S. – Happy Birthday Mom!

A Cloud of Smoke

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:08:00 PST

Last night I was sitting in my room catching up on last week’s Grey’s Anatomy when I heard a beeping noise. At first I thought it was coming from the video, but the beeping was much too loud. So I opened my door and found my answer. BEEP BEEP BEEP. Krysti was making steaks for dinner. She had intended to just sear the steak. You could see the smoke swirling around in the apartment. It kind of looked like a light cloud of fog. We both sprang into action. I opened the windows in the living room while Krysti opened our apartment door. Daniel, the head desk receptionist for Sobrato, was standing in the hallway probably curious what had happened. I figure he was the reason that other people knew about the incident. He gave us a tip to keep our door closed as it might set off the whole building. We knew that the reputation of setting the building alarm off would forever stick with us so shut the door right away.

It was still smoky inside so I ran to my room to find something to fan the air with. I found a broken down cardboard box one of my books had come in and began fanning the living room. Krysti grabbed two paper take-out bags from Maggiano’s and in a panicky fashion, we began the ridiculous process of fanning the air. Krysti had both her arms going at different speeds and I was running from the kitchen to the living room waving the cardboard box around. Eventually, we realized our tools were ineffective and looked around for something better. So we used the posters in our living room that had a cardboard backing to push the air out. Krysti stood in the kitchen and I stood in the living room. “I’ll pass the air to you and you fan it out the window!” Krysti yelled. We were on a mission, not really knowing if our synchronized fanning was doing anything. Our clothes smelled like smoke. Our rooms smelled like smoke. Krysti and I were laughing and fanning at the same time, probably looking bizarre to anyone walking back from Safeway. “What are they doing up there?” “Oh you know that apartment, that’s just a typical Sunday night.”

In the end, we got the smoke out and Krysti’s steaks turned out pretty good. Usually our apartment is known for the creepy life-size figures of Obama and Edward Cullen staring at people below. If we had been seen last night, our apartment probably would have been remembered for something different.

Halloween Shenanigans

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:06:00 PST

Truthfully this Halloween wasn’t as epic as the past Halloweens at Santa Clara. I think for some, the hype dies down as you get older. A lot of my friends couldn’t find the effort in them to dress up or even go out. Most of them were boys. (Go figure.) On Friday, Geoff, Ian, Jake (our friend from Arizona who came to visit Hawaii in the summer), and Justin (who is a CF in Sobrato), did some last minute costume shopping.

I already had my costume but I was looking for shoes and makeup to go with it. We went to Spirits first, which is a seasonal Halloween store located on El Camino. Justin managed to find make up for his zombie costume. Geoff found a pink felt Disney princess bag. Wait, Geoff was a Princess for Halloween? No. As great of a costume that would be, he intended to turn the bag inside out to be the eraser hat to his pencil costume. The next store we hit up was Salvation Army. Ian’s original plan was to be Yogi bear but that was abandoned when he found a baseball helmet which looked a little small for him. Although he claimed his head would fit if he took out the padding, we all knew better. Geoff found some yellow shirts and I found shoes to go with my costume. The best part about that store was finding out that my shoes were only half the price. (I love when that happens.) The Friday at the end of every month is apparently “Half Off Fridays”

On Halloween night, my suite enjoyed a $1 Boston Market dinner while watching Edward Scissorhands, which was a very appropriate movie for that day. Since Halloween fell on a Saturday I didn’t feel any panic or time constraint on getting ready. It was nice. Unfortunately, Meli had to work the desk that night so just Krysti and I dressed up. After we got ourselves did, we went down to the boy’s suite where everyone was meeting. Mandy was Cleopatra, Krysti was a “guitar hero rocker chick,” Geoff was a pencil, Lawson was Manny Lawson, David was the Mad Hatter, and I was Alice. (In the end, Ian decided not to go out and Jake was a lumberjack.) Unlike a lot of girls that use Halloween as an excuse to wear nothing, I’d have to say us girls are pretty modest. The most creative costume I saw all night goes to our friend Matt Wong who was a Youtube video. And the rest of the usual suspects decided to just stay in and be themselves.

