Lorac Croc Palette

I've been somewhat on a makeup kick lately, watching beauty tutorials on youtube and what not. I've been in need of new eye shadow forever. I usually only wear eye shadow if it's a special occasion or I'm going out, but I realized that a good everyday shadow can go a long way. I knew I wanted to buy a shadow palette because it's more economical and you don't have to try to figure out what colors go together.

I ended up being woo'ed into buying Lorac's Croc Palette, and this has to be one of my best beauty purchases ever. The photo makes it look more bronze than it really is. In real life, it's has more pinkish undertones. It's a GREAT everyday eye shadow palette that can also be used at night. I still have yet to play around with more looks using this palette, but I think it's pretty versatile. It goes so well with my skin tone, but I think it would suit anyone really well too.

I bought it at Sephora for $36 which isn't too bad at all considering it comes with 4 shadows and a blush. It's very pigmented, so a little goes a long way.

Home Sweet Home

I am finally home in Chicago after endless brutal exams and a long and adventurous trip back home. I have traveled a lot in my lifetime and am used to annoying airport experiences. All I have to say is that Miami's international airport is the worst. If you can avoid it, don't fly through there when you're coming from another country and have a connecting flight with a layover of any less than 2 hours. Again, I've experienced worse, but I just really don't like the airport in Miami.

So the last two weeks were pretty horrible in terms of all these exams, but nothing was more stressful than this past week. It reminded me of 1st semester of junior year at NYU when I had a final every single day for a whole week, and I just got really depressed at the end of it all, thinking that I bombed every single one. This time, I'm finally feeling a bit relaxed aside from the fact that Mini 3 was an awful experience and I can only hope to God I passed 2nd semester. Failure is the harsh reality of med school. You honestly can't go through the journey of becoming a doctor without realizing that failure is possible. It sounds cynical, but it's the truth.

Even though I've only been home for a few days (since last Fri night), I've already had the joy of enjoying good food. So with that said, please stay tuned to updates on my food blog!

1 more week...

As much as I'd love to say that the overfilled 3" binder encompasses all the material for my remaining 4 exams, it is sadly the material JUST for one exam, that being Mini 3 - all the material from the last 5 weeks of classes. I was even better about printing 4 slides per page (and of course, always double-sided) this time. Man. So, I just finished my 5 exam of the last week this morning. The neuro Shelf exam was really kind of ridiculous. I thought that was my strong subject too. It's a good thing it's double-curved and that everyone is pretty much guaranteed to pass...I hope.

Next week is going to be the most killer ever. I have a test every single day from Monday to Thursday, and then I finally get to go home on Friday. Yup, 4 exams left, and I'll be home in exactly one week. Kinda crazy. After the 3 hour anatomy Shelf on Tuesday, I was so completely drained afterwards that I barely got ANYTHING done. Today, I took a short nap after the equally draining (and more difficult) neuroscience Shelf and got right back into studying. It was quite possibly the most efficient and focused studying I've done in the last week. So let's just hope I can keep this up next week and not let myself get so completely drained.

Thank God this is the one and only time in my life I ever have to endure a string of 9 difficult exams in the span of 2 weeks.

In more cheerful news, Gabe and I will officially be going to Degustation before the Pacquiao fight. They don't have a website, but someone posted beautiful photos of the food on Yelp. It should be a unique and enjoyable experience. We intend on doing the $75 10-course meal. That probably sounds all fancy, but this place is counter seating, and the chefs cook right in front of you. It's not typically romantic, but for Gabe and I, it will be since food is sexy to us.

Informal Announcement

NYC - Arrive early morning on Thursday, April 30th.
I will be going to yakitori (our usual spot) that evening, for old times sake. Just like the good old days when we were youthful, poor college students. Come if you can!

I probably won't be doing a happy hour drinks type thing before or afterwards because Gabe and I have a date planned for PDT or Death&Co.

Saturday, May 2nd is fight night. Pacquiao vs. Hatton. I know you all plan on watching it, so I decided to throw a get together for my visit slash fight night. It'll be at Tonic East on 3rd ave and 28th st. It's a big sports bar that supposedly tends to get filled with ibankers, pink polos, and striped button-downs, but this bar is basically the only place that's officially showing the fight without a cover (as of now). We all know how much I don't like Murray Hill and that my heart will always be in Manhattan below approximately 20th st, but what can ya do.

Alright, more official invite will be sent through Facebook by this weekend. Peace out and hope to see you in a few weeks!

Springtime Brunch

Gabe and I were thinking about having brunch somewhere the Sunday I'm in NYC, but honestly, brunch is such a scene in Manhattan that it's hard to find a good place without having to deal with a 1+ hour wait. I came across this recipe, and it sounds delicious! Scrambled eggs with ramps, morels, and asparagus. Spring-time is the best time for foodies and chefs because it's when all the glorious veggies come out. Since ramps are so fleeting, I feel quite lucky that I'll be home during it's very short peak. Maybe I can even find some in my backyard in Lake Forest! Word. Anyways, nothing sounds better than scrambled eggs with the best springtime vegetables, so I think Gabe and I might try that out instead of dealing with brunch dining in Manhattan.

Speaking of brunch, I think eggs, bacon, and toast are in store for dinner tonight. A treat to myself for getting A's on all three of my lab practicals!

Earthquake!

I felt my very first earthquake ever today! Ok, maybe it wasn't a full on earthquake. More like a tremor, but nonetheless, I felt the earth rumble beneath the floor of the library. Hooray!

