Fried food galore

Last weekend was the end of NC State Fair. I was mostly excited to see what fried food madness NC had to offer and didn't really care about rest of the fair. I was surprised to see the huge fairground. There were multiple tents that showcased different vendors (yay free samples!). I thought LA County Fair was a decent size, but State Fair took it to another level (or maybe I was just so overwhelmed). I didn't get to see much since I was volunteering at a local Oktoberfest 8K run in the afterrnon and didn't get to the fairground until almost 7pm. I still managed to sabotage my diet somehow...

My roommate got deep fried reese's peanut buttercups

She also got deep fried cookie dough. Everyone really liked it, but I wasn't really a fan...

I got some fried pickles! There's a little kick at the end, so that was good, but it would have been so much better if they were freshly fried.

Fried Cheese had one of the longest lines. Looking at the pictures make my arteries cry...

More Deep Fried Goodies

You know you are in the South...

I REALLY wanted to try this... but I was too self-conscious and didn't want to scare my new friends away after having deep fried pickles and cheese. 

Ribbon fries with cheese and hot sauce. I guess this is a thing here in NC. I saw this at BugFest too. 

Let's fried EVERYTHING!

They also had a lot of interesting funnel cake flavors like pumpkin and red velvet. It was an eye opening experience. I just wish all the fair food could be freshly fried when you order...

The fair had a wide varieties of events/offers. Throughout the day, there was pig racing, which I got to watch from the side and made me feel like I was in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo... They also had 2 CAMELS at the petting zoo! These were just the parts that I saw. Each night, there was also a good solid 10-minute firework. I was definitely blown away! 

So if any of you are considering ever visiting, October would probably be a good time! 

West Coast, Best Coast

A week ago I was back in L.A. It was not until I was landing that I realized how much I miss home. I could not stop smiling.

view from my lunch spot!
It's actually a little cafeteria located on the top floor of the COURT HOUSE. Yes, I went through security and all just to go to this place. Things I would do for food/picture!

The newly open Grand Park right across from the Civic Center & L.A. Times!

DTLA

Thanks to LA Times, I got to explore LA more.

Finally got to fulfill my sushi craving! Can't decide whether I should try more places here or save my money and splurge when I go back...

Disneyland! BEST WEEKEND EVER! Though a lot of things went wrong that day, it could never be a bad day at Disneyland.

World of Color! When the man realized he was in the picture and docked away... the writing faded.
Watching world of color actually made me sad as I realized that I am no longer a child...

I got to surprise Michelle for her birthday and got breakfast with her before I head back to Raleigh.

I never associate myself as a california/LA girl. I was never a city girl either, or so I thought. But there are just WAY too many trees here. I miss the lights and the sounds.

Dear Grandma

I woke up from a dream crying this morning. The warmth from that wrinkled yet soft hand still lingered as I lay there wishing I hadn't woken up. It felt so real.
I miss those hands. The pair that do magic to food that made me never want to eat out. The pair that took care of all my needs whether it's 1 P.M. or 1 A.M. The pair  that took me home after my dance shows. The pair that always cleaned up my mess. The pair that always hold me when crossing the street. The pair that hold on to me for support when ill.

Every time I think of my grandma, I don't just miss her I also feel guilty. She has done so much for every single one of us. She always put others before herself. I wish I could have been more selfless and spent more time with her when I had the chance. If she could endure long hours of flying just to visit us, then why couldn't I leave more time to be with her? I wasn't there when she needed me.

In my dream, I could not do anything but cry. As always, she was the one taking care of me. Never the other way around. I wanted to tell her what we are doing now and how we will make her proud, but I could not say even one word.