Well we went out and ended coming back to Sobrato fairly early and hung out with our friends that didn’t go out. It was a pretty fun night and I think everyone had a good time all around considering it wasn’t our most eventful Halloweens. I loved my costume and I wish I could wear it more often. I personally enjoy Halloween because for one night, you get to dress up as someone else without looking stupid because everyone else is doing the same thing. And an opportunity like that only comes around once a year.

My Mini-Family Reunion

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:03:00 PST

This weekend my sister Jamie, a freshman at UOP, came down visit me! She brought her posse, which consisted of her friend from high school and her roommate, with her too. And not only that, but when my cousin Angela, who goes to USF, heard that Jamie was a-comin, she cleared her schedule and headed down to SCU for a night also. You can say we had a full house. (Thank goodness I live in an apartment and cohabitate with such awesome girls.) So before anyone came, I made a point to wash and clean everything. I was extremely excited because my sister was finally in college and I could finally relate to her again. It was almost like being back in high school.

Well Jamie came down on Friday with her friends and we spent Saturday at Great America since she had never been there before. We seriously were there for 6 hours riding everything and eating. And there was a Key Club thing going on so the whole day we heard, “KEY CLUB! HOW DO YOU FEEL?” and “WE FEEL GOOD, OH WE FEEL SO GOOD, WE FEEL FINE, ALL OF THE TIME (and some kind of grunting).” After a very long day, we stopped at In-N-Out to get dinner and made our way back to school. Then Angela came down on the train! But before I could play, I had to finish my OMIS take home exam that was due at midnight. Don’t worry mom, I finished it at 10pm! After I was home free, we all hung out and caught up. It was kind of neat hanging out with my sister not at home. After midnight, I took everyone to the Bronco and we ordered almost all of the mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders they had. But even after eating, we were still hungry so we made some Spongebob shaped Mac n Cheese back at the apartment.

The next morning, Angela and I cooked up a feast which consisted of scrambled eggs, English muffins, pancakes, sausage, and hash browns. (I know it seems like we are nonstop eating, but this is normal for my family.) And then they all had to go. When I watched Angela pull away on the Caltrain, it was a sad time for me. I felt kind of empty inside. Maybe even a little homesick. It just made me remember how much fun I have with my family. And you know what? Although I don’t always get along with Jamie, I do miss her. Sometimes distance is good for relationships. Because when you’re finally reunited, it feels so good J

Rain Rain Go AWAY. And Don't Come Back.

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:55:00 PST

Today was the first ugly day of the school year. I know rain and wind are signs of “fall” in Santa Clara, but it’s just so darn miserable looking. I woke up this morning and checked the weather. It was “HEAVY RAIN/WINDY, HIGH 65 LOW 60.” Worst part: “Rainfall possibly over two inches. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.” Now my first class is in the business building which is located far far away. I’m seriously contemplating whether or not to go to class. And if I do, I’m not sure how I’m going to get there. I’ve already decided to skip the gym this morning and I’m seriously craving a cream cheese bagel and hot chocolate.

In my freshman year this was the weather that soaked through my school bag and killed my cell phone. That was a miserable day. I was sopping wet, had three classes in a row, and had been late to two of them. Then the rain murdered my cell phone, which was the last straw for me. When I got back to my room, I took the sim card out of my phone, put it in my old cell phone, and let my new one dry out. Then I used my old cell phone to call my dad and cry. I hadn’t cried when my mom left me at school but I did that day. I felt much better after I hung up and two days later, my phone committed a miracle and came back to life.

Now I am sitting in my room, mad that the rain woke me up at 7:30 AM and my toes are cold. See, I don’t mind rain or wind, but both plus the cold, I want none of it. I wish the rain was snow at least. Then you could build snowmen and forts. With rain, you can’t do anything except show off your cute rain boots.

Feeding Time

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:27:00 PST

When your dining plan has been dramatically reduced to 172 points a quarter, you are suddenly craving tots for breakfast, Yum Yum Tree sushi for lunch, and Bronco pizza at night. Instead, you’re forced to look elsewhere for food. That means you go to Safeway and buy food to make or give business to the surrounding eateries. (Or you mooch off the freshman and sophomores.)