Chicago Eats: Spring 2009

The day after I get back, my family and I will be celebrating my mom's 50th birthday (belated) and my brother's 22nd birthday at Charlie Trotter's. It was definitely one of the forerunners in tasting menu fine dining in the United States in the 1980's, so Trotter's definitely has a level of prestige. Since the restaurant is so old now, I'm really not sure how it is in comparison to other restaurants at that high end level since foodies don't really write about it nearly as much anymore. Either way, I'm sure it will be an amazing meal, and I'm looking forward to my first big high end dining experience in Chicago!

My parents also want to take me to Kaze for their Tuesday $45 4-course prix-fixe. Sushi for the non-purist. I'm sure Yasuda would have a heart attack at the thought. I've never been there, but my parents have a number of times and absolutely love it. I trust their food opinions, so I'm excited to try it. I'm not sure what the current menu is (not sure if the site is updated), but at least at one point, the soup course was White Asparagus Soup with King Crab Meat, Foie Gras, and Microgreens. No miso soup here! Sounds like a good deal to me.

I also really want to make it a point to go to Hot Doug's this time. I know I've been saying that for my last 2-3 visits in Chicago, but I'll make sure it goes through this time! Now that Bourdain has featured it with great praise on No Reservations, non-foodies and tourists probably now know about the place. Hopefully quality and service keeps up. I don't even know what dog/sausage I'd get, so I'll have to see how I feel when the time comes.

Lastly, I think I want to make it out to The Publican, a beer hall with an amazing beer list and some interesting gastropub fare, headed by Chef Paul Kahan. Check out the menu for yourself. It even says which exact farm, city, and state the product came from. Kahan stresses organic and seasonal ingredients. Quite impressive. My family and I are BIG Paul Kahan fans. We've been to Blackbird Restaurant and Avec multiple times, and both do not fail. Possibly due to hype and high expectations, The Publican doesn't seem to be getting as glowing reviews as what I would expect...but how bad can it really be with pork rinds, sweetbreads, and an incredible collection of beers?

Anyways, that's my list for now. I'm not sure if I'll really be going to The Publican, but I know my dad has been interested in it since before it even opened. The thought of pork, sweetbreads, and Paul Kahan makes us squeal.

No more labs!

I'm finished with all 3 of my practicals! My last one was anatomy, which was on the GI system, abdominal cavity, and pelvic/perineum regions. It really wasn't that bad. I didn't know every answer, but it was a pretty fair, and for the most part, easy practical. Thank God I'm finished with anatomy forever. I like anatomy, but I just don't like being in that formaldehyde-infused lab. Studying the cadavers can be fun and interesting at times, but it gets pretty frustrating when the bodies end up getting all torn up and moldy.


My neuroscience practical was also yesterday. It wasn't easy, but not too bad either. I personally loved neuro and wish I could have dedicated more time to studying it, but I still have less than 2 weeks to learn (and re-learn) as much as I can. I definitely want to do an elective rotation in neurology when the time comes, so there will be PLENTY more neuro to learn further down the road.

My histology practical was also today. I really don't like histology, and looking at histological slides is even worse and more boring. Tissue slides are not interesting AT ALL.


I thought I'd just post this picture up for fun. Head/neck anatomy was probably one of the most frustrating parts of med school so far, and I'm glad I never have to go back to that again (as long as I pass this semester).

Since my practicals are over, I decided I should take a break tonight and not study. I think I'll just take the time to plan out my vacation in Chicago and NY. I have to plan where I'm going to eat! I'll post a rough plan when I figure things out more. Gabe and I will definitely have a fun-filled 4-day date while I'm in NY, so we want to make the most of it. Also, as you probably know, there's a Pacquiao fight on May 2nd. Since that's the weekend I'm in NY, I want to have a get together that night to hopefully watch the fight at a bar. If you know a place that will be showing it, then please let me know! If I can't find a place, then hopefully everyone is willing to meet up with me after the fight. I just want to see everyone since it's been far too long!

Break time, then study time begins again tomorrow morning...

Palm Sunday with real fresh palm!

Since I've spent my entire life in big cities, I'm more accustomed to receiving that single leaf on Palm Sunday. It didn't even occur to me that I'd be getting a real trimmed palm leaf here in Dominica where there's certainly no shortage of palm. I often tell people that the descent towards the airport here is similar to the plane descent in Jurassic Park. It's that green here. The cows that are moo'ing behind my apartment right now may as well be dinosaurs.

Almost home free

Exactly 3 more weeks until I touch down in Chi-town. Approaching O'Hare over the Chicago skyline, especially at night, is always really exciting for me. Especially coming home from Dominica. It's like, wow high-rise buildings!


And now, just a little under 4 weeks until I land in NYC! It's hard to believe that by the time I arrive, it will have been 10 months since I was in NYC and saw all of my friends (except for Gabe and Vadicel, who have both visited me in Chicago after I moved out of NY). I still think about NYC everyday and get very nostalgic about the life I lived back then. I get especially homesick when I have to miss social events that are happening there. This weekend is PCN, Marco's bday, Derick's bday, and the girls are having brunch on Sunday. Instead of going to those things, I'm here, and I will likely be spending the whole weekend in the anatomy lab or looking at my Rohen's colored atlas studying the GI system, abdominal and pelvic cavities, and reproductive organs. The last thing I want to do before I sleep is look at different cuts of the penis. Actually, you'd be surprised at how important the external genitalia are. Anyways, that's besides the point.

I just have to stay really focused on these upcoming practicals, Shelf exams, and Mini 3, and HOPEFULLY I'll be finished with M1 forever!