Shamefully, my boy friends have been more ambitious than us girls in the cooking department. I think it’s because with no moms around, they’re finally allowed to touch the stove. Despite the few times they set the fire alarms off, a bit of uncooked chicken, and chunky pieces of onion in the potato salad, their cooking experiments haven’t been half bad. (According to them all of their cooking tastes “OMGSOGOOD.”) Just wait till the initial excitement wears off. When it does, Subway and Taco Bell are going to make big bucks.

So after my OMIS105 class on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, Ian and I have been trying out new places to eat. We rotate picking new places to eat but sometimes a place is so good, we have to go back again. We’ve gone to Jasmine (a Thai restaurant) and Togo’s (FAVORITE sandwich place yet) multiple times, Yum Yum Tree (and we didn’t order sushi), Hungry Hound (they play soap operas on the TV), and took the #10 bus to McDonalds (ate too much). While I do miss Benson food sometimes, it’s kind of nice to finally eat off campus without feeling guilty about wasting points. And when you add up all the money you spent on food for the entire week, it’s still cheaper than Benson.

Now of course if you’re too lazy to find food, Junior year just may be the year where you finally loose that Freshman 15.

Hunting in the Amazon

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:19:00 PST

So as most of you know, book companies love to rip students off. They’ll sell you a book for a ridiculously high price, and if you’re lucky, they’ll buy it back at a really low price. And as for the not so lucky students, the book company won’t buy the book back because they’re switching up the edition or the school is no longer going with that textbook next quarter. Then you’re stuck with a book you have no use for.

The reason why students still succumb to the system is for three reasons. One, they are guaranteed that the book they’re buying is the correct book and edition for the class. Two, because they can pick their books up at the bookstore at the start of the quarter and if they join another class, they can immediately get their books right away. And three, if they decide to drop a class, the bookstore has some kind of return policy.

Well after 6 years of feeding the system, I decided to stick it to the man and find my books elsewhere. I mean, you could find friends that have taken the class before and ask for their books, but sometimes the edition changes or they’ve already lent their book to someone else. I’ve always heard that amazon.com is a pretty good place to buy books, but of course, there are always risks involved. After a careful comparison of bookstore prices to online prices, I finally ordered my first set of books online. Then I held my breath and waited for my books.

I had started to turn blue when my books finally came. I think I scared some people with my excitement. The first book was shiny and “new” as promised by the seller. He had even packed it in peanuts so it would arrive in top quality. The second book was a nightmare. Some seller had advertised another edition of the book under the same name. Trust me, the pictures on the covers were not the same. THe one I needed had an airplane landing and the one I received said “INTERNATIONAL EDITION.” (I later found out it was illegal for overseas seller to sell that book in the U.S and I’m not quite sure what to do with this book now.) As of today, with help from Meli, I’ve written several “angry” emails to the seller. (As in no happy faces at the ends of sentences.) And my next move is to bring his amazon rating down and possibly even report him. (Take that.)

So let this be a warning to all of you. You can either play it safe and get robbed, or take some chances and pay a cheaper price, but possibly end up with the wrong book.

P.S. If anyone is looking for Accounting 12 books (managerial accounting), I have some for sale!

I Blinked

KHee@scu.edu (Kelly Hee) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:11:00 PST

I made the mistake of blinking and BAM. Junior Year.

This is my third year here and I CANNOT believe how fast time has flown. My college career is half way over. For me, Junior year is kind of like Junior year in high school. This is the time where students start worrying about college. (Senior year is reserved for panicking.) Same in college. At least for accountants, this year is important. By the time summer rolls around you want to have an internship ready. When summer ends, hopefully you have a job offer for after graduation. (That is the internship goes well.) If not, you have senior year to try get an offer. Junior year counts. That includes grades. All the Juniors in high school, I feel your pain. Just remember, you have to do it all again in 4 years.

So anyway, on a happier note, this year I flew up early to help with Welcome Weekend. Welcome Weekend is basically for the freshman. After a summer of getting free stuff in the mail, they all migrate to Santa Clara University and move in. Welcome Weekend is just another perk of being a freshman. You basically drive up in your car loaded with half your house and your whole family (including grandma) and park it in front of your dorm. Then volunteers (like me) pop open the trunk, unload all your stuff, and carry it to your room. We are the bell hops to the hotel. It’s fun to see what the new freshmen are like (and all the shiny new things they brought). And you get a really good workout in the process. But freshmen be warned. Like a wise upperclassman told me two years ago, “the free stuff and royal treatments stop coming after the first week.” What are the volunteer perks to Welcome Weekend? Well we get to move in early, get an exclusive free shirt, and a couple free meals too.I think that’s a deal.

Well I’m glad I have another chance to share with you all my exciting adventures this coming year. And if you see me on campus, feel free to buy me food with your dining points as I have cut my meal plan down to 170 pts per a quarter. (This means I have to cook for myself.) It was either that or the ridiculously big 800 pt plan. (I mean I could’ve gotten the 800 pt plan, but that’s like me making a 200 pt donation to Bon Appetit at the end of the quarter. I’d rather eat off campus.)

And so year 3 begins J

P.S. - College is nothing like you expect.

A Day of Celebration

scumedia@gmail.com (Kelly Hee) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:37:00 PST

This year’s luau was different, but just as awesome. Ever since I decided to become more involved at Santa Clara, I have actually made efforts to fulfill that goal. So I became a luau decorations co-chair in Hawaii club. Although it had the reputation for being a committee that involved a lot of work and time, I rose to the challenge. And it was indeed a challenge. The co-chairs put in countless hours of planning, prepping, problem solving, and decorating. We had excursions to Michael’s and IKEA, measured and painted butcher paper to cover up panels, held our own decoration committee meetings in addition to co-chair meetings, and much more. I thought being part of a committee was hard, but being a co-chair was a lot more work. You are the first one there, usually the last to eat and leave. Also, it is up to YOU to solve the problems that may arise. For example, while setting up for the dinner show, we were short a few seats. So we had to find ways to move around the tables, add some more chairs, and make another center piece. The situation was eventually resolved, but it was somewhat stressful to figure out where to get another table and chairs and how to give people enough space to move in and out of their seats.
Anyway, we decorated most of Benson (which gets shut down for Luau) the night before while holding the mandatory dress rehearsal. With help from the decoration’s committee, we were able to accomplish a lot of the work. When I left at 2AM, the stage backdrop was hung, the side panels were covered, the poles were wrapped in leis, all the windows were blacked out, and the centerpieces were just about ready to go. Yet, the real work started on the day of Luau at 6AM. We finished putting up the rest of decorations and added a whole bunch of fresh flower arrangements to give Benson a tropical feel. Then we laid out the centerpieces and decorated the buffet table with ti leaves, orchids, and plumerias. When we finally opened the doors at 11AM, we were all ready to go. The lunch show was not as full as last year, but the performances were still par. I was in 3 dances this year: Tahitian, a girls’ Auana (slow dance), and couples. (I was in the front for the one dance that required me to be somewhat graceful… I usually don’t do graceful well.) And of course, the food was delicious! Lomi salmon, rice, poi, grilled chicken, kalua pig, and haupia. From what I’ve been told, we have the best Luau food on the west coast. (It’s probably because we make everything ourselves.) Also, Angela (my cousin) and Hannah (friend) came down to see our show all the way from USF! Also, my Aunty Vi and Uncle David who lives around the area attended as well! And David’s parents flew all the way from Hawaii just to see Luau and attend both shows!
I don’t want to bore you guys with all the decoration details between lunch and dinner, so let’s just say it was a lot of work and I got to take a 5 minute nap. Dinner show was pretty much the same as lunch, except they additionally served chicken long rice and sweet potato.
At the end of the show while singing Hawai’i Aloha and holding hands on stage, I looked around the room and felt proud of my contributions to this year’s luau. I also took a moment to appreciate all the parents and friends who had helped make this show a success. Our show’s name lived up to that Luau. It was truly “Ka La Ho’olaule’a,” or “A Day of Celebration.” I can’t wait till next year’s luau.